A fire system that meets European EN 12845 standards is in growing demand from South African customers.

This is according to Grundfos sales engineer commercial building services South Africa Mark Muller, who explains the rationale behind the company’s Hydro EN fire pump systems.

“We have seen local markets – as well as regions such as Asia and the Middle East – moving towards this standard,” he says. “This is where the Hydro EN gains one of its key advantages, as consulting engineers, insurers and users can rest assured of its performance and reliability.”

The offering comes in nine different variants including a single-pump, double-pump, diesel, electric, and a combination of diesel and electric power. The motors are sized to be non-overloading, providing the power required by the pump to the corresponding 16 m NPSHr value.

The pump is designed for a modular set-up and criteria such as using a water heat exchanger to cool the diesel engines, enable easier configurations of technical rooms.

“All our diesel-driven pumps are fully equipped and include a fuel tank for six hours of full-speed operation, as well as a leak tray to prevent any environmental contamination,” says Muller. “All systems are factory tested in our ISO 9001-certified assembly plant in South Africa, and the test report is always included in the scope of supply.”

As a plug-and-play solution, the Grundfos Hydro EN is offered standard with building management system integration through MODBUS. This allows remote monitoring of all the system alarm and controller parameters such as fuel levels, oil pressure and revolutions per minute.

“It is also important for operators to have reliable feedback from the unit to know if, and when, it is running,” he says. “An electrical contractor can give a run signal, but to guard against a fault we provide a double-signal system of a contactor as well as a dedicated pressure switch on the discharge side.”

Muller highlights that Grundfos is a convenient ‘one stop shop’ for this firefighting solution, as the pumping system comes complete with pump, controls and pipes all designed according to EN12845, as well as the necessary fittings and valves.

There are also various kits and accessories available, and clear support documentation to facilitate daily tasks such as drafting the specification, installing and maintaining the system.