{"id":1870,"date":"2017-12-29T19:44:59","date_gmt":"2017-12-29T19:44:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.websitepreview.dev\/?p=1870"},"modified":"2020-09-30T13:03:45","modified_gmt":"2020-09-30T18:03:45","slug":"which-fire-truck-pump-should-you-choose-for-your-apparatus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/which-fire-truck-pump-should-you-choose-for-your-apparatus\/","title":{"rendered":"Which Fire Truck Pump Should You Choose for Your Apparatus?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It takes more than just water to put out a raging fire.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ve also got to have a way to deliver the water to the fire. This is why a quality pump is such a critical component of your fire apparatus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/fire-fighting-pump\/\">fire truck pump<\/a> you choose will depend on a host of factors, including the types of calls your department responds to, the water sources available and of course, cost. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s take a look at some of the different types of fire truck pumps and features you\u2019ll want to consider when making a selection for your next fire apparatus.<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Centrifugal Fire Pump<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In use for over a century, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fama.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/1458909818_56f5327ab0545.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">centrifugal pumps<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are the most common type of fire truck pump. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Water enters the pump through an inlet, then goes into the center of an impeller spinning on a shaft. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The water spins outwardly through the impeller vanes into a volute casing, which increases pressure. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A centrifugal pump can draft from unpressurized water sources with help of a primer. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Centrifugal pumps come in different \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fama.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/1458909818_56f5327ab0545.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stages<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,\u201d which refer to the number of impellers and water paths included within the pump. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Single-stage centrifugal pump.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This is a simple pump that\u2019s great to use if you need a high-pressure pump discharge with no transfer valve. Water enters the pump through the inlet into a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fama.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/1458909818_56f5327ab0545.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">single impeller<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and then moves outward through the impeller vanes into volute casing. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Multi-stage centrifugal pump.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A multi-stage pump gives you more flexibility to switch between pressure and volume modes. It comes with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fama.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/1458909818_56f5327ab0545.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">two or more impellers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which may be mounted on a single shaft or separate. Two-stage pumps tend to cost more up-front but generally achieve lower <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.fireapparatusmagazine.com\/articles\/print\/volume-15\/issue-5\/features\/single-stage-vs-two.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">operating costs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and longer life. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When deciding between a single- or multi-stage pump, there are a few <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.fireapparatusmagazine.com\/articles\/print\/volume-15\/issue-5\/features\/single-stage-vs-two.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">things to consider<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Performance. Single-stage pumps are designed to flow large volumes of water, while two-stage pumps have flexibility to flow different water volumes. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pump life. Two-stage pumps tend to be more efficient and suffer less wear and tear over the life of the pump. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Simplicity. Single-stage pumps are generally easy to operate, but two-stage pumps give you more flexibility in terms of water volume and pressure.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cost. Single-stage pumps are less expensive to purchase, while two-stage pumps may save money on fuel and last longer.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Positive Displacement Pump<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you need to flow a smaller volume of water at high pressure, a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fama.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/1458909818_56f5327ab0545.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">positive displacement pump<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> might be a good choice.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This type of pump draws water into a chamber then squeezes it out under high pressure. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Varieties include piston pumps, rotary vane pumps and gear pumps. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally used with pressures well in excess of 1,000 psi.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can be used with foam injection systems and for priming a main centrifugal pump. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other Fire Pump Features to Consider<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to different types of fire truck pumps, you\u2019ll want to assess different pumps based on the following <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fama.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/1458909818_56f5327ab0545.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">criteria<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Drive method.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This refers to how the pump gets the power needed to turn the shaft, which creates water flow and pressure. A <\/span><b><i>midship mounted pump<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is located in the middle of the apparatus and is part of the apparatus\u2019 drive line. The <\/span><b><i>power take off<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> option allows for pump and roll capability and can be driven by the main engine or a hydraulic pump. An <\/span><b><i>auxiliary engine driven<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> pump is connected to its own engine separate from the main engine, and can also be used in pump and roll applications. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Pump location.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Your fire pump can be located on the front, middle or rear of the apparatus. Size, horizontal or vertical positioning, stages, capacity and drive method are among the factors that will guide the location decision. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Capacity rating.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Size matters when it comes to fire pumps. Two metrics to look at are how many <\/span><b><i>gallons per minute<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (gpm) will it pump and how much pressure can it apply in <\/span><b><i>pounds per square inch<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (psi). The pump should be the right size for the water supply you\u2019re using and based on the actual flows you need when responding to a call. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Pump intakes.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> How does the water actually get into the pump? That\u2019s the job of the intake. Most pumps feature two intakes &#8212; a large main inlet and a smaller auxiliary connection that can feed water from a pressurized source such as a fire hydrant. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Pump discharges.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Your pump discharge connects to a hose to flow water out of the pump. Discharges are rated based on the size of the hose connection. When considering discharges, look closely at plumbing size and materials, valve construction and controls, discharge instrumentation, chemical injection ability and hose and appliance connections to ensure compatibility. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you need to select a fire truck pump for your next apparatus? <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get in touch<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with us at Jon\u2019s Mid America. We\u2019ll help you find the right pump for your department and your community.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It takes more than just water to put out a raging fire. You\u2019ve also got to have a way to deliver the water to the fire. This is why a quality pump is such a critical component of your fire apparatus. The fire truck pump you choose will depend on a host of factors, including [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1876,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[733],"tags":[766,739],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1870"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1870"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1870\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1870"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1870"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonsmidamerica.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1870"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}