It only takes a short while to get your Pool Fire Pump ready for fire season!

A swimming pool fire pump can be a worthless piece of equipment unless it is ready when you need it. Learn more about getting your fire pump ready.

Titus Nelson

Getting your Swimming pool Fire Pump ready for fire season takes less than an hour. This effort will ensure that you are ready for fire season with good equipment and the set up and operational procedures fresh in your mind.

These procedures are for the Cat 6 Tools Homeowner Swimming Pool Fire Pump shown below. For a summary video you can watch the start up and maintenance video on our fire pump web page or on YouTube Video.

Note: In fire areas during fire season and especially with high winds, people find they have no electricity. Prepare for this especially for night time operation. Have a head lamp and personal protective gear including gloves, eye protection and a mask to prevent breathing in lots irritating smoke particles.

Follow the tips below for a up-to-date information on pump operation and maintenance.

Gas and Oil Check – Swimming Pool Fire Pump

First check your engine oil. If you haven’t changed it since last fire season, drain it and refill with a 30 weight oil. 10W30 works well in California. Follow the directions in your engine manual. Typically fill to the point where you see oil on the bottom filler plug threads. If your plug has a dip stick indicator, only put the dip stick into the port without screwing it in. Then remove the dip stick for viewing. You can take the old oil, put it into an old oil container and recycle it at most any auto parts stores where you pick up your new oil. See the photos below for the oil fill port location.
Note: Low Oil Sensors will not allow the engine to to start, so make sure the oil is full.
Second make sure you have gasoline. We recommend ethanol free fuel available in metal containers at local hardware stores. See our blog article The Best Fuel For 4 Cycle Engines. One or two gallons is more than enough for your fire fighting needs. You can buy TruFuel gas in 32oz cans or 1 gallon cans.
For warm up and testing, just put enough fuel in the gas tank to operate about 15 minutes, about 1 pint.
Set up your pump near the deep end of your pool.
Lay out your test hose, flat without twists, and attach the nozzle and close the nozzle. This will keep the end of the hose from whipping around when you start the engine. We recommend using the test hose to keep your main 100 foot hose in good condition.

Set Up – Pool Fire Pump

Use the illustrated photo below to help with your set up.

ca6-6-tools-homeowner-swimming-pool-fire-pump-illustrated — Cat 6 Tools Homeowner Swimming Pool Fire Pump illustrated

Hook up the pump intake hose and foot valve to the pump. A good way to prime this hose is to drop the foot valve end into the pool and lower the hose completely into the water. The foot valve will automatically close when you lift pump connector end out of the water so the hose should be quite full. Connect the hose to the pump inlet connector. Most pumps have the quick connect “CamLock” fitting. Put equal pressure on both cam lock levers to tighten the fitting.
Close the main gate valve. The valve handle should be perpendicular to the pipe.
Close the pump petcock valve at the bottom of the pump below the inlet and quick connect fitting. This valve is for draining the pump. If this valve is open you will not be able to fill (prime) the pump.
Close the dual port valve that has no hose. Open the other dual port valve that goes to the priming pump.
Pull and push the priming pump lever until water enters the overflow hose. The pump is now full of water.

homeowner-swimming-pool-fire-pump-priming-pump-lever — Fire Pump Priming Lever Location on the back of the dolly.

Engine Start – Pool Fire Pump

Turn on the ON SWITCH.
Open the GAS SHUT OFF VALVE
Set choke to CHOKE
Set Throttle Valve to 1/4 to 1/3 position
Pull Start rope until the engine starts.
Move the CHOKE VAVE to OFF Position.

Fire Pump Fire Hose Operation

Have a person holding the fire hose nozzle and in the off position.
Slowly open the nozzle to let the air escape and the hose to fill with water.
After water leaves the nozzle, move the engine throttle to the full ON Position and then back off a little bit. Run about 90 to 95% full throttle.
Practice with the fire nozzle to get used to different settings and to see what the throw distance is for the water stream.
Operate the pump in this mode for at least 10 to 15 minute.
When you are ready to shut the pump down, open the nozzle FULL OPEN and direct the stream to the pool.
Back to throttle off to about 15 to 20% and let the engine run out of gas.

Shutdown and Storage of your Swimming Pool Fire Pump

As above, with the nozzle completely open and spraying water back into your pool, run the engine at 15 to 20% throttle until the engine is completely out of gas and stops.
Note: Even ethanol free gas can have a corrosive effect on plastic parts. So running the engine out of gas protects all components.
Turn the fuel shut off to the Off Position
The the ON-OFF switch to the OFF position.
Remove the FIRE HOSE.
Remove the pump INLET HOSE and remove from the pool.
Wash the FIRE HOSE and the INLET HOSE with a garden hose using tap water. This removes the pool chemicals.
Lay these hoses on an incline to drain out all the water. Let air dry or use your shop vacuum and direct the warm outlet air through the hose to dry it out thoroughly.
Open the pump petcock valve and drain the pump.
Wash out the pump with fresh water through the pump inlet port and outlet ports. This removes pool chemicals that can corrode the pump.
Let the pump dry out, then close the petcock valve.
Store you pump in a covered area out of the sun and weather and protect from rodents.

About Titus Nelson

Titus Nelson is a professional engineer who worked over 7 years as a Smokejumper and Fire Fighter in California, Oregon, Washington, Montana and Alaska. He has lots of experience fighting fires in the conditions you may face. Give him a call.

Quality Manufacturing

70 years of Manufacturing Experience

Keene Engineering of Chatsworth, California manufacturers equipment for Cat 6 Tools. Keene Engineering in business now for over 70 years makes quality dredging and mining equipment. All parts are backed by a 30 day replacement and 1 years manufacturing parts defect warranty.

Made in the USA

Cat 6 Tools is proud to manufacture most if its products in the USA.

Get your Pool Fire Pump ready for Fire Season!