Strainers and Fire Pumps 1

[jimnogood]

All,

In NFPA 20, editions 2007 and after, the requirement for strainers on the suction of vertical inline pumps was deleted. Does anyone know the reason for the deletiion? Was it a pump performance issue? Or was it cost driven by owners/contractors?

In other words, if I still call for a strainer, will it adversely affect the pump?

 

[Duwe6]

In the USA, Firewater typically comes from the potable City Water system. Since that water is 100% sand-bed filtered, adding a strainer at the pump does nothing except reduce the suction flow.

 

[stookeyfpe]

The NFPA 20 technical committee is adopting the same approach as FM. Water that is not reliable from the perspective of being clean, free of debris, and of any nuisance that complicates the impellers is not reliable. It's a solid move as far as I concerned. Everything in the fire protection design is required to be listed yet the standards create large loopholes where the fire protection equipment is expected to respond and react to debris-riden water supplies. Let's face it. As currently written, NFPA standards love potable water supplies.

 

[pierrepaul]

I agree with stookeyfpe,as in Europe, insurers ask for clean-water only, as this is an essential element of the reliability of the sprinkler system
Regards,
Pierre Paul
sprinkler engineering

 

[IFRs]

For an industrial site that gets it's water from a river or other body of water surely a strainer is a good idea?

 

[chicopee]

many rural commnity fire departments rely on lake and stream waters, so strainers are advisable in those cases.