What this is
What is a fire pump test record?
What is a fire pump test record?
A fire pump test record documents a routine run test of a fire pump: pre-start condition, automatic start on a pressure drop, run duration, suction and discharge pressure, and confirmation the controller is returned to automatic afterwards. It is a functional test of the pump itself, distinct from inspecting the sprinkler network it feeds.
Who should carry out a fire pump test?
Facilities staff trained on the specific controller normally run the weekly no-flow churn test. An annual flow test against a fixed load, and any test following a repair, is more often carried out with a specialist contractor present, since it involves opening valves and reading flow that a routine weekly test does not.
Why does returning the pump to automatic matter so much?
A fire pump run manually during a test only protects the building if it is switched back to automatic control afterwards. A pump left in manual will sit idle through a real fire because nothing tells it to start; this single step failing makes every other passing reading on the record meaningless.
Scope
When is a fire pump test record required?
This record covers the pump as its own asset, upstream of the sprinkler system it pressurises. Using it to record sprinkler head or valve condition, or treating a sprinkler finding as a pump problem, produces records neither can be reported on cleanly.
Use this template when
- A fire pump is installed and serving a sprinkler, standpipe or other water-based suppression system at the site
- The test frequency set in the programme has come due, typically weekly for a churn test and annually for a flow test
- The pump has been repaired, serviced or had a component replaced and needs to be confirmed operational
- A new record is needed; each one gets its own ID in the form FPT-2026-000
- A linked record needs this one, such as the sprinkler inspection for the system this pump serves
Do not use it for
- Sprinkler System Inspection, which checks the heads, valves, gauges and clearance of the network the pump feeds, not the pump itself.
- Fire Extinguisher Inspection, which checks each extinguisher is present, charged, unobstructed and in service.
- Fire Alarm System Check, which tests detection, sounders and panel function, not pump performance.
- General equipment maintenance, which covers routine servicing rather than the functional run test this record exists to document.
- Anything outside KnowSafe, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Compliance mapping
Which NFPA 25 requirements does this satisfy?
NFPA 25 chapter 8 sets inspection, testing and maintenance requirements for fire pumps separately from the sprinkler systems they serve, since the pump is distinct rotating and control equipment with its own failure modes.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| NFPA 25 ch.8 | Pump started automatically by a simulated pressure drop, without manual intervention, at the required frequency | Test result |
| NFPA 25 ch.8 | Suction and discharge pressures recorded and compared against the pump's rated performance curve | Test result |
| NFPA 25 ch.8 | Pump run for the specified duration, observed for excess noise, vibration or overheating during the run | Test result |
| NFPA 25 ch.8 | Diesel driver pre-start condition confirmed: fuel, battery, coolant and oil at required levels | Pre-start |
| NFPA 25 ch.8 | Controller returned to automatic and confirmed after the test is complete | Test result |
| NFPA 25 ch.4 | Deficiencies documented in a written report with corrective action tracked, not closed on observation alone | Result |
| NFPA 25 ch.4 | Inspection, testing and maintenance records retained and available to the authority having jurisdiction | Result |
What it does not cover
- Sprinkler System Inspection, required for the network this pump feeds and following NFPA 25 chapter 5, not chapter 8.
- Annual flow test against a fixed load, which uses a different method and acceptance criteria than the routine weekly or monthly churn test.
- Fire Risk Assessment, which establishes whether the pump's rated capacity still matches the hazard and the demand on the system.
- Diesel engine major service, which follows the manufacturer's service schedule rather than the fire test frequency.
- Electrical supply and transfer switch testing, which verifies the power source feeding an electric pump, a separate asset with its own test regime.
Global
Fire Pump Test Record requirements by country
NFPA 25 is American, but insurers and equivalent standards elsewhere set comparable pump testing duties. What differs is which instrument is cited.
NFPA 25, adopted by reference in state and local fire codes
Weekly churn and annual flow testing frequencies and methods are prescribed directly by the standard.
The authority having jurisdiction can inspect against NFPA 25 itself; a missed weekly test is a direct code gap, not a judgement call.
BS EN 12845, referenced through the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The Order requires suppression equipment to be maintained in efficient working order; BS EN 12845 sets weekly running and annual testing for fire pumps.
NFPA 25 is not the cited instrument here, but its pre-start, run and return-to-automatic checks map closely onto BS EN 12845's own pump testing regime.
Insurer loss-prevention standards, principally FM Global
Property insurance for sprinklered risk is often conditioned on pump testing to a named standard, commonly NFPA 25 or FM's own data sheets.
The insurance policy can be the binding instrument, and a missed or unrecorded weekly test is a coverage issue before it is a code issue.
