Jockey pump
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A jockey pump is a small pump connected to a fire sprinkler system and is intended to maintain pressure in a fire protection piping system to an artificially high level so that the operation of a single fire sprinkler will cause an appreciable pressure drop which will be easily sensed by the fire pump automatic controller, causing the fire pump to start. The jockey pump is essentially a portion of the fire pump's control system.
[edit] In the U.S.
The application of a jockey pump in a fire protection system is covered by documents produced by the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association, ) known as NFPA 20 "Fire Pumps" Standard and NFPA 13 "Design and Installation of Fire Sprinkler Systems". These must be inspected as with any other part of the system per NFPA 25 "Inspection and Testing of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems".
Fire protection systems are governed in most states by statute, building code, and/or fire code.