Hale Rear Mount - Manual (Page 3)

1
OPERATION
The following instructions apply when the pump is to be put into operation immediately after arrival
at the fire. If standing by without pumping, the pump should not be engaged.
WORKING FROM HYDRANT
1. Close all discharge valves and drain valves.
2. Open and flush hydrant. Attach hose from pump to hydrant. Open hydrant.
3. Bleed air from supply hose
4. With engine at idle, engage pump.
5. Open discharge valve.
6. Increase engine throttle gradually until desired pressure is reached. If the compound gauge
shows a vacuum before the desired pressure is reached, it is an indication that you are
getting all the water the hydrant will supply. In this case, the only way to get more pressure
is to reduce flow.
7. Open the valve to the heat exchanger to cool the engine (if so equipped)
8. To maintain the desired pump discharge pressure, set the relief valve or engine governor
according to the instructions on the applicable cross-sectional drawing or manual.
Caution: For the sake of the hydrant water system, it is not good practice to reduce the
pressure on the compound gauge below zero. Disregarding this could result in serious
damage to the water mains.
Another good guide is to watch the pressure gauge as you open the engine throttle. If the
engine speed increases without a corresponding increase in pressure, the pump is “running
away” from the water or cavitating. In this case, close the throttle slowly until the pressure
begins to drop and the engine speed becomes reasonable. There is nothing to be gained
by going beyond this point.
WORKING FROM DRAFT
Get as close to the water as possible. The pump will do better than its rated capacity at its rated
vertical lift. As the vertical lift increases, the pump capacity will decrease. This rule applies to all
makes and types of pumps.
1. Attach Suction hose to pump, put strainer on the opposite end and submerge strainer in
water. It is very desirable to have two feet or more water over the strainer. Keep the strainer
off the bottom and keep sand, leaves or other foreign matter away from strainer. No pump
has ever been built which will pump water with foreign matter without causing some
damage or excessive wear to the pump. Your Hale pump will handle such water with as little
damage resulting to the pump as any fire pump on the market - possibly less damage - but
we do not recommend such abuse unless there is no other way to stop a fire. Be sure all
suction hose couplings and suction tube caps are tight.
2. Close all discharge valves, drain valves and drain cocks.
3. With engine at idle, engage pump. Keep engine speed below fast idle, not more than
approximately 1000 RPM. Nothing can be gained by running the engine at high speed while
priming.
4. Start the priming pump by pulling the priming handle. In 10 to 30 seconds water will enter
the main pump and the pressure will rise. Open the discharge valve slowly and lock in
position.
DO NOT RELEASE THE PRIMING HANDLE UNTIL A FULL, STEADY
STREAM IS FLOWING THROUGH THE DISCHARGE HOSE. If the
priming pump does not discharge water in 30 seconds, do not continue to
run. Stop and look for air leaks.