Your Fire Fighting Pump – a few notes

Pump Protection

Ensure pump is primed before use - The pump itself must have water in the casing before initial start up (failure to do so will cause major damage within 10 seconds). Once done, this should not be a further problem, but at the beginning of each season, top up the water level in the casing via the priming cap on top of the pump. ( in the case of your water level being higher than the pump, this should not be an issue, as it should flow into the pump by gravity).

Circulate water through the pump - If a pump is running, and all the nozzles are turned off, it is possible to boil the water in the pump This may occur within 10 minutes and will eventually seize the pump. Opening a nozzle for 5 seconds, every few minutes will prevent this from happening, or better still, have a tap or garden hose running all the time from the pump. Re-circulate the water back to the tank / pool if you can. Fittings are available that will allow connection of your garden hose to the pump. The amount of running water is irrelevant, as long as some water is moving through the pump.

If using pool water, the chlorine / salt will corrode the internals of the pump. If possible drain the pool water out of the pump after use, and then flush out / store with clean fresh water.

Engine Maintenance

• 1-2 minutes every month during summer
• Every 3 months during the colder season.

It’s not a bad idea to let the water flow through the pump and blast it through the hoses while doing this, but if it is not practical, it is acceptable to run the engine without actually pumping water from / to anywhere as long as there is water in the pump casing, and you only do it for a minute or two (if in doubt ask for clarification).

Change petrol regularly - Fuel can go stale very quickly (some experts suggest that fuel can go off within 2 weeks!). As a bare minimum, change fuel at the beginning of each fire season. This cannot be stressed enough. To change the fuel, drain the petrol from the tank, start the engine and allow it to run out of fuel. Replace with fresh unleaded petrol. Only buy quality brand fuel. A fuel stabiliser / additive is available which makes fuel last 1 -2 years.

Spare fuel - Make sure you have enough fresh fuel on hand to last several tanks of fuel. A tank of fuel should last about 2 hours. Your fire ordeal may last 6, 8, 10 hours or even longer!

Engine servicing - Manufacturers state that engines should be serviced every 25 hours or 6 months, whichever comes first. In the case of a fire fighter which may only see 10 minutes use per year, this would be extreme. The maximum we would suggest, even with such light usage, is every 2 - 3 years.

Check oil level - Your engine may be fitted with an engine oil alert sensor. If the oil level gets too low, or if the engine is sitting at a bad angle, your engine is designed to stop and / or not restart again, until the oil level problem is rectified. Do not let this happen. Carry spare oil.  In an emergency, you may consider pulling / cutting the wire coming from the oil level sensor. This will disable the engine stop system. Warning - your engine may self destruct not long after you do this, but it may save your house.

Check muffler condition - Mud wasps love making nests in the exhaust outlet. Check regularly to ensure this has not happened. An engine cannot run if the exhaust is blocked with mud.

Keep your engine / pump covered from the elements (sun, rain etc) when not in use. Long term exposure to the elements will cause problems.

Hoses

Test hoses initially, and then at the beginning of each season. Ensure hoses are in good condition. Test for leaks, tears, tightness of clamps, nozzle operation etc. Check that any  seals or washers on your connections are in place. Carry some spare washers in a safe place?

Store hoses in a safe, accessible location, out of direct sunlight.

Practise rolling out your hoses. In an emergency, a tangled, knotted fire hose is useless.

If hoses are stored in a coil, fold them in half before rolling them up (both ends finish up on the outside of the coil). This ensures that the hose will unravel as the two ends are pulled apart.

If a hose is damaged on the day - do you have a spare, or an alternative? Can you connect a garden hose to the pump (fittings are available)? If a hose is damaged, can you isolate that line by means of a valve or cap, or will water just pour out uselessly, disabling your other hose in the process? For extra length you may be able to connect your garden hose, on to your fire hose, as an extension.

If a foot valve is fitted to the end of the suction hose, make sure that the hose is full of water by unscrewing the suction line at the pump, pour water into hose until full, then reconnect.  

Make sure that the footvalve / end of hose is kept in clean water and is not allowed to move around into mud etc.

On the day

Wear full length cotton or wool clothing. Cotton overalls are perfect. Do not wear anything that is synthetic, as it may melt on to your skin.  Have a wet tea towel or breathing mask to stop smoke entering your lungs. Have goggles at the ready to protect your eyes.

Stay calm. Don’t run around like a headless chook. It’s hard to fight a fire with a broken leg!

Get the hoses laid out and connected. Take care not to cross-thread any connections. Make sure the fuel tank is full, and that the oil level is correct. Have spare fuel ready in a safe place.

Wet down garden beds, veranda’s, gutters etc. If you have a limited water supply, do not waste it - the day may be very long. Don’t run out of water, just as the fire front gets to you. Top up your water supply with mains water if possible. Realise that if you are using pool water, your plants will probably die.

Inside the home - Fill all sinks, basins, baths, buckets etc.. Have plenty of towels and water ready.

Have a ladder ready to access the manhole / internal roof space. Can your hose reach into here?

In case of the fire front coming straight at you, you will need to retreat to the safety of inside your home. Protect your pump and hoses from fire and radiant heat. If you come back outside and find a molten mess of pumps or hose, you can kiss your house goodbye! Some options include;

Have all of this planned well in advance - don’t work it out on the day.