What does this fire pump jockey pump annual checklist cover?

13 items across 4 sections, covering notice and impairment, relief and cooling, mechanical condition, controller and records. 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 annual visit. Still an observation pass; any required flow test and certification is a separate procedure.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

Once a year, coordinated with the fire pump service so the jockey is looked at closely while the room is worked.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

8 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 9 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 jockey pump annual inspection?

Casing relief valve corroded shut, so the pump has no thermal relief when it runs against a closed system and cooks its seals. Coupling wear and motor bearing noise left unlogged, so the jockey seizes and the fire pump takes over make-up, running far more than it should. Start and stop points logged once and never trended, so a slow drift toward the fire pump's start point goes unnoticed for a year.

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.

Free checklist

Fire pump jockey pump annual maintenance checklist

The annual jockey pump service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against NFPA 20, NFPA 25. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

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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.

Notice and impairment

Monitoring company and owner warned before the annual pass
Both told the jockey will be stopped, locked out and cycled, and that fire pump starts or pump-running signals may come through, with names and times logged.
No photo
Owner's impairment procedure applied to the jockey shutdown
Owner's procedure followed while the jockey is out, the fire pump left in auto to carry system pressure, and a fire watch set where the procedure calls for one.
No photo

Relief and cooling

Casing relief valve observed operating
Where the jockey has a casing relief valve, it is seen intact, not corroded or blocked, and not discharging continuously to drain. Observe operation, do not recertify.
No photo

Mechanical condition

Jockey controller locked and tagged before the guard comes off
Controller disconnect and any separate feed locked, tagged and a start tried. For the motor run: guard on, people clear, locks lifted by whoever hung them, then re-locked before hands go back in.
Coupling, seals and motor bearings inspected
Coupling checked for wear and alignment, seals dry, motor run and listened to for bearing noise or overheating, mounts tight.
Jockey isolation valves stroked and left open
Deeper than the quarterly position check: suction and discharge valves closed and reopened through full travel, left fully open with no stem leak.
Coupling guard refitted and jockey locks cleared
Guard fastened on every side, people clear, lock and tag taken off by whoever hung them, and the disconnect closed ready for the run checks.
Motor running current read against the nameplate
Current read on each phase under the site's energized-work procedure and its PPE, covers opened only as that procedure allows, and set against the motor nameplate.
Full make-up cycle watched under a drawn-down system
System bled down slightly, jockey watched restoring pressure and cutting out cleanly, start and stop points logged and compared to last year for drift.
Controller pressure reading checked with a calibrated test gauge
Calibrated test gauge at the sensing line test connection, compared with the controller's pressure display or switch at cut-in and cut-out, and any error reported.

Controller and records

Controller fault history reviewed for the year
Overload trips, failed starts and time left in hand or off read from the controller's record or the room log, each traced to a cause and written up.
No photo
Controller returned to auto and status logged
After the pass the controller is confirmed in auto with no faults, and the observed pressures and condition are recorded for trending.
Monitoring company and owner told the jockey is back in service
Monitoring company confirms every signal from the pass has cleared, the owner closes the impairment and receives the pressures and findings, names and times logged.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Casing relief valve corroded shut, so the pump has no thermal relief when it runs against a closed system and cooks its seals.
Coupling wear and motor bearing noise left unlogged, so the jockey seizes and the fire pump takes over make-up, running far more than it should.
Start and stop points logged once and never trended, so a slow drift toward the fire pump's start point goes unnoticed for a year.

Verified against

Common questions

6 answers

What does this fire pump jockey pump annual checklist cover?: 13 items across 4 sections, covering notice and impairment, relief and cooling, mechanical condition, controller and records. 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 annual visit. Still an observation pass; any required flow test and certification is a separate procedure.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: Once a year, coordinated with the fire pump service so the jockey is looked at closely while the room is worked.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 8 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 9 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 jockey pump annual inspection?: Casing relief valve corroded shut, so the pump has no thermal relief when it runs against a closed system and cooks its seals. Coupling wear and motor bearing noise left unlogged, so the jockey seizes and the fire pump takes over make-up, running far more than it should. Start and stop points logged once and never trended, so a slow drift toward the fire pump's start point goes unnoticed for a year.
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.

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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 9 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.