How to complete it
How to complete a fire pump test record, step by step
The record prompts pass, partial, fail or not applicable through pre-start, start and run. What makes it defensible is whether the return to automatic is confirmed, not assumed.
The test exists to prove the pump starts unattended on a pressure drop. A test run by pressing the manual start button confirms the motor and pump work, but it has not confirmed the one behaviour that matters in an actual fire, and should not be recorded as satisfying the automatic start requirement.
Build a specific, checked confirmation that the controller sits in automatic at the end of the test into the record, separate from the running readings. This is the single most consequential step to skip, and skipping it leaves the pump silently unprotective until someone notices.
Suction and discharge pressure only mean something compared against the specific pump's rated performance curve. A reading that looks fine in isolation can still indicate a worn impeller or a clogged strainer when set against what that pump is supposed to deliver at that flow.
Fuel, battery and coolant checks apply to a diesel driver and not to an electric motor; an electric pump's pre-start is instead about supply and controller status. Running one generic pre-start list against every pump either skips real checks or asks meaningless questions.
What auditors find
Most common fire pump test record findings
Fire pump findings concentrate on the steps around the test rather than the pump failing outright, since a genuinely broken pump is rare compared with a test run and closed carelessly.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Controller left in manual after the test, or the return not confirmed. | NFPA 25 ch.8 | Return the controller to automatic immediately and add a distinct confirmation step to the test procedure. |
| Pump started manually rather than by a simulated automatic pressure drop. | NFPA 25 ch.8 | Repeat the test using the pressure-drop start method the standard requires before recording it as satisfied. |
| Suction or discharge pressure recorded but not compared against the pump's rated curve. | NFPA 25 ch.8 | Reference the pump's performance curve and flag any reading trending away from it, not only outright failures. |
| Diesel pre-start checks (fuel, battery, coolant) skipped or recorded as N/A on a diesel pump. | NFPA 25 ch.8 | Complete the driver-specific pre-start checklist before every run; do not default diesel checks to not applicable. |
| Unusual noise, vibration or overheating during the run not investigated further. | NFPA 25 ch.8 | Escalate any noted vibration or heating to a competent technician rather than closing the record on the reading alone. |
| Test not run on the required frequency, or missed test not flagged for catch-up. | NFPA 25 ch.4 | Raise a missed test as its own gap against the schedule rather than letting the next completed test stand in for it. |
Case in point
Case in point: the test that passed on paper every week
A cold storage site ran its weekly fire pump churn test without exception for over two years. Each record showed a manual start, a short run, and pressures that looked reasonable to the technician performing it, but the controller was switched back to manual immediately afterwards to silence an alarm panel that chattered whenever the pump cycled in automatic, and it was never switched back.
The chattering alarm was a wiring fault on the panel, unrelated to the pump itself, but nobody traced it, because the workaround made the weekly test pass without complaint. When a fire later required the pump to start unattended, it did not, because it had been sitting in manual for months. Every weekly record on file showed a pass, and none of them had asked the one question that would have caught it: is the controller in automatic right now.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
5 sections
- Reference
- SAF-116
- Archetype
- Record
- Record ID
- FPT-2026-000
- Scoring
- Pass or fail
- Direction
- High is good
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- NFPA 25
- Links
- Links Asset
- Tags
- Fire, Inspection
- Sections
- 5
- Fields
- 40
- Follow up fields
- 3
- Repeating sections
- 0
- Links out
- 4
Header
10 fieldsTest ID*
Auto sequence. Format FPT-2026-0000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Completed By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Fire Pump*
Asset ID*
Format AST-0000.
Links to FDN-002 Asset ID
Pump Type*
Electric, diesel or jockey.
Test Type*
Weekly churn test or annual flow test.
- Full restore4 pts
- Partial restore2 pts
- File level restore1 pt
Pre-start
6 fieldsFuel Level Adequate
- Yes3 pts
- Low1 pt
- Very low0 pts
Battery Charge Healthy
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Coolant And Oil Levels
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Suction Supply Available*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Valves In Correct Position*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Controller In Automatic*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Test result
11 fieldsStarted Automatically On Pressure Drop*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Start Time Seconds
Run Duration Minutes*
Suction Pressure
Discharge Pressure
Pressure Within Specification*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
No Unusual Noise Or Vibration*
- Confirmed3 pts
- Some1 pt
- Marked0 pts
Packing Gland Leakage Correct*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
No Overheating*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Alarms Signalled Correctly*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Returned To Automatic After Test*
A pump left in manual after a test will not start in a fire.
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Related records
1 fieldSprinkler Inspection ID
The system this pump serves.
