Chapter 10 - Operating Fire Pumps Flashcards
The two basic pressurized water supply sources that a driver/operator will encounter are a ?
fire hydrant or supply hose from another pumper
p 339
Pumping at a low residual pressure (below _____ psi) while being supplied by other apparatus is dangerous. This may cause the supply hose to __________, interrupting the supply of water. It may also lead to cavitation of the pump.
20 psi / collapse
p 339
Driver/Operators should maintain a residual pressure of at least ______ psi on their master intake gauge at all times during pumping operations.
20 psi
p 340
The initial water source is often the apparatus ________ _______.
water tank
p 337
Typically the least desirable hydrants are those located on “________ ______ ________” that are served by smaller mains from only one direction.
“dead end mains”
p 340
- Water main that is not looped and in which water can flow in only one direction.
Dead End Mains
p 340
One of the most common ways for a pumper to be supplied with water from a hydrant is by making a ?
forward hose lay
p 341
- Method of laying hose from the water supply to the fire scene.
Forward Lay
p 341
- Method of laying hose from the fire scene to the water supply.
Reverse Lay
p 344
Load hose with a _________ coupling to come out of the bed first when using hose with threaded couplings for a reverse lay.
male
p 344
Use double _________ adapters at the hydrant and double ________ adapters at the pump panel to execute a reverse lay using hose with threaded couplings if the hose bed has been set up for a forward lay.
female / male
p 344
Executing a reverse lay is a common method for setting up a water supply operation or relay pumping using __________ diameter hose as a supply line.
medium
p 344
With medium diameter hose, it is necessary to position a pumper at the ___________ to supplement the pressure to the supply hose.
hydrant
p 344
The reverse lay is the most direct method of supplementing _____________ ____________ or performing ____________ _____________.
hydrant pressure or performing drafting operations
p 344
- 2 1/2 or 3 inch hose used for both fire fighting attack and relay supply purposes.
Medium Diameter Hose (MDH)
p 344
- (1) Pumper that is positioned at the fire scene and is directly supplying attack lines. (2) Light truck equipped with a small pump and water tank. Also know as Midi-pumper or Mini-pumper.
Attack Pumper
p 344
- Pumper that takes water from a source and sends it to attack pumpers operating at the fire scene.
Water Supply Pumper
p 344
If water is allowed to enter the tank _________ _____________, the venting may not be adequate to allow the pressure to dissipate, resulting in damage to the tank.
under pressure
p 345
Regardless of whether a particular apparatus is equipped with a check valve in the tank to pump line or a shutoff valve on the intake, the driver/operator should close the tank to pump valve after transitioning to an ?
external water supply
p 345
When the pump is full of water and the pressure in the system has stabilized with no water flowing, a reading of the pressure on the master intake gauge indicates the ___________ _____________ in the water supply system. The reading is important for estimating the remaining _________ of the hydrant as the water begins to move.
static pressure / capacity
p 346
Pumps supplying a relay operation or master stream are usually used to supply large amounts of water, requiring the use of a ____________ (___________) setting of the transfer valve.
parallel (volume)
p 346
Open all valves slowly, especially when using ________ ____________ hose. The hose must be __________ before pressure can be established.
large diameter / filled
p 346
While observing the master intake and discharge gauges, the D/O should increase the engine ______. If the master intake gauge drops below _____ psi, the throttle must not be ____________ any further because the pump may begin to cavitate.
rpm / 20 psi / increased
p 346
Several methods for preventing overheating are as follows:
- Establish a continuous minimum _______ during intermittent use of water in fireground operations to keep the pump from overheating.
- Pull a length of ___________ line or other _________ ___________ line off the reel and fasten it to a sturdy object.
- Open the valve that supplies the booster reel and ___________ __________ in a direction that will not interfere with the operation or damage to other property. The booster line may also be directed back into the ________ to circulate water continuously.m
- flow
- booster / small diameter
- discharge water / tank
p 347
During prolonged pumping operations, a bypass circulator may not provide sufficient cooling under some conditions and additional measures will be required to avoid overheating.
- Open a ____________ _________ valve.
- Partially open the ______-______ valve or ______-___-_______ line. Even if the water tank becomes full and _____________ through the tank vent, this result is preferable to the pump overheating.
