FB Bombas Engineering Team11 min read
It is the National Fire Protection Association standard for the installation of stationary pumps for fire protection: selection, supply, suction and discharge, power, drivers and controls. It requires certified factory curves, a hydrostatic test and a field acceptance test; for pressure-actuated pumps, a means of maintaining system pressure, such as a jockey pump; and, in certain cases, an alternate power source. System flow and pressure come from the design and local rules.
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FBFS sets carry an FBCN main pump, a jockey pump, a control panel and a base, with electric, diesel or electric plus diesel drive, designed to NFPA 20 and NBR 16704.
Source: FBFS
At a glance
- Main, standby and jockey have different functions; quantity and drivers depend on the design.
- Check the selected FBCN curve and records as well as general series limits.
- Skid scope must identify equipment, interfaces and services.
- Record standard edition and jurisdiction; a revision document does not replace the adopted text.
The standard edition and jurisdiction are part of the specification.
1. What NFPA 20 is and what it covers
NFPA 20 is the National Fire Protection Association standard for the installation of stationary pumps for fire protection. It deals with pump selection and installation, and its scope includes liquid supplies, suction, discharge and auxiliary equipment, power supplies and their arrangements, electric, diesel engine and steam turbine drives with their controls, and acceptance tests and operation.
The standard also states what it does not cover: the flow and pressure the system requires from the supply, periodic inspection, testing and maintenance, and installation wiring of the units. Demand comes from the system design, such as sprinklers or hydrants, and periodic inspection, testing and maintenance are the subject of NFPA 25.
In Brazil, identify jurisdictional fire-service regulation, standards cited in the design and contractual requirements. NFPA 20 does not automatically replace local rules, and different ABNT references address different system parts. Record editions and resolve conflicts with the designer and competent authority. The most frequently cited references are:
- NFPA 20 — installation of stationary pumps for fire protection
- NBR 10897 — Automatic sprinkler fire protection systems. Defines flow and pressure at the sprinklers
- NBR 13714 — Hydrant and hose reel systems for fire fighting
- NBR 16704 — stationary pump assembly requirements for automatic fire protection systems
- NFPA 25 — inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems, including pumps
2. Functions: main, standby and jockey
Distinguish each pump’s hydraulic function from its energy source. Goiás NT 22 (CBMGO), for example, differentiates booster and fixed pumps and defines backup conditions. That local rule should not be transferred to every Brazilian installation.
In NFPA 20, a standby pump and an alternate power source are different things, and the standard links the two. For an electric pump, the standard requires at least one alternate source where the normal source is not reliable or where the power serves a high-rise building. That source is not required where a backup pump driven by an engine, a steam turbine or an electric motor with an independent power source is installed.
For pressure-actuated fire pumps, the standard requires a means of maintaining system pressure: a jockey pump, a water mist positive displacement pumping unit or another approved means that is not the main fire pump. The jockey pump is sized to replenish allowable leakage and normal pressure drops. The primary or standby fire pump shall not serve as a jockey pump, except as permitted for positive displacement pumps.
Scroll the table to see every column. The first column stays on the left.
| Pump | Drive | Function | When it operates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main | Electric or combustion, as designed | Provides flow and pressure to the sprinkler and/or hydrant system | Under the specified control sequence |
| Standby, where required | Driver and energy defined in the design | Takes over during power failure or main pump failure | Under the redundancy and control strategy |
| Jockey | Set by the design | Replenishes expected losses and maintains pressure | Starts and stops at pressure settings |
3. Main pump — FBCN for fire systems
NFPA 20 requires the pump to be selected for the conditions under which it will be installed and used, and the manufacturer to receive complete information on the liquid and power supply. For a centrifugal fire pump, the greatest single demand of any system connected to it must be no more than 150% of rated flow.
Centrifugal fire pump rated flows come from a standardised table in the standard, with a rated net pressure of at least 40 psi (2.7 bar). Above 5,000 gpm (18,925 L/min), the pump is subject to individual review by the authority having jurisdiction or a listing laboratory.
To assess an FBCN for the system, check the model, impeller and speed curve, driver and required documentation. Assembly compliance cannot be inferred from the series name alone. The FBCN MTEC-03/00 helps check construction, operating limits and installation procedures. Also check these points:
- Flow: demand and simultaneity documented in the design
- Pressure: per building height + friction losses + minimum pressure at the most remote outlet
- Back-pull-out construction: provide removal space and maintenance access
- Materials: confirm compatibility with water, additives and service conditions
- Maximum speed: 3,500 rpm in some sizes and 1,750 rpm in the others (MTEC-03/00, Table 1)
4. Skid: define the supply scope
NFPA 20 treats the pump, driver and controller as one unit: the assembly must comply with the standard as a whole when installed or when components are replaced. The standard also requires a single entity to be responsible for the performance of the pump, driver, controller and transfer switch. For an assembled supply, put that responsibility in writing in the contract.
