Technical Requirements for Fire Pump Self-Testing

Fire pump self-testing, as a new technology in corporate fire water supply systems, requires adherence to specific technical standards regardless of the self-testing method employed to ensure continuous improvement in safety and reliability.

(1) Fire pump self-inspection primarily employs PLC control. Fire gas pressurization equipment is categorized into different types based on classification methods. With its fully sealed, leak-free, and corrosion-resistant characteristics, it is widely used in environmental protection, water treatment, and firefighting sectors for pumping various liquids. It is an ideal pump for establishing leak-free, pollution-free workshops and factories. The pump types used in firefighting systems are similar, differing only in head and flow rate. For deep well fire pumps, remove the plug to allow excess grease to drain automatically. For oil-lubricated pumps, drain oil to the correct level. In fire pump automatic inspection cabinets, the centerline of the impeller outlet (i.e., the centerline of the impeller outlet width) in volute pumps should align with the centerline of the volute inlet. If misaligned, adjust by adding shims between the impeller hub and shaft shoulder. Keep the deviation between the two centerlines within 0.5 mm. For pumps with high specific speed, a slight deviation has minimal impact on performance. However, for pumps with medium to low specific speed, where the impeller outlet is narrow (e.g., only 10 mm wide), a 1 mm deviation from the volute centerline significantly affects the fire pump's performance. After adjustment, it is recommended to control the error between the two centerlines (impeller and volute) within 5% of the impeller outlet width. The self-inspection cycle is generally set at 10-15 days, with each self-inspection run lasting 5-10 minutes. The fire water supply system should undergo a comprehensive inspection once a year, and fire pumps should also undergo discharge quality testing (under normal operating conditions). This is because the optimal state for fire pump self-testing is to accurately reflect the actual operating conditions of the fire pump.

(2) The fire self-test mode must possess automatic switching functionality during major fires and ensure that the fire pump does not automatically stop after starting. During firefighting operations, the self-test signal should not be triggered in response to... During fire pump self-testing, if a hot work permit is issued, the ongoing self-test must be immediately interrupted. The solenoid valve on the bypass pipeline should be promptly closed and confirmed, forcibly halting the self-test. The system should automatically transition the fire pump to normal operating conditions (at full power frequency), achieving maximum rated speed to ensure the pump's discharge meets the system's user flow and head requirements.

(3) In fire protection water supply systems undergoing self-testing, pressure-reducing valves must be installed from a reliability perspective. Both normal-speed and low-speed self-test modes may potentially cause system overpressure issues. If solenoid valves fail to open or soft starters malfunction, abnormal VFD operation may lead to pump stalling. Pressure-reducing valves can be configured within the utility system. (4) Due to enhanced maintenance requirements for fire pumps during routine operations, fire pump units must also fully consider vibration isolation measures for pumps and pipelines. Fire pumps should also prevent freezing to ensure the entire system functions normally without equipment failures or damage.