Fire Pump Performance Test

Churn and annual flow testing to NFPA 25. We run your electric or diesel fire pump through its full range, plot its curve against the factory rating and document the results for your records.

The heart of your sprinkler and hydrant system

A fire pump is part of the water supply for sprinkler, standpipe and hydrant systems, driven by an electric motor or a diesel engine. It draws water from the public mains or a static tank and raises the flow and pressure delivered to the sprinkler risers and hose standpipes.

Because the whole system depends on it, NFPA 25 requires fire pumps to be tested regularly — a routine churn (no-flow) test and an annual flow test — to prove they will perform as designed.

The pump is run without water flowing, as required by NFPA 25 — weekly or monthly depending on the driver type. Our technicians:

• Run the pump for a minimum of 10 minutes
• Record suction and discharge pressure gauge readings
• Check the packing glands for slight discharge and adjust the gland nuts if necessary
• Check for unusual noise or vibration
• Check packing boxes, bearings and pump casing for overheating
• Record the pump starting pressure and interpret the results

Once a year the pump’s flow and pressure are measured across its full range. With the discharge line closed and the test line open, we record pressure and RPM at 0%, 100% and 150% of the rated flow — for both electric and diesel pumps.

The readings are plotted on a hydraulic graph and compared with the factory specification and previous years’ results. A significant drop in performance is investigated and the necessary repairs are carried out.