FIRE PUMPS
101
NOTRE DAME FIRE SCHOOL
2004
CAPTAIN TROY KERCKHOVE
SOUTH BEND FIRE
A LITTLE ABOUT ME
•South Bend Firefighter 12 years
•Wife and three kids
•Captain of Engine 8 (in the hills)
•EMT-adv
•Shift instructor, flashover instructor
•Hazmat team
A LOT ABOUT YOU
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Name
Department
Years in the fire service
Type of apparatus
What do you want from this class
Favorite color
NOW LETS GET
PUMPED UP
FIRE PUMP THEORY
• Why do you need to know and understand,
how the pump work?
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Moving Water
Making Pressure
Maintaining
Troubleshooting
PUMP TYPES
• Positive displacement
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Original fire pump
Used primarily as primers today
Constant volume
Will pump air
Types
• Piston
• Vane
• Rotor gear
FIRE PUMPS
• CENTRIFICAL
– Based around the spinning disk
– Volume dependent on supply
– Types
• Single stage
• Series/parallel (two Stage)
• Third stage high pressure
– Used in today’s fire pumps
THE TWO STAGE PUMP
• Designed to operate in pressure and volume
modes
• Series used for high pressure lower volume
(less than half rated volume)
• Parallel used for high volume low pressure
• Has some type of a change over valve
THE RELIEF VALVE
• Safety system for the firefighters on the
hose lines
• Must be used anytime more than one line is
operation
• Protects lines from over pressurization
• Most operate from 70 to 300 psi
• Must operate with less than a 30 psi surge
• Will not operate if inlet pressure to high
PRESSURE GOVERNERS
• Maintains pressure by operating engine
throttle control
– Mechanical
– Electronic
MAINTANCE
VS
REPAIR
• Prevent future
problem
• Keeps in working
• Inspect to find
defects
• Complete on a
regular schedule
• Fixing what is broke
• Replace worn parts
UNDER THE HOOD
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Engine oil
Transmission fluid (automatic)
Coolant
Washer fluid
Brake fluid
Belts
Hoses
Batteries
Leaks
CHASSIS
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Tires
Other leaks
Body damage
Doors
Brakes
Steering
Hose loads and equipment
PUMP AREA
• Inside and under
– Leaks
• Water
• Other fluids
– Primer oil level
• Panel
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Move of valves
Lights
Gauges
Line connections
Change over valve
Relief valve
NOZZLES
• Smooth bore
– 50 psi
• Set gallon fog
– 100 psi
• Low pressure fog
• Automatic
COMMON HOSE SIZES
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1”
1 ½”
1 ¾”
2”
2 ½”
3”
Supply line
MEASURING THAT WATER
• Pressure
– Force exerted by the
water
– Measured in pound per
square inch (psi)
– Or inches of mercury
• Volume
– Amount of water
flowing
– Measured in gallons
per minute (gpm)
NET PUMP DISCHARGE
PRESSURE
• NDP=FL+A+E+N
– FL= FRICTION LOSS
– A=APPLIANCE
– E=ELEVATION
• 5 PSI PER 10 FT OR 5 PSI PER FLOOR MINUS 1
– N=NOZZLE
FRICTION LOSS
• The amount of pressure lost, as water flows
through hose and appliances
• Points to remember
– Flow goes up so does the loss
– Smaller hose more loss
– Kinks
FINDING FRICTION LOSE
THE HARD WAY
• FL=CQ2L
• Examples
– 200’ of 13/4” hose flowing 200gpm
• 15.5x22x2=124psi
– 1000’ of 5” flowing 1000gpm
• .08x102x10=80psi
FRICTION LOSS MADE A
LITTLE EASIER
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Hand method
Flow methods
Charts
Predetermined settings
Hose team yelling at you
CONDENSED Q FORMULA
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FL per 100 ft of 3” hose=Q2
200’ 3” flowing 500 gpm
52
25x 2=50 psi
DRAFTING
•Moving water from static source
SETTING UP THE PUMP
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Parking brake/ wheel chocks
Neutral
Shift transfer case
Transmission in to correct gear
Water into pump
Someplace for it to go
Set pressure
FROM THE BOOSTER TANK
• Open tank valve
• Prime if needed
– How long?
• Place for it to go
• Crack open tank fill
• Remember limited supply of water, and
limited flow
FROM DRAFT
• Air tight connections
• Prime
• Put water some where
FROM PRESSURIZED
WATER SOURCE
• Bleed air out
• Send water somewhere
CHANGING OVER
• Tank water to draft
– May decrease
discharge
pressure
• Tank to pressurized
– Will increase
discharge
pressure
TROUBLE SHOOTING
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Loss prime
No pressure
No water movement
Cavitation
Relief valve not working