Why jockey pump is used

A centrifugal pump is not dependent on tight tolerances and will merely churn at the highest pressure point on the curve. Whether a centrifugal or regenerative turbine type pump is used, it should be sized for low flow and high enough head to achieve the maximum fire pump discharge head. There are some existing design conditions that make the performance selection fairly easy. The flow must not exceed the flow capacity of a single sprinkler head, or the jockey pump will be incapable of maintaining pressure when a head opens up to fight a fire.

The object is to overwhelm the jockey pump so the pressure continues to drop in the system, resulting in the fire pump starting. When the fire pump starts, it is usually wired to an alarm system that will bring the fire department. The jockey pump is usually not wired to alarms.

There is an additional flow restriction that reduces the capacity of the jockey pump even further. A sprinkler system has at least one butterfly-type flow switch. These switches respond to a flow as low as 10 gallons per minute. If the jockey pump flows at more than 10 gallons per minute at any point on the performance curve, it could trigger the flow switch and bring the fire department out on a false alarm. So, as a rule of thumb, the desirable flow rate for a jockey pump is around five gallons per minute.

If the pump is capable of seven gallons per minute maximum and the operating point on the curve is three gallons per minute, the jockey pump will maintain pressure but it will not set off a flow switch. Now we should talk about pressure. The jockey pump should be capable of generating the same pressure as the fire pump generates at churn or no flow.

It is best to avoid a jockey pump that can generate much more than that because it could be flirting with the possibility of exceeding the rated system pressure.

There is an exception to every rule and here it is. If a sprinkler system involves any underground piping that will carry system pressure, leaks underground will occur. These leaks are very costly to find and repair.

Therefore, the current thinking is to provide a jockey pump of some greater capacity than would be required if the entire system was above ground. Depending on the size of the underground system and an infinite number of strange system applications, jockey pumps as large as hundreds of gallons per minute have been used. Now that we have flow and pressure sorted out, the next question deals with power.

I have yet to see a jockey pump that is not powered by an electric motor, so we will only deal with electric power in this discussion.

In some parts of the country, all jockey pumps are powered by three-phase motors. In other regions, single-phase motors are more widely used. Either way, the pump will function the same. There is a limitation to the performance of a pump powered by a single-phase motor. The horsepower required is dictated by the flow and pressure required.

If you start shooting extremely controlled water through these pipes, it will destroy the system entirely. Another one among the jockey pumps identifying options is that the indisputable fact that it's 3 elements — a controller, a motor, and a pump.

If you begin to seem, several places have you ever will check your native governance to see what may be required for you. Because of the importance of the jockey pump to your system, it's vital that you simply have an expert install this for you. Not solely is that this typically mandated, however it's planning to stop you from having a broken or fully destroyed system in a while. Make certain that you simply decision the professionals at Dr.

Pipe Drain and Plumbing Services. Fire pumps are substantially larger than sprinkler booster pumps. Standpipes are required per BC when: The building is 2 or more stories with a floor area of 10, ft2 or greater on any floor. A jockey pump is sized for a flow less than the flow to one sprinkler in order to ensure a system pressure drop.

Most stationary fire pump assemblies are installed with devices that automatically sense a pressure loss in a fire protection system, and start running to supply water or boost pressure in that system.

Portable Fire Pump and hose systems are being used by fire departments and homeowners to defend homes from burning down in a wildfire. These portable gas powered fire pumps use a suction hose that draws water from a water source such as a swimming pool, water tank, or lake.

A pump designed to maintain the pressure on the fire protection system between preset limits when the system is not flowing water. The controller for a jockey pump shall be listed but shall not be required to be listed for fire pump service. This website uses cookies to improve your experience.

We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Fire pumps are also needed if fire protection water supply is provided from a ground level water storage tank. The purpose of a jockey pump is to maintain pressure in a fire protection piping system so the larger fire pump does not need to run to compensate for minor leaks in the water circuit.

A jockey pump package consists of a pump, motor and controller. There are two types of pumps available for jockey pump applications. The preferable design is a centrifugal pump. The other type is a positive displacement regenerative turbine pump.