Home Fire Pump

[Sawdust]

My house is in an area that is at risk of fires and earthquakes. I have an inground pool, so I am thinking of buying a gasoline-driven home fire pump that pulls water from the pool.

Anyone have one or knowledgeable about what to look for or buy?

Thanks,

Sawdust

[Nick1911]

Since it's not going to see a lot of run time, I'd say go for a unit from harbor freight.  Why wrap up tons of money buying a brand-name when this thing is going to sit 99% of the time?  It's all stamped out in china anyway.

Remember that for any gas engine, fuel becoming stale is an issue.

[cfabe]

Don't really know anything about fire pumps, but I do about engines. Get one that runs on diesel or propane, gasoline goes bad too quickly to rely on for a machine like this.

[Tallpine]

Check out some place like Tractor Supply.  The one we have is about $250 (5hp) but it's not a real fire pump, just a transfer pump.  But our above ground tank is gravity feed into the pump. 

A real fire pump (like we have on our fire engines) is about $3000 and up.  Honda makes the best engines.  If you're serious, you'll want to set up some sort of manifold on the pressure side with ball valves for multiple hoses.  From your swimming pool, you'll need some way to prime - they also make hand diaphragm pumps for this purpose (about $150).

Just use Sta-Bil or something in the gas.  I have to drain my water tank in the winter, so I just start the pump engine and run it out of gas, and then refill in the spring (both water and gas).

If you have an earthquake, then your pool may lose all it's water before you can put out the fire in your house 


If you want the real deal, I could probably get you some catalogs from the VFD, or at least the names of places to call.

[Desertdog]

Get one that runs on diesel or propane, gasoline goes bad too quickly to rely on for a machine like this.

I do know about prpane.  Ptopane will not go bad in storage.  

Alternative: Install an electric pump and a propane powered generator which  also can be used to power your home during power outages.

[K Frame]

I'd suggest looking for an agricultural pump.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

i use stabil with good results 2nd or third pull starts on a briggs and stratton and they make a conversion gadget that lets you go dual fuel

[Desertdog]

Sounds like a stupid solution.

Fires are much more likely than an earthquake.

[Marnoot]

What happens if that earthquake causes a fire due to broken gas lines or electrical reasons and your pool is cracked thereby draining all the water?  Sounds like a stupid solution.

Sounds like a tactless response.

[grampster]

If you have a fire department nearby, and it is a rural department, they will usually have a small 4wd water source truck that has a large pump on it for retrieving water from creeks, lakes etc. for transfer to a tanker.  They will run a line to your pool from that vehicle.   Or more than likely a line from the the Pumper itself to retrieve the water.  The water source truck will be retrieving water from other sources for pumping into the tanker which will dump it into a large collapsible pool at the scene for the pumper to access.  They'll then relay the tanker to and from the alternate source of water.

[Desertdog]

If you have a fire department nearby, and it is a rural department, they will usually have a small 4wd water source truck that has a large pump on it for retrieving water from creeks, lakes etc. for transfer to a tanker.  They will run a line to your pool from that vehicle.   Or more than likely a line from the the Pumper itself to retrieve the water.  The water source truck will be retrieving water from other sources for pumping into the tanker which will dump it into a large collapsible pool at the scene for the pumper to access.  They'll then relay the tanker to and from the alternate source of water.

Check with your local FD and see what would be feasable from their point of view, such as do you have access for the fire trucks to get to your pool, if not, could  you plumb a connection for the fire truck to draw water from your pool.

I really don't think you want to try to fight a brush fire if your area is like so much of the area outsside of Ventura.  Usually they burn like gasoline is being poured on them.

Better s to clear a good fire break around your house.

[Tallpine]

If you have a fire department nearby, and it is a rural department, they will usually have a small 4wd water source truck that has a large pump on it for retrieving water from creeks, lakes etc. for transfer to a tanker.  They will run a line to your pool from that vehicle.   

