Good morning Campers. Looking for advice and comments. I have an existing diesel driven fire pump in a prefabricated pump house installed in 2012 serving 2 apartment buildings.
I first tested this pump in 2017, had 13 hours on it, ran fine but we ran out of water at just about 100% capacity. Spent the day with the water department a few days later checking underground valves, flowing a few street mains hydrants, basically came to the conclusion that this is all we got. Wrote up a report, suggested they hire an FPE to see if the pumps tested capacity meets requirements, how did this happen, what about the hydrants off this system, stuff like that. I think I stirred the sleepy caldron a little. Didnt hear back from the client until this spring. Apparently they changed ITM contractors and the new one didnt pan out. They had a balcony fire May 2021, gas grille, 13R system with no attic protection, non-completed attic separations and fire walls, etc. Fortunately they had a response so quickly it never made it to penetrate the eaves and soffits and was extinguished between the 5th and 6th (top) floors. Local FD must have had a field day with a Q20 of about 800 and closest city hydrant ¼ mile away. Waiting for incident report to review. So back to my query. Its a xy&em pump house. All welded sch40 and painted. Not the greatest build as theres a 6 BFP vertically installed right off the incoming service with elbows turning it around and down to the floor to feed the pump. Just a few spacers in the piping so no room for slipping in this device unless something gets removed or moved. 4-15 of #20 (2013) says between the pump discharge and check and I get that but also defers to the mfgr. for direction. Looking at the various offerings most are a little vague on placement and even one says after the pump discharge valve. Without major surgery, I have 2 spots to slip in this 20 long device. I can remove the relief valve between the discharge increaser and pump check and put it there or I can remove the tee feeding a 6 storz and check located between the discharge valve and the city bypass. The former will allow me to test through the device but the latter will not. I dont believe either of these appurtenances are necessary and I will explain (hes still rambling? Jeepers .). The engine is a small JD inline 4 running 3000 rpm, single ECM, max. speed is 3300. Churn is 155 at 3025. I havent physically done it but if I extrapolate to 3300 I get 170 psi. Im below 175 so I think the PRV can go. If I opt to remove the storz I can but testing this pump will have to be via the 3 hydrants it serves, in addition to the 2 buildings. I honestly dont know why the engineer (small E) had a storz included as this house it atop a hill in the woods ½ mile away from a city hydrant and these buildings. OK, done rambling. Loose the PRV or keep scratching my head? Lets go Red Sox! Tom Duross _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://lists.firesprinkler.org/listinfo.cgi/sprinklerforum-firesprinkler.org
