FM Approvals' standards covering fire pumps have long required pump manufacturers to be accountable and responsible for the satisfactory performance of the complete pump package, including fire pump, motor/engine (driver), controller, gear drive, pressure relief valve and other components.
As of April 1, 2017, the pump package nameplate must now include the name of the manufacturer as well as serial numbers for the pump driver and pump controller (Figure 1).
All existing Approved pumps need to comply with this requirement by October 1, 2017. Manufacturers can submit their proposed nameplate drawing changes to FM Approvals on Form F619 – FM Approved Products / Specification-Tested Revision Request Form.
"With the global expansion of our business, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of FM Approved fire pumps and pump packages worldwide," notes Dave Fuller, manager of FM Approvals' fire protection group. "This means that more and more manufacturers must rely on multiple facilities for distribution and shipping, and with that have come additional challenges to ensuring complete FM Approved pump packages are being supplied. By requiring more details be included on the pump or pump package label, we are increasing the transparency of this requirement to the end user. This creates a stronger paper trail and easier verification, and will help all parties involved should there ever be a question about a specific fire pump package."