- discharge drain
- tank-fill / tank-to-pump / overflows
p 347
When a pumper is connected to a hydrant and is not discharging water, the pressure shown on the intake gauge is __________ pressure. When the pumper is discharging water, the intake gauge displays the ___________ pressure. The difference between the two pressures is used to determine how much more water the ___________ can supply.
static / residual / hydrant
p 347
Available Water from Hydrant Percent Method:
Percent Drop = ( _________ - ___________ )(100) / ___________
Percent Drop = (Static - Residual)(100) / Static
p 348
Available Water from Hydrant Percent Method:
If the percent is ____ or less, three additional lines with the same flow as the line being supplied may be added. For ____-____ percent, two lines may be added, and for ____-_____ percent one line. When the result is over _____ percent, more water may be available, but not as much as is flowing through the first line.
10 / 11-15 / 16-25 / 25
p 348
All fire department pumpers should be capable of pumping water from a _________ _________ supply source. In most cases, this source is located some distance below the level of the ?
static water / fire pump
p 352
It is not possible to ______ water into the pump. However, it is possible to evacuate some of the air inside the pump creating a ____________ ___________ (__________ __________), which allows atmospheric pressure acting on the surface of the water to force the water into the fire pump.
pull / pressure differential ( partial vacuum)
p 352
- Effect of altering the atmospheric pressure within a confined space by mechanical means. When air is exhausted from within the space, a low pressure environment is created and replacement air will be drawn in; when air is blown into the space, a high-pressure environment is created and air within will to the outside.
Pressure Differential
p 352
In order to create a pressure differential ( partial vacuum ), an airtight, ______________ waterway ( _______ __________ hose ) must be used between the fire pump and the static water source.
noncollapsible / hard intake
p 352
Drafting Operations
A hose with smaller diameter and greater length has __________ friction loss, which allows ________ water at the pump.
higher / less
p 352
Most pumps are able to develop a vacuum capacity of approximately _____ inches of mercury.
22 inches
p 354
In theory, cavitation can be described as water being ?
discharged faster than it is coming into the pump.
p 354
Cavitation occurs when _____ _________ are created in the pump or __________ pass through the pump.
air cavities / bubbles
p 354
The first consideration in establishing a drafting operation is _________ _______________.
site selection
p 354
The most important factor in choosing the draft site is the ?
amount of water available
p 355
In order for a pumper to approach it’s rated capacity using a traditional strainer, there must be at least _____ inches of water over the strainer.
24 inches
p 355
When using a portable tank or swimming pool for drafting operations a _____-_______ strainer is the appliance of choice.
low-level strainer
p 356
What type of strainers are designed to sit directly on the bottom of a tank or pool and allow water to be effectively drafted down to a depth of approximately 2 inches?
low-level strainers
p 356
Water temperature will also affect drafting operations. Water below ____F or above ____F may adversely impact the ability of the pump to reach capacity.
35F / 90F
p 356
- Water that has not been examined, properly treated, and not approved by appropriate authorities as being safe for consumption.
Nonpotable Water
p 356
All fire pumps meeting NFPA and Underwriters Laboratories Inc. requirements are rated to pump their capacity at _____ feet of lift. If the lift is less, the capacity of the pump is ________; if the lift is greater the capacity _________.
10 feet / higher / decreases
p 357
A pumper in good working order can lift water a maximum of _____ feet. However all available atmospheric pressure is required to overcome this lift. As a result, the remaining capacity of the pump is of little value for ?
25 feet / fire suppression
p 357
To create an effective fire stream, a lift of no greater than _____ feet is recommended. Working with this lift, the pump operates at about ____ percent of its rated capacity.
20 feet / 60 percent
p 357
When selecting a site for drafting, the lift must be kept as ?
It is more desirable to lay out an extra 100 feet of ________ _____ to set up at a draft location where the lift will be lower and more water supplied.
low as possible / supply line
p 357
When the pump has been made operational, __________ the pump will begin the drafting operation.
priming
p 358
Drafting:
For two stage pumps, the transfer valve must be in the ___________ position.
parallel ( volume )
p 358
Drafting:
A pump in _________ position may trap air that will need to be removed.
series (pressure)
p 358
If the primer is a __________ _____________ pump that is driven by a transfer case, set the engine rpm according to the manufacturers instructions. Most priming pumps are intended to work most effectively when the engine is set at a rate between ________ and ________ rpm.
positive displacement / 1000 and 1200 rpm
p 359
Drafting:
As the air is evacuated from the pump the master intake gauge will register a vacuum reading. This reading should equal ___ ______ of mercury for ___ ______ of lift required.
1 inch / 1 foot
p 359
Drafting:
As the primer operates, the vacuum reading should ___________ as atmospheric pressure forces water into the intake hose.
increase
p 359
Drafting:
The entire priming action typically requires _____ to _____ seconds from start to finish. However, when up to 20 feet of intake hose is lifting a maximum of 10 vertical feet, it may take as long as ____ seconds.
