Water Conservation Recommendations & Parallel Water Supply Solutions for Stainless Steel Flange Piping in Fire Systems

I. Formulate Water Conservation Regulations for Fire Water Supply Systems

Like domestic water systems, dedicated water conservation regulations for fire systems should be established to guide engineering design and management, achieving full-scale water savings. Examples include:

1.Avoiding fire tanks where possible and using booster pumps to draw water directly from urban stainless steel flange pipe networks.

2.Setting strict upper and lower limits for fire system flow velocity and fire pump parameters.

3.Mandating fire pumps with flat head-capacity curves.

II. Adopt Water-Saving Equipment & Measures

1.Water Treatment Equipment for Fire Tanks

Fire tanks hold large volumes—each cleaning discharges 300–500 m³ of water, leading to massive waste citywide. Equipping tanks with specialized water treatment equipment ensures water quality, reduces cleaning frequency, and cuts water waste.

2.Tangential Fire Pumps with Flat Head-Capacity Curves

These pumps feature minimal head fluctuation with flow changes, maintaining stable system pressure, reducing pressure shocks, matching actual flow to design values, and improving water utilization efficiency.

3.Rational Pressure Reduction Measures

High-rise buildings have large vertical pressure differences, causing excessive flow at lower floors during fires, which wastes water and impairs fire suppression. Solutions include pressure-reducing zoning, installing pressure-reducing orifice plates, or using pressure-stabilizing hydrants on over-pressurized floors.

4.Optimize Pipe Diameter & Head Loss

A flow velocity of 1.5 m/s is optimal for fire pipelines. Low velocity leads to oversized, uneconomical pipes; high velocity increases head loss and energy consumption. Proper diameter selection ensures system efficiency, water conservation, and energy savings.

5.Strategic Maintenance Isolation Valves

Valves installed at the top/bottom of fire risers and on annular pipes minimize system shutdowns and water discharge during maintenance, avoiding waste from improper valve placement in looped indoor hydrant systems.

6.Fire Pump Inspection Recirculation Systems

Redirecting inspection drain water back to fire tanks (instead of discharging to pump room drains) saves water and reduces drainage energy consumption.

7.Recycle Overflow from Intermediate Transfer Tanks

Overflow from transfer/relay tanks in high-rises is often wasted. Channeling this water back to fire tanks maximizes stored water utility and minimizes loss.

8.Reliable Tank Inlet Control Valves

Corrosion-prone inlet valves often malfunction due to long-term inactivity, causing massive overflow and damage. Selecting reliable valves prevents such waste and hazards.

Fire system reliability and water conservation are not conflicting goals. Amid China’s water scarcity, water-saving measures in fire systems are imperative. A top-down awareness of fire water conservation, paired with optimized codes and designs, will ensure systems meet safety needs while saving water and energy. In short, fire safety and water conservation must go hand in hand.

Parallel Water Supply Stainless Steel Flange Pipe Networks for High-Rise Building Fire Systems

High-rise fire systems are typically zoned by 50–60 m (per static pressure zoning, dynamic pressure verification) with parallel water supply. Annular networks are required at the top and bottom of each zone to ensure bidirectional hydrant supply.

1. Parallel Water Supply Mode

Includes separate pumps per zone and multi-outlet pumps.

(1.)Separate pumps: Each zone has independent pumps, rooftop tanks, and pump connectors. Ideal for mixed-use buildings or phased projects, but requires more space and equipment. Concurrent pump activation is needed for boundary-floor fires, increasing power and tank capacity demands.

(2.)Multi-outlet pumps: Addresses drawbacks of separate pumps. Note that simultaneous supply from boundary outlets causes head fluctuations—design adjustments are required. Rooftop tank water can be distributed via pressure-reducing valves to eliminate intermediate tanks, making this an economical and reliable option.

2. Pressure-Reducing Water Supply Mode

Uses a single set of rooftop tanks/pumps with pressure-reducing valves to supply multiple zones in parallel, saving equipment, space, and vertical piping.

(1.)Key Requirements: At least 2 main supply pipes; pressure-reducing valves at zone connections; dual parallel valves (one standby) for sprinkler systems with ≥2 hydraulic alarm valves downstream.

(2.)Proportional Pressure-Reducing Valves: Compact and easy to install, suitable for buildings <100 m with 2 zones. For taller buildings, upper zones need independent pump connectors, as shared connectors require multi-engine series supply—hampering lower-zone fire response.