In sprinkler systems, when is the fire pump activated?

In sprinkler systems, the activation of the fire pump is triggered when a pressure decrease is detected. This key functionality ensures that adequate water supply and pressure are maintained for firefighting efforts.

When a fire occurs and the sprinkler heads open to discharge water, the immediate result is a drop in system pressure. This pressure drop signals the need for additional water supply to keep the system effective. The fire pump automatically turns on to compensate for this loss of pressure, ensuring that sufficient water is delivered to the active sprinkler heads. Maintaining the necessary pressure is crucial for effective fire suppression, which is the primary goal of the sprinkler system.

The misunderstanding about pressure increase can stem from confusion about how pumps, in general, work. Normally, in systems managing flow and pressure, increases in pressure can indicate that the system is functioning properly, but in the context of operating a fire pump, it’s the detection of a decrease in pressure that triggers activation.