After you have determined the size of fuel tank you need for a diesel fire pump, what are the general requirements for installation? Assuming that you are under under the International Building/Fire Codes, you would go through the following chain of code references: IFC (2021 edition) 5701.2 Nonapplicability. This chapter shall not apply to liquids as otherwise provided in other laws or regulations or chapters of this code, including: ... (4) Storage and use of fuel oil in tanks and containers connected to oil-burning equipment. Such storage and use shall be in accordance with Section 605. For abandonment of fuel oil tanks, this chapter applies.. IFC (2021 edition) 605.1 General. The design, construction, installation, operation, alteration, repair and maintenance of nonportable gas-fired appliances and systems shall comply with the provisions of this section and the International Fuel Gas Code. The design, construction, installation, operation, alteration, repair and maintenance
Pressure maintenance pumps (PMP), or jockey pumps (JP) as they are more commonly referred to, are an often incorrectly sized part of a fire pump system. Lets walk through the fundamentals. Why/When Required: To start with, technically you are not required to provide a jockey pump on all systems. NFPA 20 section A.4.25 states " Pressure maintenance (jockey or make-up) pumps should be used where it is desirable to maintain a uniform or relatively high pressure on the fire protection system. " The goal is to not shock the system with water hammer when the main fire pump starts. You don't want to be boosting the pressure from 10 psi to 150 psi. You want to be boosting the pressure in the 5-15 psi range. It is our recommendation that in almost all situations, a jockey pump should be provided to minimize pressure surges when the main fire pump starts. Jockey Pump Types: Jockey pumps are not required to be listed per NFPA 20-2010 section 4.25.1. The failure of a jockey pump