A Guide To Fire Pumps On Ship

10/26/21, 7:20 PM A Guide to Fire Pumps on Ship
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A Guide to Fire Pumps on Ship

By Anish | In: Marine Technology | Last Updated on September 22, 2021
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For a seafarer, working on a ship means dealing with several challenges on a daily basis, for which,
he/she needs to be prepared at all times. Fire pump on a ship is an essential machinery which helps
seafarers to tackle extreme emergency situations involving fire. These marine firefighting pumps are also
popularly known as Marine Fifi Pumps. Royal Caribbean To Debut 274-Night World Tour Cruise
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Usually, centrifugal pumps are used as marine fire pumps as they have high flow capabilities and can
swiftly handle water and foam. In the event of a fire on a ship, it is very important that sufficient water is
available at apt pressure, and an alternate arrangement is made in case one fire pump fails to operate or
its controls are inaccessible. For this purpose, multiple marine firefighting pumps are required on board.
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Main Fire Pumps:

The main fire pumps installed on ships are located inside the ship’s engine room, usually at the bottom
platform. They are electrically driven from the main supply of the ship.
https://www.marineinsight.com/tech/guide-to-fire-pumps-on-ship/ 1/16
It is very common to find them installed near general service pump and ballast pumps. The general
service pump lines are interconnected with the fire main and at times are used to provide water to the fire
system. In some settings, they are also called general service and fire pump. These pumps should not be
used for pumping oil in any case. A changeover arrangement may be provided to use the main fire pump
for general service, only when it is approved by the administration.
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The general service and fire pump supply water to the following:
1. To the fire hose connections in the engine room, main deck, accommodation, shaft tunnel, steering
gear room etc.
2. To the anchor washing at forecastle
3. As driving water for the ejector fitted in the cargo hold bilges
4. As driving water for the ejector fitted in the dangerous cargo hold bilges
5. To the swimming pool, if fitted
Related Read: Brief Overview of Fire Control Plan on Ship
Capacity & Requirements for Main Fire Pumps:

The number of fire pumps and their capacity will depend on the type of ship and its gross tonnage.
For Passenger ships –
Passenger ships of less than 4000 GT should have at least two independent fire pumps
For passenger ships more than 4000GT, there should be at least three independent fire pumps
installed
The fire pump should be capable of producing the quantity of water not less than 2/3rd of the
quantity given by bilge pumps
For Cargo Ships –
For cargo ships of more than 1000GT, at least two fire pump should be installed with an
independent driving arrangement
For cargo ships which are less than 1000GT, the number of fire pumps to be installed will be
decided by the administration
The installed fire pumps should be capable of discharging a quantity of water not less than 4/3rd of
the quantity given by bilge pumps in a passenger ship of the same dimension, provided that total
required capacity of the pumps need not exceed 180 m³/hr in a cargo ship
Each main fire pump for cargo ships shall have a capacity not less than 80% of the total required
capacity divided by the minimum number of required fire pumps but not less than 25 m3/hr with at
least discharge of water with 2 jets
Other Important Requirements –
If the centrifugal pumps are used as a fire pump, non-return valves are fitted to prevent loss of water back
through the open line when the pump is not working.
In case of positive displacement pumps used as a fire pump, a relief valve must be fitted to counter the
rise in pressure if the line valve is closed and the pump is operated.
The safe line pressure will depend on the design of the fire line and capacity of the pump and it is
governed by the administration.
Related Read: How High-Pressure Water Mist Fire Fighting System For Ships Works?
Emergency fire pump

