Relay Pumping

Relay Pumping

Overview:

Relay Pumping is used on Hornby Island to flow water using pumps from a water source to a scene.  Typically, this utilizes #62 at a water source flowing water to #61 at the scene where this is pressurized for attack line operations.

The concept:

A water source
–> suction
–> pump
–> hose
–> destination

For Example: Straight forward #62 -> #61 relay setup

Water tank –> (6″ to 4″ Storz adapter) –> 4″ suction –> #62 steamer port –> #62 pump –> #1 & #2 2 1/2″ discharge –> Clapper-ed Siamese –> 4″ hydrant lay –> #61 steamer port –> #61 pump –> Attack lines.

How this happens:
  • #61 drives past the water tank and deploys (up to) 1000′ of 4″ (red) hydrant lay to the scene.
  • #62 arrives at the water source
    • they connect the 4″ clapper-ed Siamese (2x 2 1/2″ intakes to 4″ Storz) to the 4″ hydrant lay
    • they connect a 2 1/2″ hose from the #1 discharge to the clapper-ed Siamese
    • they start pumping from the onboard water supply (1500 gallons) into the #1 discharge
    • if needed, they connect a 6″ Storz to 4″ Storz adapter to the water tank
    • they connect a 4″ suction between the water tank and the steamer port on #62
    • they fully open the valve on the water tank
    • they carefully open the steamer port wheel as to minimize air intake and loosing the prime
    • they shutdown drawing water from the onboard tank
    • they connect a second 2 1/2″ hose from the off-side #2 discharge to the 2nd port of the clapper-ed Siamese
    • they start pumping into the #2 discharge (adding to the flow from the #1 discharge)
    • if / when they are able to…
      • feather open the tank fill on #62 to start filling the onboard tank (when full, this provides a reservoir of 1500 gallons)
      • If the big water tank runs dry, switch over to the onboard water supply and notify #61 / command that they are down to 1500 gallons and will need to find another source.

Some notes:

  • 1000′ of 4″ hydrant lay requires about 800 gallons of water to fill the line, so deploying all 2000′ will empty #62’s onboard tank without water getting to the end of the hydrant lay
  • the gpm of a 2 1/2″ hose is governed by friction loss & elevation loss/gain but 400 gpm is not unreasonable
  • #62 is rated as a 420 gpm pump
  • the 27hp portable pumps are rated as 400 gpm pump