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Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Question:

Hi Code Question of the Day. Does the NEC® require a fire pump to be supplied by an emergency back-up generator? Thanks, Kyle Marzouki
A

Answer:

Hello Kyle, thanks for submitting a question. The answer is “maybe?”. Section 695.3 requires the power supply for electric fire pumps to be reliable. Section 695.3(A) provides individual power sources that may be considered reliable. If none of the individual sources in 695.3(A) are deemed reliable, then Section 695.3(B) permits the use of multiple sources:

(1)   Combination of Two (2) or more of the individual source options in 695.3(A); OR

(2)   Combination of One (1) or more of the individual sources options in 695.3(A) and an on-site standby generator.

It is also important to mention that the International Building Code (IBC) requires fire pump installations to comply with NFPA 20, Standard for the Installation of Stationary Pumps for Fire Protection. Section 5.5 of NFPA 20 requires an alternate power source for an electric fire pump serving a High-Rise building.

If the fire pump is serving a High-Rise building, or the power supply option in 695.3(B)(2) is used to achieve reliability, then yes, a generator would be required.

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CHARLIE TROUT: Charles M. Trout, better known as Charlie, was a nationally known NEC® expert and author. He served on several NEC® technical committees and is past chairman of CMP-12. In 2006 Charlie was awarded the prestigious Coggeshall Award for outstanding contributions to the electrical contracting industry, codes and standards development, and technical training. Even though Charlie passed away in October of 2015, his work continues in spirit. NECA continues to maintain this question forum for its many subscribers in memory and recognition of all his significant contributions to making the NEC what it is today.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: Unless the question requests a response based on a specific edition, all answers are based on the latest edition of NFPA 70® National Electrical Code®.

This correspondence is not a formal interpretation of the NEC® and any responses expressed to the questions are opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of NECA, NFPA, the NEC Correlating Committee any Code-making panel or other electrical technical committee. In addition, this correspondence is neither intended, nor should it be relied upon, to provide professional consultation or services. 

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