Standard for the Installation of Stationary Pumps for Fire ...

1 Copyright NFPANFPA 20 Standard for the Installation of Stationary Pumps for FireProtection1999 EditionCopyright 1999 NFPA, All Rights ReservedThis edition of NFPA 20, Standard for the Installation of Stationary Pumps for FireProtection, was prepared by the Technical Committee on Fire Pumps and acted on by theNational Fire Protection Association, Inc., at its May Meeting held May 17-20, 1999, inBaltimore, MD. It was issued by the Standards Council on July 22, 1999, with an effectivedate of August 13, 1999, and supersedes all previous other than editorial are indicated by a vertical rule in the margin of the pages onwhich they appear. These lines are included as an aid to the user in identifying changes fromthe previous edition of NFPA 20 was approved as an American National Standard on August 13, and Development of NFPA 20 The first National Fire Protection Association Standard for automatic sprinklers waspublished in 1896 and contained paragraphs on steam and rotary fire Committee on Fire Pumps was organized in 1899 with five members from underwriterassociations.

2 Today the committee membership includes representatives of UnderwritersLaboratories of both the United States and Canada, Insurance Services Offices, FactoryMutual, Industrial Risk Insurers, national trade associations, state government, engineeringorganizations, and private fire Pumps were only secondary supplies for sprinklers, standpipes, and hydrants, andwere started manually. Today, fire Pumps have greatly increased in number and inapplications many are the major or only water supply , and almost all are startedautomatically. Early Pumps usually took suction by lift from standing or flowing watersupplies because the famed National Standard Steam Fire Pump and rotary types suited thatservice. Ascendancy of the centrifugal pump resulted in positive head supply to horizontalshaft Pumps from public water supplies and aboveground tanks. Later, vertical shaftturbine-type Pumps were lowered into wells or into wet pits supplied from ponds or otherCopyright NFPA belowground sources of engine-driven Pumps first appeared in this Standard in 1913.

3 From an early statusof relative unreliability and of supplementary use only, first spark-ignited gasoline enginesand then compression ignition diesels have steadily developed engine-driven Pumps to aplace alongside electric-driven units for total protection now calls for larger Pumps , higher pressures, and more varied units for awide range of systems protecting both life and property. Hydraulically calculated anddesigned sprinkler and special fire protection systems have changed concepts of watersupply the formation of this Committee, each edition of NFPA 20 has incorporatedappropriate provisions to cover new developments and has omitted obsolete action on successive editions has been taken in the following years 1907,1910-13, 1915, 1918-21, 1923-29, 1931-33, 1937, 1939, 1943, 1944, 1946-48, 1951, 1953,1955, 1957, 1959-72, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, and 1990 edition included several amendments with regard to some of the key componentsassociated with electric-driven fire Pumps .

4 In addition, amendments were made to allow thedocument to conform more closely to the NFPA Manual of 1993 edition included significant revisions to Chapters 6 and 7 with regard to thearrangement of the power supply to electric-driven fire Pumps . These clarifications wereintended to provide the necessary requirements in order to make the system as reliable 1996 edition continued the changes initiated in the 1993 edition as Chapters 6 and 7,which addressed electric drives and controllers, underwent significant revision. Newinformation was also added regarding engine-cooling provisions, earthquake protection, andbackflow preventers. Chapter 5, which addressed provisions for high-rise buildings, wasremoved, as were capacity limitations on in-line and end-suction Pumps . Additionally,provisions regarding suction pipe fittings were 1999 edition of the Standard includes requirements for positive displacement Pumps forboth water mist and foam systems.

5 The document title was revised to reflect this change,since the Standard now addresses requirements for Pumps other than language was added, particularly regarding protection of Committee on Fire PumpsThomas W. Jaeger, ChairGage-Babcock & Assoc. Inc., VA [SE]John R. Bell, Dept. of Energy Fluor Daniel Hanford, Inc., WA [U]Rep. Dept. of EnergyKerry M. Bell, Underwriters Laboratories Inc., IL [RT]Copyright NFPAH arold D. Brandes, Jr., Duke Power Co., NC [U]Rep. Edison Electric D. Brock, Oklahoma State University, OK [SE]Walter A. Damon, Schirmer Engr Corp., IL [SE]Phillip A. Davis, Kemper Nat l Insurance Cos., IL [I]Manuel J. DeLerno, S-P-D Industries Inc., IL [M]Rep. Illinois Fire Prevention Dixon, Security Fire Protection, TN [IM]Rep. Nat l Fire Sprinkler A. Dorini, Gulfstream Pump & Equipment Co., FL [IM]Robert C. Duncan, Reedy Creek Improvement District, FL [E]George W.

