15:37 12/12/2023 Weekly or Monthly No Flow Tests of Fire Pumps | NFPA

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Weekly or Monthly No Flow (Churn) Tests of Fire Pumps

By Jonathan Hart
09-Sep-2022

Fire pumps are an essential part of many water-based fire protection systems. They are used to increase the pressure (measured in psi
or bar) of a water source when that source pressure is not adequate for the system it’s supplying. The right design, installation, and
acceptance testing of these pumps will ensure that they are ready and available to protect the building on the day of the acceptance
test. After that, once “the keys” are handed over to the building owner, there is no guarantee that the pump will remain in a ready state to
work as designed unless it undergoes routine inspection, testing, and maintenance (ITM). The requirements for ITM of fire pumps are
found in NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems.

While there is a good deal that goes into a robust ITM program for fire pumps, this blog will focus on the no-flow test of fire pumps
which is often referred to as a churn test. See this blog for weekly fire pump inspections.

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What is the purpose of the no-flow test?

NFPA LiNK where hot spots can be chosen to find more information about certain inspection and testing requirements for different
components.

How often is a no-flow test required?

The no-flow (churn) test of fire pumps must be conducted at either a weekly or monthly basis. The frequency varies by the type of fire
pump; diesel and electric; and both have allowances to extend the time between tests based on approved risk analysis.

Generally, diesel fire pumps must be no-flow (churn) tested on a weekly basis.

The requirements for electric fire pumps vary. Most electric fire pumps can be no-flow (churn) tested at a monthly frequency. Electric
fire pumps which (1) serve fire protection systems in buildings that are beyond the pumping capacity of the fire department, (2) have
limited service controllers, (3) are vertical turbine fire pumps, or (4) those taking suction from ground level tanks or a water source that
does not provide sufficient pressure to be of material value without the pump all require no-flow (churn) tests at a weekly frequency
unless they are provided with a redundant fire pump.

Starting
The no-flow (churn) test needs to be conducted by starting the pump automatically. The pump must be started by drawing water from
the sensing line to simulate a pressure drop in the system rather than using the “start” button on the front panel of the fire pump
controller. An allowance is included in NFPA 25 for an automatic timer using either a solenoid valve drain on the pressure control line
for a pressure-actuated controller or another means for a non-pressure-actuated controllers.

Run time
Electric pumps must be run for a minimum of 10 minutes while diesel pumps must be run for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Personnel
Qualified personnel must be in attendance whenever the pump is in operation unless automated inspection and testing is performed in
accordance with the requirements of NFPA 25. Check out this blog for more on automated and remote inspection and testing. Qualified
personnel is defined in NFPA 25 as competent and capable individual(s) having met the requirements and training for a given field
acceptable to the AHJ.

Relief valves
NFPA 25 allows the circulation relief valve to open to flow water as a cooling measure. Allowing any additional water flow to prevent
overheating is not a requirement of the standard. Flow from the circulation relief valve should be sufficient to prevent over-heating of
the pump. It should be confirmed that the circulation relief valve is discharging a small flow of water during the no-flow (churn) test.
There are additional details around circulation relief valves and main pressure relief valves in NFPA 25 which personnel should
familiarize themselves with.

Visual observations while pump is not running

The following visual observations need to be conducted while the pump is not running.

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1. Record the system suction and discharge pressure gauge readings.
2. For pumps that use electronic pressure sensors to control the fire pump operation, record the highest and lowest pressure shown
on the fire pump controller event log where such information is available without having to open and energized motor-driven fire
pump controller.
3. If the highest or lowest pressure is outside of the expected range, record all information from the event log that helps identify the
abnormality.

Visual observations or adjustments while pump is running

The following visual observations or adjustments need to be conducted while the pump is running.

1. Pump system procedure as follows:

Record the pump starting pressure from the pressure switch or pressure transducer
Record the system suction and discharge pressure gauge readings
Adjust gland nuts if necessary
Inspect the pump packing glands for slight discharge
Inspect for unusual noise or vibration
Inspect packing boxes, bearings, or pump casing for overheating
Record pressure switch or pressure transducer reading and compare to the pump discharge gauge
For pumps that use electronic pressure sensors to control the fire pump operation, record the current pressure and the
highest and the lowest pressure shown on the fire pump controller event log.
For electric motor and radiator cooled diesel pumps, check the circulation relief valve for operation to discharge water
2. Electrical system procedure as follows:
Observe the time for motor to accelerate to full speed
Record the time controller is on first step (for reduced voltage or reduced current starting)
Record the time pump runs after starting (for automatic stop controllers)
3. Diesel Engine system procedure as follows:
Observe the time for engine to crank
Observe the time for engine to reach running speed
Observe the engine oil pressure gauge, speed indicator, water, and oil temperature indicators periodically while engine is
running
Record any abnormalities
Inspect the heat exchanger for cooling waterflow
4. Steam system procedure as follows:
Record the steam pressure gauge reading
Observe the time for turbine to reach running speed

In addition to the above, the discharge temperature of the water must be monitored, and the pump shut down if necessary to prevent
exposing the pump and/or driver to excessive temperatures.

Where the recorded pressure readings on the discharge and suctions gauges show a difference that is greater than 95 percent of the
rated pump pressure, the situation needs to be investigated and corrected.

The weekly or monthly no-flow (churn) test is an important part of ensuring that a fire pump can be continually relied upon in the event
of a fire. These tests will help to ensure that the pump will start and will not overheat in the event of a fire. At an annual frequency, flow
testing will be performed to further verify the complete operating condition of the pump. NFPA has a number of resources related to fire
pumps and the ITM required for them. Some of these include NFPA 20 Online Training Series, NFPA 25 Online Training Series, the NFPA
25 Handbook, the Certified Water-Based Systems Professional (CWBSP) credential, and the Certified Water-Based Systems
Professional Learning Path among many others.

Important Notice: Any opinion expressed in this column (blog, article) is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the official
position of NFPA or its Technical Committees. In addition, this piece is neither intended, nor should it be relied upon, to provide professional
consultation or services.

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Fire Pump Inspection Checklist

Download Now!

Jonathan Hart
NFPA Technical Lead

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Dwight Havens 1 year ago

D
Excellent summary of the churn testing requirements, Jon. Thanks for keeping us up
to date.
Reply 2 0

Jorge Leon 10 days ago

J
In CA, other than the weekly 30 minutes that are required for testing of a diesel
pump, can I exceed that run time If I am doing a monthly test and water flow of
devices? I am trying to adhere to our operating permit from our local AHJ (MBARD)
which references that we must abide by NFPA 25 for all of our ITM of the pump.
The permit does not cite any specific run time limitations of the pump other than
we have to follow NFPA 25. In a nutshell, can we exceed the 30 minutes weekly in
order to do these tests?
Reply 0 0

Dirceu Silva 1 month ago

D
Do you know if NYC has any requirements to have fire pumps run with manual off
only or minimum run time of 10 minutes is also allowed?
Reply 0 0

Kenneth Conover 2 months ago

K
If a fire pump has a pressure relief valve (main relief valve, not the circulation relief
valve) must it be adjusted closed during the weekly or monthly churn test? Does it
change the answer if the relief valve is piped back to the fire pump suction?
Reply 0 0

Ahmad Msrat - fire chief 3 months ago

A
If we run the diesel pump for 30 minutes and electrical 10 minutes with zero flow
,the Flow from the circulation relief valve will be sufficient to prevent overheating of
the pump .
Reply 0 0

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