11-28-2007, 01:41 PM
Nate said:
You could do something along the lines of a garden irrigation system with the water stored at 20', yielding 10 psi, but I don't think that kind of pressure would work well for faucets, showers, and other household plumbing. Don't forget friction loss in the plumbing itself.
Regarding homeowner firefighting, I'd strongly advise against that. Unless you had a legitimate system that could provide about 150+ gallons per minute, with an operating pressure of 120 psi, and then had a minimum of 1-1/2" hose with an actual fire suppression nozzle, you'd be pissing in the wind against an established structure fire.
And more importantly, you'd seriously be endangering your life. There's a reason why we wear $2,500 fire-resistant turnouts, have breathing apparatus, and lots of training. The better plan for fires in the home is to have an evacuation plan and good insurance. Or consider a residential automatic sprinkler system. Things can be replaced, people cannot. Even if you only suffered a burn, you might wish you were dead.
Just the opinion of a professional firefighter. I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, Nate or mella, but it really is a serious matter. If anybody wants more information about residential sprinkler systems, I can hook you up.
http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens/all_cit...prinklers/
http://www.homefiresprinkler.org/
How do I know?
Edited by - mgeary on 11/28/2007 20:46:12
quote:I'm still learning about catchment systems, but municipal water supplies and firefighting is something I know about. Gravity-fed water systems are common, even in flat areas. The storage tanks are normally elevated to around 100' at a minimum, to provide the 50+ psi working pressures to service the municipal system, which feeds the residential communities. 50 psi is about the industry standard minimum pressure for a municipal water source.
...Add a 2" 3gph pump and you could have a decent shot at fighting a fire until the pro's get there as well...
You could do something along the lines of a garden irrigation system with the water stored at 20', yielding 10 psi, but I don't think that kind of pressure would work well for faucets, showers, and other household plumbing. Don't forget friction loss in the plumbing itself.
Regarding homeowner firefighting, I'd strongly advise against that. Unless you had a legitimate system that could provide about 150+ gallons per minute, with an operating pressure of 120 psi, and then had a minimum of 1-1/2" hose with an actual fire suppression nozzle, you'd be pissing in the wind against an established structure fire.
And more importantly, you'd seriously be endangering your life. There's a reason why we wear $2,500 fire-resistant turnouts, have breathing apparatus, and lots of training. The better plan for fires in the home is to have an evacuation plan and good insurance. Or consider a residential automatic sprinkler system. Things can be replaced, people cannot. Even if you only suffered a burn, you might wish you were dead.
Just the opinion of a professional firefighter. I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, Nate or mella, but it really is a serious matter. If anybody wants more information about residential sprinkler systems, I can hook you up.
http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens/all_cit...prinklers/
http://www.homefiresprinkler.org/
How do I know?
Edited by - mgeary on 11/28/2007 20:46:12
Aloha! ;-)