The pump room is where a fire protection system can fail at a single point. The checklist below runs through the headings that generate findings at inspection, arranged so you can hold it in your hand on site.

1. Room and access

  1. Is the room used only for the pump and its ancillaries, or has it become a store?
  2. Is the door accessible from outside and signed?
  3. Do the lighting and emergency lighting work?
  4. Is the room temperature above the minimum (EN 12845 10.3.3: at least 4 °C for electric motor driven pumps, 10 °C for diesel engine driven pumps)?
  5. Is ventilation adequate, with combustion air and exhaust resolved for a diesel engine?
  6. Is the room separated from other spaces by fire-resisting construction?
  7. Is there floor drainage, and is it clear?

2. Suction side

  1. Is the suction valve fully open and locked or monitored?
  2. Is the eccentric reducer the right way up (flat on top; EN 12845 10.6.2.1)?
  3. Is the suction strainer clean, with a record of the last cleaning?
  4. Does the suction gauge work?
  5. Is there any rising section in the suction line that could form an air pocket?
  6. Is an anti-vortex plate fitted?
  7. Is the tank level monitored and signalled to the panel?
  8. Does the tank volume meet the design duration, and does the infill line work?

3. Pump and driver

  1. Is the nameplate legible, and do flow, head and speed match the design?
  2. Is there a slight, steady drip from soft packing, and no leakage from a mechanical seal? (FM DS 3-7 3.1.8: mechanical seals do not normally leak.)
  3. Is the coupling guard fitted?
  4. Is there heating or abnormal noise at the bearings?
  5. Have vibration and alignment been checked?
  6. Are the check valve and isolating valve in the correct order on the discharge?
  7. Are the discharge gauge and, where required, the relief valve in place?

4. Electric pump controller

  1. Is the controller listed or approved for fire pump service?
  2. Is the supply independent of other loads and prioritised?
  3. Does the automatic start pressure setting match the design value?
  4. Is stopping manual (no automatic shutdown; EN 12845 10.7.5.2)?
  5. Do phase loss, phase reversal and undervoltage monitoring work?
  6. Do alarm signals reach a continuously monitored point?
  7. Is the running hour meter read and recorded?

5. Diesel pump

  1. Is the fuel level adequate and monitored?
  2. Is fuel age and condition checked (microbial haze, water)?
  3. Are two separate battery sets present (FM DS 3-7 2.4.24.1; NFPA 20-2025 12.7.4), each able to start the engine on its own?
  4. Do the chargers work and are the terminals clean?
  5. Are the cooling water circuit and heat exchanger clear?
  6. Is the exhaust insulated and routed outside?
  7. Does the block heater work?
  8. Is the weekly run recorded, with the correct duration and temperature (EN 12845 20.2.2.5: 20 minutes or the time recommended by the supplier)?
  9. Has automatic start been tested from each battery bank separately?

6. Jockey pump

  1. Is the jockey setting above the main pump's (so the main pump does not start unnecessarily)? FM DS 3-7 2.4.11.6 sets the fire pump start point 5–10 psi (35–70 kPa) below the jockey pump start point.
  2. Is the jockey running continuously — if so, there is a leak in the system.
  3. Is the jockey flow large enough to delay the main pump starting?

7. Test line and flow measurement

  1. Are a test line and flow meter provided?
  2. Is test water discharge resolved (drainage, recirculation)?
  3. Has the annual flow test been done and the curve compared with the design?
  4. Do the test results record churn pressure, the rated point and the overload point? (FM DS 3-7 2.4: at least 65% of rated pressure at 150% flow; EN 12845+A2:2026 10.1 refers pumps to EN 17451.)
  5. Has any performance drop against the previous year been assessed?

8. Valves and monitoring

  1. Are all control valves in the correct position and fitted with tamper switches?
  2. Are the tamper switches wired to the panel and tested?
  3. Are valves that should stay closed tagged?
  4. Are the impairment records up to date?

9. Records

  1. Are the weekly, monthly and annual inspection records complete?
  2. Are the pump curve and acceptance test report held in the room?
  3. Are the system schematic and valve location plan displayed?
  4. Is the emergency contact list current?
  5. Are spare parts and the spare sprinkler cabinet in place?

The five findings that come up most: a suction or control valve left shut, a jockey pump running continuously (a leak), a failed battery charger, no annual flow test, and tamper switches not wired to the panel. All five can be closed out cheaply — and left open, any of them can render the whole system ineffective.

How to run the inspection

Keep the order: read the documents first (design report, acceptance test, last annual test), then enter the room. An inspection made without reading the documents is an observation made without knowing what the system is supposed to do; you need a reference to compare against before you can see a defect.

Frequently Asked Questions

What findings come up most in a pump room?

A suction or control valve left shut, a jockey pump running continuously (an indication of a leak), a failed battery charger, no annual flow test, and tamper switches not wired to the panel.

What does a continuously running jockey pump mean?

There is a leak in the system. The jockey exists to make up small leaks; running continuously shows the leak has grown and must be found.

How many battery sets does a diesel pump need?

Two separate battery power supplies (FM DS 3-7 2.4.24.1; NFPA 20-2025 12.7.4), each able to start the engine on its own; the automatic starting system switches to the other battery after each attempt (NFPA 20-2025 12.7.4). Automatic start must be tested from each bank separately.

Why must the eccentric reducer be flat side up?

A concentric reducer forms an air pocket at the top and the pump draws air and cavitates. With the flat face of an eccentric reducer uppermost, no air pocket forms; EN 12845 10.6.2.1 also requires the taper pipe at the pump suction to have a horizontal top side.

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Standards & References

NFPA 25 · NFPA 20 (2025) · NFPA 13 (2025) · TS EN 12845+A2:2026 · FM Global DS 2-0, DS 2-81, DS 3-7. The findings here are typical defect patterns defined in the standards and survey guidance, not an account of events at any particular site.