How does an electric fire pump work? As one of the most important components in the whole fire suppression system, you’ll need to understand how it works!
In the event of a fire, this electric fire pump functions to provide sufficient water pressure to extinguish the fire quickly and effectively.
For more details, let’s unveil the steps of how it works below!
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Table of Contents
How Does an Electric Fire Pump Work?
1. Fire Detection
Before the electric fire pump starts working, the fire detection system plays a very important role in the fire suppression process by detecting early signs of fire and sending signals to the main control panel.
When the system detects smoke or rising in temperatures, it responds immediately by activating the fire alarm to alert the building occupants.
In addition, the control panel gives a command to the electric fire pump to operate immediately, ensuring sufficient water supply and consistent pressure in the fire suppression system.
2. Pump Activation
Upon receiving a signal from the control panel, the electric motor connected to the fire pump starts up in a very short time.
This process is fast and efficient, ensuring that no time is wasted in the effort to extinguish the fire.
With its high response speed, the electric fire pump can immediately provide the necessary water flow to the fire extinguishing system, thus minimizing potential damage and increasing the chances of controlling the fire before it spreads further.
Also Read: “7 Types of Fire Fighting Pumps“
3. Sucks Up the Water
The electric pump is usually connected to a nearby water source, such as a large water tank or municipal water supply system.
When the electric motor starts to rotate, the impeller inside the pump will create centrifugal force (pulling water into the pump through the suction pipe).
4. Increases Pressure
The water entering the pump is then pressurized by the rotating impeller, generating the necessary pressure for effective distribution.
This process is critical, as it ensures that the water pumped out has enough pressure to reach all parts of the building protected by the fire suppression system.
With consistent and strong pressure, the system can supply water to sprinklers, hydrants, and other extinguishing equipment, thus maximizing coverage and efficiency in fighting fires.
5. Water Distribution
The high-pressure water is then distributed through a network of pipes to sprinklers or hydrants that have been installed throughout the building.
When the sprinklers detect heat from the fire, they will automatically open and spray water at high pressure to extinguish the fire.
6 Control and Monitoring
The electric pump systems are also equipped with various sensors and monitoring devices.
These sensors ensure that the pump and the overall operation of the fire suppression system is operating properly and that the water pressure remains stable and if there is a problem, the system will send an alert.
Also Read: “Electric Fire Pump: What Is It? What Is Its Function?“
So there you have it! The complete explanation about how an electric fire pump works that we’ve prepared just for you!
Knowing that this device is one of the crucial components that exist in various fire suppression systems, it is no surprise that its installation is strictly regulated.
This is because the wrong installation of this device will cause a catastrophic failure that will risk everybody’s safety.
So that’s why, every installation of fire suppression systems including the electric pump in Indonesia is regulated through the SNI certification (Indonesian National Standard).
The SNI certification itself is a series of regulations and standards that are applied in many products and or services provided and sold in Indonesia.
For the electric fire pump itself, its standard is outlined in SNI 04-0629-2000.
