A fire fighting pump is an essential piece of equipment to have in your arsenal during bushfire season and the rest of the year. They help defend your property and family against the ravages of bushfires, but they also have a number of other uses as well. They can even be used as a back-up power source in case the mains electricity fails or becomes unavailable.
Fire pumps are needed when the water supply cannot generate sufficient hydraulic pressure to meet the demand of a system such as sprinklers and standpipes or foam systems. This may occur in high-rise buildings where the pressure of city supply lines is too low, or in systems that require a higher terminal pressure at the fire sprinkler (such as storage warehouses).
Most fire pumps use centrifugal technology to provide sufficient water flow to firefighting operations. Centrifugal pumps have a single impeller and the size of the impeller determines pump capacity. Hale’s single-stage fire pump, the Qmax, can produce NFPA 1901 rated flows up to 2250 GPM and is available in a one-piece body making maintenance easier.
Whether you are using an electric or diesel fire pump, they should be checked regularly to ensure they’ll function properly in an emergency situation. This can include checking the battery, oil level and hoses. It is also recommended that they undergo a full annual testing by a qualified professional to verify the fire pump will perform as designed.