When requesting an assembled package, distinguish integrated items from installation scope. Use the following list to review the proposal without assuming every item accompanies every supply:
- Main pump and driver selected for the design
- Standby pump and diesel components where specified
- Jockey pump and pressure-maintenance controls where specified
- Automatic control panel (pressure switch start, alarms, monitoring)
- Valves and test devices required by the arrangement
- Suction and discharge manifolds with flanges
- Structural metal base with leveling feet
Note
Factory assembly does not remove site checks of foundations, alignment, piping loads, power and commissioning. Define who performs and records each stage.
5. Curves and tests: document acceptance
For centrifugal pumps, NFPA 20 sets the shape of the curve: at 150% of rated flow, the pump must deliver at least 65% of total rated head, and the head at zero flow (shutoff) must not exceed 140% of rated head for any type of centrifugal pump. In practice, the shutoff limit restricts the pressure the pump imposes on the network with the outlets closed.
Specify pump type, operating points and criteria from the adopted standard edition. Also check maximum installation pressure including suction and power across the required range. A rated point alone does not demonstrate the complete behaviour.
Verification starts at the factory. The standard requires each pump to be tested to provide performance data and demonstrate compliance with the specification, and the manufacturer to furnish the purchaser with certified shop test curves showing head, flow and power.
The standard also requires the manufacturer to hydrostatically test each pump before shipment for at least 5 minutes, at not less than 1.5 times the sum of shutoff head and maximum allowable suction head, and never below 250 psi (17.24 bar).
Once the entire installation is complete, the whole unit undergoes the field acceptance test set out in NFPA 20 itself. That test is where the curve measured at the factory meets the real suction, power and control of the site.
Define the site acceptance tests, instruments, tolerances and responsibilities. Reports should identify equipment and measurement conditions. Documentation should allow comparison with the design and verification of site operation.
Engineering note
Compare proposed curves and acceptance criteria before prices. Separately confirm required certification and its applicability to the assembly.
6. Specification review points
Specification review can reveal incompatibilities before purchase. Check these seven points with the designer and supplier:
- Check the full curve as well as rated flow and pressure
- Distinguish standby pumps from an alternate power source and justify the selected arrangement
- Define pressure maintenance and network control sequence
- List documents, services and responsibilities in the agreed scope
- Confirm that the water supply was evaluated before the pump was specified, as NFPA 20 requires
- Take the flow and pressure demand from the system design and local rules: NFPA 20 does not set that demand
- Do not plan for the main or standby pump to maintain network pressure, except as permitted for positive displacement pumps
7. Where it applies: building types and industries
High-rise buildings have their own chapter in NFPA 20. Under that chapter, where the fire pump is electric, the installation needs a reliable alternate source in the form of an on-site standby generator, or a backup fire pump meeting the standard’s conditions.
Occupancy, storage, height and processes influence protection requirements. These contexts need individual assessment rather than automatic matching of building labels to pump packages:
- Shopping centres, hospitals and residential buildings — assess networks and design demands
- Warehouses — characterise goods, storage and protection
- Refineries and terminals — identify fluids, hazards and specific systems
- Sugar-ethanol mills — combustible bagasse + flammable ethanol
- Pulp and paper mills — fibrous materials and boilers
Key point
For an FB Bombas enquiry, provide the design, standard editions, location and water-supply conditions. The proposal should state equipment, documents and included services.
8. The 2025 edition: what changed and how to keep the design reference
According to the origin and development history that opens the standard itself, the 2025 edition of NFPA 20 standardised the term jockey pump for pressure maintenance and make-up pumps and clarified the arrangements of fire pump controllers and automatic transfer switches, including a combination fire pump controller and power transfer switch. It also refined and expanded automatic testing and automatic remote testing for electric-driven fire pumps and added corresponding requirements for diesel-driven fire pumps.
The same edition added conditions for monitoring automatic testing and a new requirement for an alternate source of power for electrically powered diesel pump room components. Other revisions clarify the distinction between circulation relief valves and main relief valves, sprinkler protection for fire pumps, isolation of redundant variable speed pumps and overcurrent protection for electric-driven fire pumps.
Assess a standard update against the published text, contract and competent authority’s rule. Record number, edition and amendments used in the design. Consultation and revision documents help track changes but do not automatically equal the adopted final text.
When reviewing an existing installation, preserve original records and identify changes in protection, supply, drivers or controls. The designer should determine how current references apply. Merely changing a standard’s year does not demonstrate compliance.