Under what condition may pump discharge pressure exceed 200 psi in a standpipe system?

Under what condition may pump discharge pressure exceed 200 psi in a standpipe system?

• A. Never; 200 psi is the limit.
• B. Only if a backup generator is available.
• C. Only if the standpipe system has been designed to withstand higher pressures.
• D. Only with NFPA approval.

Answer: (C)

Standpipe discharge pressure is limited by what the system was designed to tolerate. If the standpipe system is designed and constructed to withstand higher pressures—using components and piping rated for those pressures—then the pump discharge pressure may exceed 200 psi. The design and listing of the system set the allowable pressure, not the existence of a backup generator or a separate NFPA approval alone.

Standpipe discharge pressure is limited by what the system was designed to tolerate. If the standpipe system is designed and constructed to withstand higher pressures—using components and piping rated for those pressures—then the pump discharge pressure may exceed 200 psi. The design and listing of the system set the allowable pressure, not the existence of a backup generator or a separate NFPA approval alone.