Performing fire pump preventive maintenance is the easier and most effective means to avoid costly fire pump repairs or replacements. Therefore, fire pump preventive maintenance is much more economical than a complete fire pump replacement. In a lot of cases, it can even prolong a fire pump’s life span. If you’re thinking of cutting back on fire pump preventive maintenance, you might want to reconsider based on the expense of fire pump preventive maintenance as opposed to the expense of repairs or replacements.
Fire Pump Churn Testing
NFPA 25* requires no-flow/churn testing once a month for a lot of electric pumps and once a week for diesel fire pumps. While the pump is running, a technician records pressure gauge readings, checks packing glands for any discharge, adjusts gland nuts, listens for unusual noises, etc. to guarantee your fire pump is operating correctly. Averagely, the yearly cost for a fire pump churn test is $1,200 for electric fire pumps, and $7,800 for diesel fire pumps. Components like the packing and gland halves necessitate replacement when the fire pump hasn’t been run for a long period. Replacing them could cost between $2,000-$3,000.
*NFPA 25 sets the minimum requirement for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of water-based fire safeguarding systems, comprising sprinklers, standpipes, and fire pumps to guarantee they operate dependably.
Preventative Maintenance
- Electric fire pump average $1,200
- Diesel average fire pump $7,800
Replacement
- Packing and gland halves $2,000-$3,000
Clean up Drain Lines and Clearing Water from Drip Cavities
On the lower half of the casing, the drain lines from the drip cavities are required to be kept clear. A professional can easily disassemble and clean those lines. This costs about $500 and is typically required no more than one time a year. If you disregard these blocked drain lines and settled water in the drip pockets, you can expect substantial repair expenses. Frequently, when drain lines are blocked the packing isn’t adjusted correctly either. This can be the cause of additional damage to the shaft and related parts. Averagely these fire pump parts can cost between $5,000 -$10,000 to repair and/ or replace. In addition, settled water in the drip cavity is the most typical cause of bearing failure. Having the fire pump bearings replaced costs, on average, $2,500.
Preventive Maintenance
- Cleaning drain lines yearly $500
Repair/Replacement
- Shaft and associated parts average $5,000- $10,000
- Bearings average $2,500
Correcting Water Drainage
An incorrectly pitched floor can cause water to settle on the pump room or pump house floor. However, in a lot of cases the fix is merely adjusting your drainpipe to align with the floor drain, lengthening drain line, or clearing an obstacle from the drain grate. This kind of adjustment is minor and is virtually free or very inexpensive. However, if this simple fix is not carried out, the water can drain into vital equipment like the fire pump, controller, driver, etc. The expense of a new fire pump controller is approximately $20k-$25k. In addition, settled water on the floor is a slip, trip, fall, and electrocution danger. This might result in a very costly worker’s compensation claim.
Preventative Maintenance
- Clearing obstruction(s), adjusting drainpipe, or lengthening drain line is virtually free of cost or affordable
Replacement
- Fire pump controller $20,000- $25,000 on average
It’s mind-blowing to see the actual expense of fire pump replacements or repairs. Because a fire pump preventive maintenance program is very low-cost, it’s difficult to warrant a reason for wasting $1,000’s on a very preventable repair. If you’re interested in putting a preventive maintenance program in place, review NFPA 25 on fire pump inspection, testing, and maintenance intervals. You can additionally get a hold of a certified fire protection system service company to assist you in correctly maintaining your company’s fire pump.
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