📉🎯 Golden Rules for Selecting a Fire Pump Curve According to NFPA 20
🔴When evaluating a fire pump performance curve, focus on these critical requirements:
✅ The rated duty point should be located in the stable operating region of the curve.
✅ Prefer a relatively flat and stable pressure-flow characteristic to accommodate varying fire demand conditions.
✅ Always evaluate the complete pump curve—not just the rated duty point.
🔔✅ At 150% of rated flow, the pump shall develop at least 65% of its rated pressure.
🔔✅ At shutoff (zero flow), the pump pressure shall not exceed 140% of rated pressure.
🔔✅ The pump shall also be rated for net pressures at or above 40 pounds per square inch (psi) (276 kilopascal [kPa]).
✅ The normal system demand should fall close to the pump's Best Efficiency Point (BEP) whenever practical.
✅ Avoid excessive oversizing, which can result in operation far to the left of the curve and increase recirculation risks.
✅ Ensure sufficient pressure margin at the most hydraulically remote fire protection demand point.
✅ Verify that the available water supply curve intersects the pump curve at an acceptable operating point.
✅ Confirm adequate NPSH Available (NPSHA) throughout the entire operating range.
🔴Image 2 shows the acceptable performance characteristics of a fire pump, along with the parameters established by NFPA 20, and Image 3 displays typical pump performance characteristics when a pump is operating with a surplus of suction pressure, known as a positive pressure test, and under a 15-foot suction lift.
⚠️ A fire pump is selected for the emergency you hope never happens. The pump curve must provide reliable performance across the full range of expected fire scenarios, not only at its rated capacity.
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