Yeah, we can do that.  Most of our rigs can draft now (we just bought two more primer pumps - that's why I know what they cost because I just wrote the checks).  The problem is having enough engines to go around to cover all the structures that might be at risk.  Say, 300 houses and 100 engines and we like to put two engines at each house

We also have a "float pump" which is a 2-cycle engine/pump that sits on a life-ring looking thing.  You might look into something like that for your purpose.

You might also let your local FD know your pool is available as they might need the water somewhere else too.  Around here, we try to know the location of stock tanks, etc for emergency water re-supply.  We do have three 1000 gallon 6x6 tenders now, but one is as old as I am and rather slow to get around (same as me).

Better s to clear a good fire break around your house.

Of course, "defensive space" is a given.  If you don't have that, then you better have loaded up your family and pets and guns and gotten the heck out of there long since.  The FD will not even attempt to save your house if you don't have defensible space and safe access/egress (that's how those folks got killed in CA a while back - they went into some place at night that didn't have clearance).

[Bogie]

I'd get one of the DR cutters, and mow everything more than 6" high around your property. Think "free fire zone" means "no fire zone."
 
Cheapo Harbor Freight pump, or two. Hook one to something you can use on the roof, and the other to hoses you can use to put out small fires that get past your propane agricultural burner as you create your own firebreak, which is gonna be pretty darn wide...
 

 

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

goats clear brush wanna do a pond with a 4 inch line up  to road considering a 220 pump down at pond. figure its about a 60 foot rise to road so a pump at bottom would help

[Sawdust]

Thanks for the responses, guys.

Brush clearance is not a problem. There are, however, quite a few large trees around me.

The purpose of the pump is not to fight a roaring conflagaration, but to be able to prevent my house from sparking in the event of:

1) A brush fire in the nearby open spaces. In the past, hot embers have been blown over my neighborhood from a brush fire. I want to be able to keep my property soaked, and be able to put out a small fire if an ember lights a nearby tree.

2) It is estimated that, in a large earthquake, many structural fires will erupt and fire departments will be overwhelmed and will not be able to respond to all calls. If one of my neighbor's houses on either side of me catches on fire for some reason (i.e., broken gas line) I want to keep it away from my house.

Due to the construction of my pool and the bedrock upon which it sits, it is extremely unlikely that it will crack and spontaneously drain. Much more likely that it will lose some water due to sloshing in an earthquake. But, it is large and deep, so there should be plenty left.

I feel that a fire pump is like a gun - probably won't need it, but if I do, I will *really* need it. I'd hate to be standing outside my house watching it go up in flames when I could have prevented it.


Sawdust

[mike]

Put a steel roof on and it won't be as likely to catch fire!

[Desertdog]

During the last roaring conflagaration here in So. California one guy had his own fire truck and saved his house and a couple of his neighbors.

[Tallpine]

During the last roaring conflagaration here in So. California one guy had his own fire truck and saved his house and a couple of his neighbors.

You can buy "slip-in" tank/pump combo outfits from places like Tractor Supply - mainly designed for weed spraying but can be used for fire fighting in a pinch.  They usually even have a garden hose reel.

It all depends on how much you are willing to spend.  Any equipment specifically designed for fire-fighting is going to be expensive.

[Bogie]

Metal roof will also last a LONG time...
 
Get a chainsaw. If things are really hitting the fan, drop the trees away from the house.
 

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

price varies but here a standing seam metal roof goes 600 a square  shingle 200  copper 1000   can buy panels do it yourself

[Harold Tuttle]

Put a steel roof on and it won't be as likely to catch fire!

how does a pool catch on fire?
 

[Mabs2]

Put a steel roof on and it won't be as likely to catch fire!

how does a pool catch on fire?
 

With enough gasoline anything can become flammable.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

didn't the houston ship channel catch fire at least once

[mfree]

So did the Cuyahoga river.

[Mabs2]

Speaking of fire, apparently there's one nearby.
Whole town is covered in smoke. =\
Stinks too.
It's also 100 degrees and a billion humidity.
Summer blows.