On ships, every machinery is provided with a backup system i.e. one duplex or spare system or an
emergency backup system. For firefighting system, the fire pump is an important machinery and if it fails
the complete fire line will become inactive, leading to the spread of fire in no time.
As per SOLAS Chapter I-2, part A regulation 4 all cargo ships of 2000 GT and above, and passenger
ships of 1000 GT and above must have an emergency fire pump in a separate space other than the
engine room where the main fire pumps are located.
Only in special cases, SOLAS allows the suction of the emergency pump from the same sea chest as
that of the main fire pumps. This means the suction pipe must penetrate the engine room. Few
classification societies allow this only if the pipings are of A-60 fire prevention standard.
The suction of the emergency fire pump can be either from a remotely operated valve or the suction valve
is always kept open. The arrangement will again depend on the requirement of the classification society.
The emergency fire pump can be driven in two ways:
1 Using a diesel engine
2. Using an electrical motor supplied from the emergency generator
In case of fire and main fifi pump becoming non-effective (due to blackout, fire in the engine room, a
problem in the main fire pump or its line etc.), the emergency fire pump is used. As the pump is located
remote from the engine room space, it can be used as a backup for the main fire pump. Following
locations are preferred for emergency fire pump:
The diesel engine marine fire pump is usually fixed on an upper deck floor of the ship, with big
capacity
Can be fitted in the Steering flat
Can be fitted in the Shaft tunnel
Can be fitted in the Forward part of the ship (bow thruster room etc.)
Related Read: Different Types of Fire Extinguishers Used on Ships
Capacity & Requirements

Emergency fire pump to be provided in Passenger ships of 1000 grt and above
Emergency fire pump to be provided in cargo ships of 2000 grt and above
The emergency fire pump must be driven by a self-cooled compression ignition engine or by an
electric motor powered from an emergency generator
It must be located outside the machinery space, in a compartment not forming the part of the
engine room
The emergency fire pump must be provided with its independent suction arrangement and the total
suction head should not exceed 4.5 meters under all conditions of list or trim
The emergency fire pump capacity to be at least 25m3/hr delivering two ½ inches bore jet of water
having a horizontal throw not less than 40 ft
If the pump is located above the water level, a priming arrangement must be provided to fill the
pump casing with water before starting
In a motor-driven emergency fire pump, a heating arrangement must be provided which is also
supplied from the emergency switchboard power
For engine driven pump, the fuel tank capacity should be such that the engine can run the pump at
its full load for at least 3 hrs
A separate reserve fuel tank to be provided outside the engine room machinery space
The prime mover engine should be of manual/ battery/ hydraulic start type which can be started and
operated by one man
Pipeline:
The pipeline used for fire pump line is usually galvanised to avoid corrosion due to seawater. The
diameter of the pipe varies between 50mm to 180 mm depending upon the type and size of the ship.
Ensure not to perform any cutting or welding on the fire line as the galvanized coating will get damaged.
Any major repair requires replacement of the affected portion with a spare galvanized pipe.
Operating Fire Pump:
Apart from the remote location operation, the fire pump can be operated from the following location
remotely:
From the fire control station

From the engine control room
From the bridge
An arrangement can be provided in the forecastle to operate the fire pump
Related Read: A Brief Overview of Fire Control Plan on Ship
Starting the pump:
Check the suction valve is fully open

If a pump is of self-priming type (with a vacuum pump), ensure the supply tank containing the
priming water is full
In centrifugal type fire pump, close the discharge valve and open the air vent on the volute casing
Close the vent once water comes out
Start the pump and open the discharge valve gradually
In the self-priming type centrifugal pump, close the check valve on the attached vacuum pump line
General Checks:
The operation of the main and emergency fire pump must be checked frequently especially during the
emergency fire drills. The record of the checks made on the emergency and main fire pump must be
done on Saturday or Weekly routine book. Some of the general checks include:
Oil and grease the bearings

