home fire pump

[Donald]

Has anyone setup one of these for their home in the country? I am in the country where there are volunteer fire depts. I am assuming it would have maybe 15 minutes before they would be onsite and those 15 minutes could be critical. So I was thinking about setting up a high pressure pump and hose to go from my pond to my house. I think I can get a pump for around $500 and then a few hundred for 2" fire hose and nozzle.

Of course this assumes I am home.

 

[stockrex]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Has anyone setup one of these for their home in the country? I am in the country where there are volunteer fire depts. I am assuming it would have maybe 15 minutes before they would be onsite and those 15 minutes could be critical. So I was thinking about setting up a high pressure pump and hose to go from my pond to my house. I think I can get a pump for around $500 and then a few hundred for 2" fire hose and nozzle.

Of course this assumes I am home.


don't have one of these but looked into fire sprinklers installed.
I think is a good idea, if you are in the country and on a well then you should be do either or a combo, tie it to the well and back up with 1 way values to the pond.

or in ground drinking water source 5k gallon tank that is filled from the well. going this route you will need to maintain the tank,
don't forget you will get a discount from your insurance.

 

[Cujet]

I live in South Florida and my acreage-neighborhood is heavily wooded. Fires are a real problem here during the dry season. As every year, trees and shrubs leave large quantities of dry debris that burns like crazy. Not to mention the pine trees...

The water table is just a few feet underground. So, I sunk 6 well points in an "H" pattern and tied them together. I have a Kawasaki powered pump and an old Firehose reel and fire nozzle from our aircraft hangar. Plus a number of other, very long 2 inch hoses (man they are heavy)

The pump has it's own little "pump house" That is just large enough to house the engine and pump. The hose reel hangs off the far side of the pump house.

The hose reel has it's own feed. The other hoses attach on the other side of the pump house. That way, I can run 2 hoses at once.

I've put out one fire started by neighborhood kids, in the natural area across the canal, behind my house. Yes, it will squirt water about 100 feet. I've also put out numerous fires that I started while burning brush.

Very glad I have it.

If I think of it, I'll take some pics. It's not particularly impressive, but it works great.

 

[JethroBodine]

Just increase the contents coverage on your insurance. Keep family heirlooms and valuables in a fire proof safe. Insure for cost of replacement.

 

[Cujet]

Oh, as I discovered, you want a "high pressure" pump. Something with a "maximum head" of near 200 feet. (that is, the pump can push water 200 feet up a pipe)

Note: 200 foot of head (water) is 86PSI.

Pumps with a maximum head of 80-100 feet will produce plenty of flow, but won't produce enough pressure to spray water over your house. Maybe 20-25 feet up, maximum.

So, choose carefully.

 

[simple_gifts]

Spend the $$ on extinguishers first, if you haven't.

2" fire hose filled with water will be a lot heavier than you think and not too manageable by one when charged with water.

Chances are you will know about a small fire when you are home, prior to becoming a large one; best to be equipped first to handle that.

 

[Cujet]

http://www.carrollstream.com/2_Gas_Water_Pump_NPT_High_Pressure_p/cshpwp50.htm

Not sure if this one is any good. But it's specs look good and it's $400

 

[Pop_Rivit]

We don't live in an area where dry brush is an issue, so our only real threat is from a problem inside the house. We have several fire extinguishers-one in the kitchen pantry, one in the closet in the bedroom wing, one in our master bedroom closet, one in the utility room, one in the laundry room, two in the garage, two in the shop and one in the garden shed. There's always a fire extinguisher within a few seconds reach in the house, garage, shop or shed. We've never needed them and I hope we never do, but they are cheap insurance.

I'd prefer to put out a small fire in the house with an extinguisher rather than drag a hose in and fight it with water. Of course, if you have kids who set fires outside or are careless when burning outdoors then an outside pump solution might be needed.

 

[Donald]

What about adding foam or gel? I am not worried about a forest fire burning down the house, more likely is something inside the house catches fire.

 

[Kestas]

I'm worried that if you install such a system, after ten years or so you'll lose interest in maintaining the system. Very easy to let something like that slide in our busy schedules.

 

[Cujet]

Here is my "old" pump setup. I installed it in 2002. It's been running perfectly since then. I use Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck 5w40 oil and change it every few years.

I do use the pump for irrigation from time to time. I also use it as a backup well pump for the house when my electric pump quits. It's really nice for that use! As I've had my well pump quit a few times now.

As for maintenance, it's easy. I use VP fuels C9 (storage fuel) or 100LL Avgas in the unit. As that fuel never goes bad. I run the carburetor out of gas after use. It fills up in 4 seconds, so the refill delay is not an issue. And I run it to water the lawn a few times a year. Plus the Kids love to play with the fire hose during the summer. So, it gets enough use to keep it healthy.

A full tank will run the pump for about 2 hours. More than enough.

I know it's looking kind of crummy. It's time for a paint job and refresh. BTW, the top is waterproof and removable. So rain water does not get on the engine.

 

[fdcg27]

I ran as a volunteer fireman for about a decade.
I can tell you that we could usually get a truck out within five minutes, but that then leaves time and distance to the subject fire. If you're off any centralized water supply, the responding department would then have to commence operations with the truck's booster tank (typically 500-1000 gallons, enough to knock down a room fire) while others rigged the hard suction to draft water from your pond and/or set up a dump tank to await responding tankers.
Studies have shown that the most consistent cause of both total losses and fatalities involving structure fires is the failure to raise a prompt alarm, either because nobody's home or because everyone's asleep. A fire can progress very rapidly.
For you, I'd recommend some extinguishers. A structure cannot be saved by the application of water from the outside. You have to make an entry. This requires proper protective clothing, an SCBA and some experience and training. It may require venting the roof.
My thinking is that if you catch a fire in it's very early stages, you can deal with it with an extinguisher, while having called for the fire department to respond, so that they can then do the overhaul and ensure that embers aren't lurking in a wall ready to rekindle.
Any structure fire requiring large water flow cannot be safely or effectively fought by one person. Even with full equipment including an SCBA, nobody should make an entry without backup just to try to save a strucure. To save a life is another matter, though.

 

[The_Jeff]

Extinguishers are good; also keep an axe, quality (metal) flashlight, and old cell phone where you can "scramble" if needed. Most fires are electrical; if you can bust through your drywall and get in the walls where they linger you can be ahead of the game.

There's some sort of certification that fire engines get (maybe the ladders?) and surplus fire engines are about $1000. If you're serious you can have a cool lawn ornament that comes with the pumps etc you need.

 

[Donald]

I certainly would call the fire dept first. I am thinking 15 total minutes for a truck to arrive after I call. That includes driving to the firehouse, getting a truck and coming to my house.

My pond is behind my house so not sure they could easily get to it. There are other ponds not too far away close to the road.

No fire hydrants.

Even calling could be an issue. I have a cordless phone and could call as long as it worked. But I would need to go about 1 mile away to call on a cell. There are a few neighbors that live here year round. Many are weekenders.