Fire-Fighting Pump Room: Pumps, Controllers and Selection Basics

Short answer: a typical fire pump room has a jockey pump that keeps the network pressurised, a main electric fire pump that starts when pressure drops, and a diesel standby pump for power failures, each with its own controller. Sizes and arrangement are set by the hydrant and sprinkler design and the fire code that applies to the building.

The pumps and what they do

• Jockey pump – a small pump that makes up minor leakage and holds system pressure so the main pumps do not start unnecessarily.
• Main electric pump – starts automatically on a pressure drop and supplies the design flow for hydrants and sprinklers.
• Diesel standby pump – same duty, independent of the electricity supply.

Controllers

Each pump has a dedicated controller that starts it on pressure switches, monitors faults and allows manual operation. Fire pumps are not stopped automatically once they start; they are stopped manually after the event.

What is needed for selection

1. Design flow and pressure from the hydrant and sprinkler hydraulic calculation.
2. The applicable code and the local fire authority’s requirements.
3. Water source and tank level relative to the pumps.
4. Power supply and space available in the pump room.

Products and projects

Grundfos NKF fire sprinkler pump sets (materials compliant with EN 12845), Grundfos LS split-case fire pumps and turnkey fire-fighting systems delivered by our projects team.