Free checklist
Fire pump (electric or diesel) quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly fire pump round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against NFPA 20, NFPA 25. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo evidence it needs
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.
Before the test
Monitoring company and owner notified before the churn run
Monitoring company told the pump will run and signals are expected, the owner's contact informed, and both logged with names and times.
No photoOwner's impairment procedure followed for the test
Impairment opened under the owner's procedure, tag hung where the procedure requires, and a fire watch set up where it calls for one.
No photo
Churn and controller
Pump run at churn (no-flow) condition
Pump starts on pressure drop, builds churn (shutoff) pressure at no flow, above its rated pressure, and runs smoothly without cavitation noise.
Controller status and alarms reviewed
Power-available light on, no active trouble alarms, phase reversal and low-oil (diesel) indicators normal.
Pressure switch settings and readings recorded
Start and stop pressures match the setpoint sheet in the pump room, not just 'looked normal'.
Suction and discharge gauges read and logged at churn
Both gauges read while running at churn and logged against churn pressure on the pump curve or acceptance test and last quarter's readings, with any drop flagged.
Casing cooling flow observed during the churn run
Circulation relief valve or engine cooling-water discharge flowing so the casing stays cool at no flow, with no relief valve dumping water unexpectedly.
No photo
Valves and jockey pump
Supervised valves checked open with tamper switches functioning
Valve handwheel fully open, seal or lock in place, tamper switch sends a supervisory signal when moved.
Jockey pump operation and cycling verified
Jockey pump maintains system pressure without short-cycling and stops before the main pump would start.
Test header or flow-meter loop valves closed and secured
Test header hose valves shut with caps on, or the flow-meter loop valve closed, and no water passing to the outlet or drain.
Room conditions
Pump room heating, ventilation and lighting checked
Room temperature above the minimum for the pump type, louvers and heaters functioning, lighting adequate.
Suction and discharge piping inspected for leaks
No weeping at flanges or the casing, no unusual vibration or noise during the run.
Returned to service
Fire pump controller left in automatic after the run
Selector in automatic, no alarms latched on the display, and system pressure back at the normal standby reading on the gauge.
Monitoring company told the system is back in service
Monitoring company confirms signals cleared and the system restored, the impairment closed with the owner, and both logged with names and times.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Churn test run but discharge pressure never recorded against the pump's rated curve.
- Supervised valve found strapped or chained shut and logged as 'checked' without the tamper switch tested.
- Jockey pump short-cycling for months because the pressure switch drifted, and nobody flagged it.
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this fire pump (electric or diesel) quarterly checklist cover?
- 14 items across 5 sections, covering before the test, churn and controller, valves and jockey pump, room conditions, and more. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The fire protection service tech on the contracted quarterly visit.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter, timed with the building's other life-safety inspections so the pump room isn't visited twice.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 10 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 12 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a fire pump (electric or diesel) quarterly inspection?
- Churn test run but discharge pressure never recorded against the pump's rated curve. Supervised valve found strapped or chained shut and logged as 'checked' without the tamper switch tested. Jockey pump short-cycling for months because the pressure switch drifted, and nobody flagged it.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 12 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.