Links to SAF-112 Inspection ID
Result
12 fieldsItems Assessed*
Excludes anything marked N/A.
Items Failed*
Score Percent*
Calculated on submission. High is good. N/A items leave the denominator.
Result Band*
- Pass3 pts
- Caution1 pt
- Fail0 pts
Completeness Percent*
How much of the template was actually answered. A high score on a half completed form is not a high score.
Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- No2 pts
- Yes0 pts
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Next Test Due*
Tested By*
Signature*
SAF-116 · record IDs look like FPT-2026-000 · Links Asset
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The test itself takes minutes. What slips is whether the return to automatic is actually confirmed, and whether a missed weekly test is ever flagged rather than quietly absorbed into next week's record.
Holds the fire pump test library against the asset register, flags a pump found in manual for immediate escalation, and keeps the linked sprinkler inspection visible against the pump's own record.
Watches for a missed weekly test or a controller left in manual, and raises it rather than letting the gap wait for the next scheduled run.
Tracks the fire pump as an asset against the sprinkler system it feeds, so a change to one is visible against the other.
Connects a failed or trending reading to the maintenance work order it should generate, so a worn component reaches a technician rather than just the next week's test.
This template lives in KnowSafe — safety and compliance. Incidents, hazards, permits, inspections and the critical controls behind them.
Meet KnowSafe→Glossary
Fire Pump Test Record definitions and key terms
- Churn test
- The routine no-flow or minimal-flow run test performed weekly or monthly, confirming the pump starts and runs without discharging significant water.
- Flow test
- An annual test run against a fixed load to confirm the pump delivers its rated pressure and flow, distinct from the routine churn test.
- Automatic start
- The pump starting on its own in response to a drop in system pressure, without a person pressing a start control; the behaviour the test exists to verify.
- Performance curve
- The manufacturer's rated relationship between flow and pressure for a specific pump, used to judge whether a test reading is genuinely acceptable.
- Jockey pump
- A small pump that maintains system pressure between fire pump runs, preventing minor leakage from repeatedly triggering the main fire pump's start sequence.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about fire pump test record
What is the fire pump test record template based on?+
It is built against NFPA 25, chapter 8, which sets inspection, testing and maintenance requirements for fire pumps separately from the sprinkler systems they serve.
What sections does the fire pump test record contain?+
There are five sections: header, pre-start, test result, related records, and result. Together they hold 40 fields, 30 of which are required.
How often is a fire pump test raised?+
On the frequency your programme sets, commonly weekly for a churn test and annually for a flow test, and again whenever the pump is repaired or a component is replaced.
Does testing the pump also confirm the sprinkler system works?+
No. This record verifies the pump starts, runs and holds pressure. Whether the heads, valves and clearance downstream are in order is a separate inspection of the sprinkler network the pump feeds.
Why does the manual-start question matter if the pump runs fine either way?+
Because a manual start does not prove the pump will respond to a real fire, where nobody presses a button. The pressure-drop automatic start is the actual behaviour the standard requires the test to demonstrate.
What should happen if the pump is found in manual mode?+
Return it to automatic immediately and treat the finding as urgent, since the pump cannot respond to a fire while in manual. Then check whether prior tests recorded the same oversight, since it may have sat that way for some time.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Emergency Preparedness
Contractor Emergency Drill Participation
Records contractor involvement in an evacuation or emergency drill, including whether they were accounted for
Site Resilience and Continuity Plan
Sets out how the site keeps operating or recovers after loss of power, refrigeration, water, IT, key equipment or people
Business Continuity Exercise Record
Records a test of the continuity plan, what worked and what did not
Environmental Spill Drill Record
Records a practice spill response, timed from discovery to containment
Emergency Response Plan
Sets out what happens in a fire, medical emergency, spill, power failure or evacuation, including who does what
Evacuation Drill Record
Records a practice evacuation, including clearance time, headcount and anything that went wrong
More in Fire Safety
Fire Extinguisher Inspection
Checks each extinguisher is present, charged, unobstructed and within service date
Fire Alarm System Check
Records testing of detection, sounders and panel function
Sprinkler System Inspection
Checks sprinkler heads, valves, gauges and clearance below heads
Hot Work Fire Watch Log
Records the fire watch kept during and after hot work, including the time the watch ended
Fire Door Inspection
Checks fire doors close fully, latch, are undamaged and are not propped open
Fire Risk Assessment
Assesses fire risk across a building, covering ignition sources, fuel, people, detection and escape
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems, ch.4, 8
- BS EN 12845, Fixed firefighting systems — Automatic sprinkler systems
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (England and Wales)
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.