Tornatech Jockey Pump Controller Calibration

[Anais Wachowski]

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The pressure transducers in the fire pump controllers can fail for various reasons like freezing, water hammer or manufacturing defects. One dead give-away is a higher or lower reading on the digital pressure display than an accurate sensing line gauge. If the error is below the start setting, the controller will start and may not shut off. If the error is high, like the gauge seen below, the controller may not respond on a pressure drop during a fire if the the error is too high.

The GEMS SENSOR RECALL resulted in a massive amount of pressure transducers indicating a false high reading, potentially-resulting in the controllers not starting at all on a lower pressure drop during a fire. Freezing and water hammer also has a tendency to create high errors more than low.

If the sensing line gauge is off, so will be your evaluation of the transducer. Isolating the sensing line gauge and bleeding the pressure off completely, the gauge should read 0 PSI. The gauge below has a 16 PSI error. They get worse - see EXAMPLE

Most of the time, if there is a discrepancy, it will "usually" be the transducer. A quick check before ordering a new one can save the trouble of going back to the drawing board if the problem turns out to be something else. Even a lose connection or corrosion in the wiring to the power supply or from the signal may throw one off. Normally calibration of the transducer on the motherboards should not have changed. If you have the correct supply and signal voltage for the existing pressure, the problem may be the motherboard instead.

Troubleshooting current and voltage transducers is "usually" straight-forward, using the color codes to identify the correct wiring. Getting to these points on the various controllers and different color-coded extension wiring may make this a little more troublesome as seen on the white paper.

The transducers used in the controllers come in both current and voltage. The white paper has "examples" of identifying the different transducers by their schematics and types. The transducer information is also usually on the transducer labels but may not always be visible. A mirror and magnifying glass can help along with a camera if necessary.

CAUTION - Voltmeters go across the supply and signal terminals on the voltage transducers. The ammeter leads go in series with the leads on the current transducers. Using the amp leads ACROSS a voltage transducers can short out the power supply or transducer signal, damaging the transducer and/or motherboard and meter. Shorting the meter leads taking voltage readings in close proximity can damage the transducer signal or motherboard power supply.

The system maintains constant pressure by means of the optional jockey pump with automatic starting and deactivation via a pressure switch, which is dimensioned in such a way that it does not supply an individual sprinkler with any current or any pressure, thereby preventing the main pump from starting. In the event of a low pressure value conditional on water requirements, which was not compensated by a jockey pump, the main pump starts. The pump starts automatically and can be switched off manually using the switch on the front side of the control panel.

If a large amount of water is requested due to the opening of one or more circuits or due to a defective sprinkler, the pressure in the system decreases. In this case, the starting of the main pump is activated by the FireSet controller.

As soon as the sprinkler circuit or gate valve, via which the sprinkler heads are supplied, is closed, pressure is built up in the system. Then the stop buttons on the control panel must be pressed to stop the main and standby pump.

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