The protection of lives and property is the main objective of fixed firefighting equipment, based on sound engineering principles test data and field experience, playing a major role in ensuring a supply of sufficient flow and pressure.
A long experience in the manufacture of firefighting equipment has allowed its standardization applying international regulations.
NFPA-20. U.S. standard for the installation of stationary fire protection pumps.
In most countries firefighting equipment must comply with regulations issued by the National Fire Protection Association Bombas Ideal S.A. designs firefighting equipment complying with strict standards and at the same time guaranteeing cost-effective solutions
The pumping equipment covers the full range of NFPA 20 as follows:
- Capacities rated from 25 to 5000 USGPM
- Nominal pressures from 70 to 190 M
- Other service points are available upon request
All these systems require a pressurized water network for their operation. The fire-fighting equipment will maintain the pressurised network, for which they have a small auxiliary pump called a jockey, driven by an electric motor that replaces any possible leaks and drips that may occur in the installation. A small hydropneumatic reservoir helps reduce the number of starts and cushions pressure fluctuations.
The overall design of all the equipment is ready for automatic fire service, not admitting other uses.
Firefighting NFPA20
The most important features are :
- Joint design of all equipment, ready for automatic fire service
- Modular construction configurable according to the required equipment either single main pump or several main pumps with electric or diesel motor drive
- The pumping equipment is a set of one or more pumping groups being the set capable of providing the nominal flow specified for the system (Qn) required by the standard.
- The appropriate FOC equipment is defined in the selection table, depending on the flow required by the firefighting system, number of hydrants, sprinklers, etc. and the required pressure.
- It is necessary to take into account, the geometric height, between the level of the pumping equipment and the most unfavourable point of the circuit, as well as the load losses of the route.