Electrical Service Meter OK in Fire Pump Room?

8/21/2024

Can a fire pump room, properly built with only a fire pump and domestic water in it, have the fire pump electrical service meter in the fire pump room?

The local utility is permitting it. This specific example has it meeting reliable power, so there is no emergency feed that could be affected by the meter blowing out. If the meter goes, so does the pump power.

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6 Comments

Anthony

8/21/2024 08:24:46 am

I could see that as part of the controller system and "essential to the operation of the pump and related components" I would think NFPA 70/72 might have requirements not to have water near the main electrical meter and service entrance. So bad idea but you could code lawyer your way into it.

NFPA 20-2019:

4.14.1.1.5* Except as permitted in 4.14.1.1.6, rooms containing fire pumps shall be free from storage, equipment, and penetrations not essential to the operation of the pump and related components.

Jimmy

8/21/2024 08:30:29 am

Only the necessary SHOULD be in the Fire Pump Room,
The fire pump should be on a separate dedicated circuit anyway. The meter could be located anywhere on the fed line outside of the fire pump room before it enters.

The AHJ can allow it to be there, but that is one more item and one more person (meter reader or Tech) that must be in that room.

I would argue its reason for placement.

David Williams

8/21/2024 09:43:34 am

Seems like a fire pump would normally require a three-phase service... that usually involves more than a glass meter. But I don't see too much of a hazard for the CT cabinet that you would need for three phase metering (the meter display could easily go anywhere else). We also commonly do separate exterior service cabinets with integral metering out by the facility transformer.

Glenn Berger

8/21/2024 12:03:55 pm

This would be up to the AHJ for final determination. It does not need to be in the room, but it serves only equipment in the room.

Jack G

8/21/2024 06:23:56 pm

Whether a fp needs s separate electrical service meter depends on whether the fp is connected to a service thst already has a meter.
If connected to a service that already has a meter , then a separate meter is not required.

JIMMY

8/23/2024 09:56:26 am

The fire pump must be on a reliable - dedicated power source.

This power source must be separate from the normal power to the building (firefighters may need to cut off the buildings power but need to maintain fire protection)

NFPA 20 covers all stationary fire pumps, but Chapter 6 details electrical fire pumps.

Chapter 6 of NFPA 20 requires that the fire pump be powered by a reliable power source or by two or more independent sources. According to Annex A of NFPA 20, a reliable power source complies with 9.2.3 and has not:

Had any shutdowns for longer than 4 hours in the previous year

Experienced power outages that were not caused by natural disasters or grid management failure

Been supplied by overhead conductors.

NFPA 20 Chapter 9 concerns the performance and testing of electrical equipment between the source and the pump. Even though the fire pumps run infrequently, Chapter 9 requires that all power supplies for the fire pumps be sized based on a continuous duty cycle.

Each power supply will have its own meter.

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Electrical Service Meter OK in Fire Pump Room?

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