6 Flach, Flach Consultants, LA [SE]Randall Jarrett, Patterson Pump Co., GA [M]Rep. Hydraulics D. Jensen, Fire Protection Consultants, ID [SE]Timothy S. Killion, Peerless Pump Co., IN [M]Cl ment Leclerc, Armstrong Darling Inc., Canada [M]R. T. Leicht, Delaware Fire Marshal s Office, DE [E]Rep. Int l Fire Marshals Marvi, Insurance Services Office, Inc., NY [I]Bernard McNamee, Underwriters Laboratories of Canada, Canada [RT]Jack A. Medovich, East Coast Fire Protection, Inc., MD [IM]Rep. American Fire Sprinkler Assn. S. Mowrer, HSB Professional Loss Control, TN [I]Howard W. Packer, The DuPont Co., DE [U]Rep. NFPA Industrial Fire Protection SectionJohn F. Priddis, Cummins Engine Co., Inc., IN [M]Rep. Engine Mfrs. NFPATom Reser, Edwards Mfg. Inc., OR [M]Richard Schneider, Joslyn Clark Controls, SC [M]Rep. Nat l Electrical Mfrs. Ulm, ITT Corp., OH [M]Lawrence J.

7 Wenzel, HSB Industrial Risk Insurers, CT [I]Bruce Wilber, Cigna Property and Casualty Co., CA [I]Rep. American Insurance Services GroupWilliam E. Wilcox, Factory Mutual Research Corp., MA [I]AlternatesAntonio C. M. Braga, Factory Mutual Research Corp., CA [I](Alt. to W. E. Wilcox)Phillip A. Brown, American Fire Sprinkler Assn., Inc., TX [IM](Alt. to J. A. Medovich)Salvatore A. Chines, HSB Industrial Risk Insurers, CT [I](Alt. to L. J. Wenzel)Michael Albert Fischer, CIGNA Loss Control Services, OK [I](Alt. to B. Wilber)Dennis N. Gage, Insurance Services Office, Inc., NY [I](Alt. to M. Marvi)Scott Grieb, Kemper Nat l Insurance Cos., IL [I](Alt. to P. A. Davis)Kenneth E. Isman, Nat l Fire Sprinkler Assn., NY [IM](Alt. to D. Dixon)John R. Kovacik, Underwriters Laboratories Inc., IL [RT](Alt. to K. M. Bell)Terence A. Manning, Manning Electrical Systems, Inc.

8 , IL [IM](Alt. to M. J. DeLerno)William N. Matthews, Jr., Duke Power Co., NC [U](Alt. to H. D. Brandes, Jr.)Copyright NFPAB ruce V. Peabody, Gage-Babock & Assoc. Inc., GA [SE](Alt. to T. W. Jaeger)T. Gayle Pennel, Schirmer Engr Corp., IL [SE](Alt. to W. A. Damon)Jeffrey L. Robinson, Westinghouse Savannah River Co., SC [U](Alt. to J. R. Bell)William F. Stelter, Master Control Systems, Inc., IL [M](Alt. to R. Schneider)Hansford Stewart, ITT A-C Pump, OH [M](Alt. to L. Ulm)John T. Whitney, Clarke Detroit Diesel Allison, OH [M](Alt. to J. F. Priddis)NonvotingEdward D. Leedy, Naperville, IL (Member Emeritus)James W. Nolan, James W. Nolan Co., IL (Member Emeritus)David R. Hague,NFPA Staff LiaisonThis list represents the membership at the time the Committee was balloted on the text of thisedition. Since that time, changes in the membership may have occurred. A key toclassifications is found at the back of this : Membership on a committee shall not in and of itself constitute an endorsement of theAssociation or any document developed by the committee on which the member Scope: This Committee shall have primary responsibility for documents on theselection and Installation of Stationary Pumps supplying water or special additives includingbut not limited to foam concentrates for private fire protection, including suction piping,valves and auxiliary equipment, electric drive and control equipment, and internal combustionengine drive and control 20 Standard for the Installation ofStationary Pumps for Fire Protection1999 EditionCopyright NFPANOTICE.

9 An asterisk (*) following the number or letter designating a paragraph indicates thatexplanatory material on the paragraph can be found in Appendix reference in parentheses () at the end of a section or paragraph indicates that the material has beenextracted from another NFPA document. The bold number in parentheses indicates the documentnumber and is followed by the section number where the extracted material can be found in thatdocument. The complete title and current edition of an extracted document can be found in the chapteron referenced on referenced publications can be found in Chapter 12 and Appendix 1 Introduction1-1* Standard deals with the selection and Installation of Pumps supplying water for privatefire protection. Items considered include water supplies; suction, discharge, and auxiliaryequipment; power supplies; electric drive and control; internal combustion engine drive andcontrol; steam turbine drive and control; and acceptance tests and operation.

10 This standarddoes not cover system water supply capacity and pressure requirements (see ), nordoes it cover requirements for periodic inspection, testing, and maintenance of fire pumpsystems. This Standard does not cover the requirements for Installation wiring of fire purpose of this Standard is to provide a reasonable degree of protection for life andproperty from fire through Installation requirements for Stationary Pumps for fire protectionbased upon sound engineering principles, test data, and field experience. This standardincludes single-stage and multistage Pumps of horizontal or vertical shaft are established for the design and Installation of these Pumps , pump drivers,and associated equipment. The Standard endeavors to continue the excellent record that hasbeen established by Stationary pump installations and to meet the needs of changingtechnology.