sprinkler booster pump for a part of the system?
sprinkler booster pump for a part of the system?
(OP)
I have a project for 7 story building with cellar (parking garage in the cellar, two stories medical offices and others are residential). My understanding - for parking garage I have ordinary hazard 1, in other places it is light hazard. My hydraulic calculations show that there is enough pressure/flow for cellar-third floors. Is it acceptable to install sprinkler booster pump just for a part of the system?
Thank you very much for the help.
Thank you very much for the help.





RE: sprinkler booster pump for a part of the system?
RE: sprinkler booster pump for a part of the system?
RE: sprinkler booster pump for a part of the system?
It would be allowable to only provide a fire pump for part of an automatic sprinkler system. However, that introduces a host of other problems. I would not present such a design to a code official.
RE: sprinkler booster pump for a part of the system?
If you've got systems before the pump, you'll need two separate fire dept. connections. Also, good idea to add check valves to the risers before the pump. Nothing like having the pump suck them dry during a flow test and then having every flow switch trip when they refill.
RE: sprinkler booster pump for a part of the system?
Skdesigner, excellent catch. Stookeyfpe, I am in New York City, surprisingly standpipe is not required here if you are below 75' and do not have occupancy more than 30 people above 55' (subject to area limitations though). Could you please mention potential problems (aggravations) with this design?
RE: sprinkler booster pump for a part of the system?
http://www2.iccsafe.org/states/newyorkcity/Buildin...
RE: sprinkler booster pump for a part of the system?
RE: sprinkler booster pump for a part of the system?
RE: sprinkler booster pump for a part of the system?
Since the project is going to have a pump regardless, why not take advantage of the pump on all floors to reduce installation costs.
With the setup you described, you should be able to pull all of that off with a 200-300 gpm pump at most. You may as well use the pressure for all systems to get the most bang for your buck from the pump.
I have done buildings where I had taken an in-rack sprinkler system off prior to the pump. This was a retrofit with an existing pump. When the occupancy changed, the new storage requirements (rack + overhead) were going to be too much for the pump. However, I was able to make it work by taking the in-rack off prior to the pump and just using city pressure for that. It all balanced and was good to go.
However, in your situation, I would not recommend splitting the systems as described. If you want to size the lower floors based on city water, you could still do that, but keep them on the pump. If the pump failed for some reason, you know that the lower floors would still be fine with the city pressure via the pump bypass line.
Travis Mack
MFP Design, LLC
www.mfpdesign.com