We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.

logo
  • Engineers & Specifiers
  • Contractors & Installers
  • Wholesalers & Distributors
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Subscription
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • PRODUCTS
    • Bath & Kitchen
    • Fire Protection
    • HVAC
    • Hydronics/Radiant
    • Plumbing
    • PVF
    • Tools
  • PROJECTS
    • Commercial
    • Green Building
    • MRO/Retrofit
    • Remodeling
    • Residential
  • HOW TO
    • Design
    • Fire Protection
    • Legal Matters
    • Management
  • BUSINESS
    • Buying Groups
    • Technology
    • Associations
  • CODES & STANDARDS
    • ANSI
    • ASHRAE
    • ASSE
    • Regulations
    • Green Building
    • IAPMO
    • ICC
    • NFPA
  • RESOURCES
    • Media Kit
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Classifieds
    • Digital Editions
    • Behind the Wall
    • Webinars
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • DIGITAL EDITIONS
Home » Temporary Fire Protection Keeps Long-Term Care Facility Online
Feature

Temporary Fire Protection Keeps Long-Term Care Facility Online

Xylem delivers a temporary fire pump system in a tight time frame.

June 1, 2021
Andrew Culver
No Comments
PE0621_XRS-Boston-Case-Study_2.jpg

A health-care facility’s fire protection infrastructure is arguably the most critical of its life safety systems. Facility managers rely on it to detect and suppress smoke and fire, evacuate occupants quickly, alert emergency personnel and maintain local code compliance — all at the same time. 

Retrofitting or upgrading the fire protection system of an existing facility is not uncommon due to a rise in safety awareness and code regulations governing commercial and industrial fire safety standards, but it can pose several challenges. A temporary fire protection solution that integrates with an existing pumping system helps ensure continuity and compliance. 

Hebrew SeniorLife, a senior care organization affiliated with Harvard Medical School, is an integrated, eight-site health-care, housing, research and teaching system that serves thousands of seniors in the Greater Boston area and beyond. 

In August 2020, the organization’s Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, an acute, long-term care hospital facility located in Boston’s Roslindale neighborhood, needed to undergo fire system upgrades as part of an overall revitalization project at the long-term care campus. 

To update the hospital’s existing fire protection equipment, a temporary fire pump system was needed to maintain safety and meet fire codes during construction. Per building codes, the center could not have occupancy if a temporary fire system was not in place during the mechanical upgrades. 

Design specifications dictated that the temporary system handle a flow of 1,250 gallons/minute (gpm) with 70 pounds/square inch (psi) of inlet pressure and 160 psi of outlet pressure. The system also needed to automatically activate upon pressure drop. 

The Rental Solution 

Local fire protection contractor Superior Fire Protection reached out to Xylem to develop a temporary fire protection solution with a relatively quick turnaround. 

“When it comes to mechanical upgrades, the availability of new equipment and long lead times can make it hard for contractors to pin down a construction schedule,” said a pump supplier representative from Xylem. 

With more than 3,000 pumps in the Xylem Rental Services fleet in 40 metropolitan locations across the United States, pumps are readily available and often installed the same day as requested.

After assessing the situation, Xylem identified the Godwin HL200M pump as the best solution for the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center. Xylem engineers designed the system with a Godwin HL200M 6-inch diesel-driven pump, which offers flow rates up to 2,540 gpm and can handle discharge pressures of 139 psi. 

A pressure-reducing valve was installed on the inlet to control street pressure, and a Godwin PrimeGuard 2 automatic pressure controller was added to activate the pump in case of a drop in pressure. The controller programs the pump to run only when needed, eliminating the need for expensive, onsite personnel to monitor pumps manually.

Within two weeks of the initial contact, a temporary fire protection solution was delivered, installed, tested and brought online. The temporary system remained in place for four weeks during permanent system upgrades without incident.

Engineers & Specifiers Engineering Fire Protection
  • Related Articles

    ANSUL launches first online Museum of Fire Protection

    ThermaSol Promotes Two Long-Term Employees

    Long-Term Indicators Can Provide Buy or Sell Signals

  • Related Events

    SFPE Forum on Fire Protection Engineering: Challenges in Storage

  • Related Directories

    Xylem

Andrew Culver

Temporary Fire Protection Keeps Long-Term Care Facility Online

More from this author
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular

  • New York’s Thermal Energy Networks Law

  • U.S. Senate Passes Legislation for Research to Improve Safety, Efficiency and Resilience of Aging Plumbing Systems

  • Winsupply Partners with Drone Express to Make History

  • Eric Weimar Joins PVF Roundtable Board of Directors

Featured Video

General video

General Pipe Cleaners - Made in the USA

Industry Events

  • 09Aug

    PVF Roundtable Q3 Networking Meeting

    Houston , TX
  • 08Sep

    SFPE Forum on Fire Protection Engineering: Challenges in Storage

    Wheeling, IL
  • 11Sep

    IAPMO 93rd Annual Education and Business Conference

    Charlotte, NC
More Events

Subscribe to our newsletters & stay updated

Subscribe & Learn More

  • Tw08 2022 cover
    Learn More
  • Pe08 2022 cover
    Learn More
  • Phc08 2022 cover
    Learn More
  • Es07 2020
    Learn More
Subscribe

More from PHCP Pros

  • Editorial Team
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • About
  • Advertise

Follow Us

© 2022 All Rights Reserved

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development | ePublishing