10 to 15 seconds / 30 seconds
p 359
Drafting:
The most common inability to prime is an ______ ________ that prevents the primer from developing enough vacuum to successfully draft water.
air leak
p 359
Drafting:
The most common cause of an air leak is an ?
open drain or valve
p 359
Drafting:
After successfully priming the pump, the __________ setting should be slowly increased before attempting to open any discharges.
throttle
p 360
After priming:
Open the desired discharge valve slowly while observing the discharge pressure. If the pressure drops below ______ psi, pause for a brief time to allow it to stabilize before opening the valve further.
50 psi
p 360
Constant movement of water through the pump is required to prevent ______________. This flow is also important to maintain the __________ that the primer has established in the pump.
overheating / vacuum
p 360
Drafting after priming:
Without moving water, even a very small air leak may result in a loss of __________.
vacuum
p 360
Several types of problems may occur during drafting operations. They fall into the following general categories:
- Air leak on the _________ side of the pump
- _______________ allowing air to enter the pump
- Air leakage due to defective _______ packing
- intake
- whirlpool
- pump
p 360-361
Drafting:
While the pump is operating, a gradual increase in the vacuum may be noted with no change in the flow rate. This is an indication that a ____________ is developing.
blockage
p 361
Drafting:
The most common place for a blockage to occur is in the ____________.
strainer
p 361
Supporting Automatic Sprinkler Systems:
If no specific information is available, the general guideline is to discharge ______ psi into the FDC.
150 psi
p 363
- Wet or dry system of pipes in a large single story or multistory building, with fire hose outlets installed in different areas or on different levels of a building to used by firefighters and/or building occupants. Allows for the quick deployment of hoselines during fire fighting operations.
Standpipe System
p 364
True or False:
Standpipe systems
Both wet and dry systems should be supplied by a fire department pumper to supplement the system’s water supply.
True
p 364
Add approximately ____ psi for each floor above the fire department connection that will have operating fire streams.
5 psi
p 365
Do not use pump discharge pressure in excess of _____ psi unless the standpipe system, hose, and appliances have been designed to function under high pressures.
185 psi
p 365
When a standpipe system is known to be equipped with ____________-__________ valves, the elevation pressure used must be based on the total height of the standpipe or zone being used.
pressure-reducing
p 365
- Valve installed at standpipe connection that is designed to reduce the amount of water pressure at that discharge to a specific pressure, usually 100 psi.
Pressure-Reducing Valve
p 365
Making a fire pump operational, commonly referred to as “ putting the pump into gear “ begins after the apparatus is properly __________ and the ________ _______ has been set.
positioned / parking brake
p 336
Most apparatus are designed so that the procedure for making the pump operational is performed entirely from the ?
cab of the vehicle
p 336
Water supply from the _________ water tank is the sole source of supply for many incidents.
onboard
p 336
The ______ ______ line may also be used to circulate water through the onboard tank in order to maintain cooling.
tank fill
p 338
In order to prevent overheating of the pump, a means of moving ?
water through the pump must be implemented
p 337-338
If the ___________ ______ volume is increased too much, the ________ pressure from the supply source may be reduced to a point that may damage the pump or water supply system.
discharge flow / intake
p 339
Water supply systems must maintain a residual pressure of at least 20 psi within their mains for several reasons; _____________ from sources outside the main may occur if the pressure in the main drops too low. In addition overtaking the water system may cause __________ and ________ that has formed in older pipes to loosen, which in turn damage the piping or reduce the water flow.
contamination / sediment and debris
p 340
________ and ______ __________ needs may indicate that the closest hydrant to the fire may not be the most prudent choice.
Safety and fire fighting
p 340
These hydrants generally have higher amounts of sediment and deterioration, which further reduce their capacity ?
Dead end mains
p 340
One potential problem of the forward lay depends on the ?
distance from the hydrant to the fire
p 341
Some departments use a _____-_____ hydrant valve to aid the process of making a forward lay.
four-way
p 340
Attach gate valve(s) to unused hydrant discharges on _____ __________ hydrants.
dry barrel
p 342
Keep the distance as short as possible to avoid excess friction loss when using _____ inch or _____ inch hoselines to supply a pumper directly from hydrant pressure.
2 1/2 or 3 inch
p 344
This method is used when a driver/operator first reports to the incident location to size up the scene before laying a supply line ?
Reverse lay
p 344
Reverse lay
______________ needed for incident operation, including attack hose, must be removed and placed at the incident scene before the pumper can proceed to the water supply source. This may cause some _______ in beginning initial operations.
