Jockeys pumps

[101010]

Can you use a flexable connection to a Jockey pump? Sealtight?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I hope this answers your question. I am assuming a jockey pump is a fire pump...

695.6(E) Pump Wiring. All wiring from the controllers to the pump motors shall be in rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, liquidtight flexible metal conduit, or liquidtight flexible nonmetallic conduit Type LFNC-B, listed Type MC cable with an impervious covering, or Type MI cable.

 

[iwire]

The jockey pump wiring is not required to be wired like a fire pump.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

The jockey pump wiring is not required to be wired like a fire pump.

What is a jockey pump

 

[Dennis Alwon]

What is a jockey pump

Added

From what I read online a jockey pump works with a fire pump so I am surprised it does not need to meet the same requirements.

In either case if the fire pump can be wired in liquidtight metal conduit I suspect so can the jockey pump.

 

[masterinbama]

A jockey pump is used to maintain pressure in a system so you don't get false alarms and fire pump starts and stops. At least that is what i have been told.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

A jockey pump is used to maintain pressure in a system so you don't get false alarms and fire pump starts and stops. At least that is what i have been told.

Thanks, that is similar to what I read.

A jockey pump, or a pressure maintenance pump, is a small apparatus that works in conjunction with a fire pump as part of a fire protection sprinkler system. A jockey pump is designed to keep the pressure elevated in a fire suppression system so that the main fire pump is prevented from running unless absolutely necessary. It consists of a motor, a pump, and a controller.

Just wondering why it does not need to be wired like a fire pump since it is part of the system.

 

[iwire]

The fire pump has special requirements because it is used to put the fire out.

The jockey pump has no part in putting the fire out, it does not have to have emergency back up or be wired in any special way.

In a wet system If the jockey pump fails and the pressure drops the main fire pump will come on to restore the pressure to the correct level.

But having a 25 - 100 HP motor short cycling for pressure maintenance is not a great thing.

 

[101010]

With that said you can use sealtight to wire a fire pump when everything is nema 4?

 

[CIECO]

The fire pump will not cycle once it starts it must be shut down by hand. Just going from the ones I have installed

 

[iwire]

The fire pump will not cycle once it starts it must be shut down by hand. Just going from the ones I have installed

Maybe it is a design choice?


The last one I worked on at a Lowes was cycling about every 30 to 40 hours due to low pressure. That one was new enough the controller had a display that you could pull up a history and events just like you can with a Fire Panel.

 

[CIECO]

Or local code and the same with the backup gen set.

 

[anthony001]

yes a jockey pump can be wired in sealtight it is in the fire pump section under associated equiptment which allows lfmc just be sure any conduit and fittings you rin to it me the local ahj's need for possible wet or damp locations before you tranisition to seal tight if you run any conduit at all.

 

[101010]

One more question. Engineer has #1's feeding a 75hp fire pump. They have it being feed from a 600a breaker in transformer. Is this ok? Do the make a fitting that will allow #1's to fit under a 350 mcm lug?