Check the bearing temperature
Check the condition of gland packing
Check for any leakages from mechanical seal if fitted
When the fire pump will not be used for a longer duration (in dry docks or layups), keep the
discharge and suction valve closed
When sailing in the cold region, keep the pump drained off the water
Check the standby pump when operating the other fire pump. If it is also reversing, the non-return
associated with the standby pump is leaking
Check for abnormal noise and vibrations
Related Read: What is International Shore Connection?
Other Precautions:
The emergency fire pump can be installed on the bow thruster room. In case of starting the pump
locally, the person needs to go down to the BT room. In case of blackout situation, the ventilation of
the BT room will not work. Ensure to keep the door of the room open while entering it to start the
emergency pump.
In freezing weather conditions, Keep the fire and deck wash water line drained
Never close or throttle the suction valve when the fire pump is running
When glad packing is used, little water leakage is considered ok. For the mechanical seal, no water
leakage should be observed
When filling the grease, ensure to open the drain plug open which makes the old grease come out
Related Read: 16 Fire Fighting Appliances and Preventive Measures Onboard Ships
Disclaimer: The authors’ views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Marine
Insight. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not
been authenticated by any statutory authority. The author and Marine Insight do not claim it to be
accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not
constitute any guidelines or recommendation on any course of action to be followed by the reader.
The article or images cannot be reproduced, copied, shared or used in any form without the
permission of the author and Marine Insight.
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About Anish
An ardent sailor and a techie, Anish Wankhede has voyaged on a number of ships as
a marine engineer officer. He loves multitasking, networking, and troubleshooting. He
is the one behind the unique creativity and aesthetics at Marine Insight.
Comments
Vasantharajan says
SEPTEMBER 23, 2018 AT 2:32 PM
U haven’t explained the isolation valve…??
cindy says
MARCH 25, 2019 AT 5:27 PM
Hi, thank you so much for writing this. Can I use your article as a reference for my report?
Thanks
Anish says
MARCH 26, 2019 AT 11:37 AM
@Cindy: Yes, You can. By giving appropriate credit to the author and the website.
Yasir says
JULY 7, 2019 AT 7:00 PM
Here , kindly explain what are procedures for testing the emergency fire pumps onboard
Anish says
JULY 9, 2019 AT 9:26 AM
@Yasir: Onboard ship, the fire pumps are started and the hose is rigged along the ship side.
The water jet delivered by the pump must be two ½ inches bore jet of water having a horizontal
throw not less than 40 ft.
Greg Y says
OCTOBER 23, 2019 AT 6:19 PM
Are there any specific class requirements for the engine ? are these emissions exempt ? if not
what level of emissions are generally required ?
GARI MOI says

JANUARY 27, 2021 AT 10:16 AM
What happens when the pump is out of order and we request exemption under what part of
SOLAS to the flag administration?
Thanks
Gary
Gary says
JANUARY 27, 2021 AT 10:17 AM
What happens when the pump is out of order and we request exemption under what part of
SOLAS to the flag administration?
Anish says
JANUARY 28, 2021 AT 8:31 AM
@Gari: If the request is accepted, they will issue an exemption certificate which will contain the
machinery/ system exempted, details of ground of exemption, expiry of the certificate or
exemption etc.
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10/26/21, 7:20 PM A Guide to Fire Pumps on Ship

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A Guide to Fire Pumps on Ship

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Main Fire Pumps:

World’s First CO2 Capture Plant On Vessel Successfully

Largest Ports Of California Witness 100 Vessels Berthed

Related Read: Brief Overview of Fire Control Plan on Ship

Capacity & Requirements for Main Fire Pumps:

For Passenger ships –

For Cargo Ships –

Other Important Requirements –

Emergency fire pump

The emergency fire pump can be driven in two ways:

1 Using a diesel engine

2. Using an electrical motor supplied from the emergency generator

Related Read: Different Types of Fire Extinguishers Used on Ships

Capacity & Requirements

Operating Fire Pump:

From the fire control station

Related Read: A Brief Overview of Fire Control Plan on Ship

Starting the pump:

Check the suction valve is fully open

Oil and grease the bearings

Related Read: What is International Shore Connection?

Tags: fire pump

U haven’t explained the isolation valve…??

GARI MOI says

Marine Engineering Nautical Science Explore More

Marine engine Mooring Free Maritime eBooks Shipping News

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