Equipment / delay
p 344
Making a reverse lay
A common two-pumper operation provides for an _______ pumper and a _______ ________ pumper.
attack / water supply
p 344
When completing a reverse lay, it is not necessary to use a _____-_____ hydrant valve.
four-way
p 344
Getting water into the pump
After connections to the hydrant are made, conduct several ________ before opening the hydrant. Close the tank to pump valve if the intake is not equipped with a __________ valve.
checks / shutoff
p 344
The D/O should record the ________ pressure reading before he or she begins to pump.
static
p 346
When operating a two-stage pump, the D/O must set the __________ valve to the proper position before increasing the throttle to build the required discharge pressure. The selection is based on the amount of _________ to be supplied.
transfer valve / water
p 346
If the master intake gauge reaches 20 psi, the _________ must not be increased further due to risk of cavitation.
throttle
p 346
The ability to overcome losses in pressure is limited to atmospheric pressure at ?
sea level ( 14.7 psi )
p 352
Cavitation during drafting operations
The high velocity of the water filling air cavities causes a severe _______ to the pump.
shock
p 354
The ____________ of the water, the height of the _____, and the amount of water being ___________ affect the point at which cavitation begins.
temperature / lift / discharged
p 354
The surest indication of cavitation may be a lack of reaction on the ___________ gauge to increases in the throttle.
pressure
p 354
When a pump reaches the point of cavitation it is __________ all of the water that the atmospheric pressure or pressurized source can force into the ________. When water is discharged from the pump faster than it can be taken in, increasing the pump rpm will not increase the __________ pressure.
discharging / intake / discharge
p 354
Although cavitation can occur when operating from a hydrant system, it often occurs during ?
drafting operations
p 354
Drafting
It is helpful to have at least ____ inches of water all around the strainer in order to avoid drawing foreign objects such as sand or gravel into the pump.
24 inches
p 355
A floating object placed above the strainer, even something as simple as a beach ball or capped plastic jug, may lessen the chances of ___________.
whirlpool
p 355
Although almost any type of water may be used for fire suppression, pumping __________ water may be harmful to the pump.
nonpotable ( untreated )
p 356
Each time nonpotable water is pumped through the apparatus, the pump and piping should be ?
thoroughly flushed with fresh water soon afterwards
p 356
_____________ to a water source is an important factor in selecting a drafting site.
Accessibility
p 357
Drafting
Once the sections of intake hose are connected to the strainer, it is usually easier to connect the hose to the intake fittings by first putting the strainer into the water, then placing the ?
apparatus into position
p 358
Drafting
Routing intake hose over a _____ ________, such as a fence or guard rail that is higher than the pump intake, may trap air in the hose.
high point
p 358
Drafting
If the bottom slopes steeply from the water’s edge, place a _____ _______ in the water and lay the intake hose on it.
roof ladder
p 358
If the apparatus is a _______-type primer, the engine rpm should be kept as low as possible without causing the engine to stall.
vacuum
p 359
Drafting
The vacuum is measured from the surface of the _______ to the eye of the pump’s _________.
water / impeller
p 359
Drafting
The priming action should not be halted until all _____ has been removed and a steady stream of ________ is discharged.
air / water
p 359
Drafting after priming
Increasing the throttle setting is required to raise the pressure to between ____ and _____ psi.
50 and 100 psi
p 360
Drafting after priming
If the pressure continues to drop, momentarily operating the ________ may eliminate any small pockets of air still trapped in the pump and restore the pressure to its point.
primer
p 360
Operating the pump from draft
Any deviation from the normal engine ___________ is a sign that another pumper may need to be brought in to continue the drafting operation.
temperature
p 360
What is the most common source of problems while operating at draft?
Air leak on the intake side of the pump
p 360
Properly installed and maintained ______ _________ have a proven history of providing reliable protection to many types of occupancies.
fire sprinklers
p 362
Supporting automatic sprinkler systems
The FDC connection may consist of a Siamese with at least two 2 1/2 inch __________ connections connected to a clapper inlet or one large diameter _________ connection.
female / sexless
p 363
Supporting automatic sprinkler systems
Multistage pumps should be operated in __________ position.
parallel ( volume )
p 363
___________ systems allow for quicker access to water supply for attack hoselines in multi-floor or single floor buildings with large floor areas.
Standpipe
p 364
Supporting standpipe systems
An aerial device may be used to create an ________ __________ by employing it’s pre-piped water way or running hose up an aerial ladder.
external standpipe
p 366
An external standpipe may also be created by hoisting up or rolling ______ down the outside of a building, securing it inside every two or three floors.
hose
p 366
Troubleshooting
Immediately upon any indication that water supply or pumping ability may be unattainable or interrupted, you must notify ?
the officer or Incident Commander
p 366
