Mastering Drafting with Multiple Intakes: 8 Steps to Boost Flow, Manage Friction Loss, & Maximize Pump Performance on the Rural Fire Scene

Mastering Drafting with Multiple Intakes: 8 Steps to Boost Flow, Manage Friction Loss, & Maximize Pump Performance on the Rural Fire Scene

Maximizing Water Flow Drafting with Multiple Intakes on the Rural Fire Scene

“We’d heard of it but, never done it. Now we’re capturing more water and putting much less strain on our pumper too.”

In rural firefighting, ensuring a continuous and high-volume water supply can be challenging, especially when drafting from static water sources. By utilizing multiple intake drafting techniques, you can significantly boost water flow, improve pump efficiency, and overcome friction loss in your operation.

When a single intake is not sufficient for your water flow demands, you need to consider expanding your drafting system. Multiple intake drafting allows you to spread the load across several intakes, reducing friction loss and increasing the total water volume available to the pump. In this article, we’ll cover how to set up a multiple intake drafting operation and the benefits it offers.

Start simple and expand your system as needed—multiple intake drafting can take your water supply operation to the next level.

Andy Soccodato – The Water Thieves Instructor

The Importance of Multiple Intake Drafting

In a standard drafting operation, one intake is often sufficient to meet lower flow requirements. However, when higher flow rates are needed—especially in large-scale fires or rural settings—a single intake can reach its limit, causing issues such as high vacuum readings and insufficient water supply.

By incorporating multiple intakes into your drafting system, you can:

  • Increase total water flow to meet higher demand.
  • Reduce friction loss across each intake.
  • Lower the workload on the pumper by distributing the flow across several intakes.
Your Chief Tip Logo

If your vacuum reading reaches 22″ of mercury, it’s time to expand your drafting system with more intakes.

Identifying When to Use Multiple Intakes

The key to knowing when to expand your system is by paying attention to your pump’s compound gauge or master intake gauge. A reading of 22 inches of mercury (Hg) indicates that your current setup is maxed out—either due to friction loss or lift. This is the signal that it’s time to add another intake.

A Screenshot Of A Drafting With Multiple Intakes Checklist

Download Your Multiple Intake Drafting Checklist Now!

Step-by-Step Guide
Required Equipment
Notes Section
Instructor Bio

Setting Up a Multiple Intake Drafting System

Begin with a Single Intake

Start with a single intake connection to establish an initial water supply. The key is to position the pumper close enough to the water source for efficient drafting. In many cases, nosing the pumper into the source allows for a shorter suction hose, which helps establish a quick water supply.

Add a Second Intake

Once the initial water flow is established and your pumper is running efficiently, you can begin setting up the second intake. Here’s how:

  • Prepare the second intake line by connecting an additional hard sleeve to another intake on the pumper.
  • Use a pressurized prime technique to eliminate any air pockets and ensure seamless water flow when the second intake is opened.
  • Slowly open the second intake valve, allowing the water to flow through both intakes.

Monitor and Adjust the Pump

As soon as the second intake is in operation, you’ll notice a drop in the vacuum reading on your gauge. This is because the total flow is now being split between two intakes, reducing friction loss and improving overall efficiency.

Advanced Tips for Multiple Intake Drafting

Throttle Up to Increase Water Flow

If your current flow doesn’t meet the fireground demand after setting up two intakes, you can throttle up the pumper and open more discharges to further increase the flow rate.

By adding more intakes, you reduce the workload on the pumper and can increase water flow without straining the system.

Handling Lift Challenges

If you’re dealing with significant lift (over 10 feet), multiple intakes become even more critical. With two intakes, you can reduce the friction in each intake, allowing the pumper to operate more efficiently even with a high lift.

Dealing with Limited Horsepower

In some cases, you may find that even after setting up a multiple intake system, your pumper can’t increase the water flow due to limited horsepower. This is not uncommon, especially with older rigs or apparatus with smaller engines. In these scenarios, the limitation isn’t in the water supply but in the engine’s ability to pump more water.

Consider opting for larger horsepower motors when ordering apparatus if your department frequently operates in rural environments and relies on static water sources.

Limited horsepower is not unique to old rigs—even new apparatus may struggle with large flow operations. Consider upgrading to higher horsepower for better performance.

Maximizing Water Flow in Rural Operations

Utilizing multiple intake drafting isn’t just about increasing water flow—it’s about creating a flexible and efficient system that can scale with the demands of the fireground. Whether you’re dealing with long lifts or the need for high fire flows, this technique allows you to optimize your pumper’s performance and ensure a steady water supply.

Frequently Asked Questions About Burp Drafting

You should add a second intake when your compound gauge or master intake gauge reads 22″ of mercury, indicating that the system is maxed out.

By splitting the water flow between two intakes, each intake experiences less friction, allowing the system to move more water efficiently.

The issue might be the horsepower of your pumper. Consider upgrading to a higher horsepower engine if you frequently need high flow rates.

After-Action Review: Mastering Drafting with Multiple Intakes

Utilizing multiple intake drafting isn’t just about increasing water flow—it’s about creating a flexible and efficient system that can scale with the demands of the fireground. Whether you’re dealing with long lifts or the need for high fire flows, this technique allows you to optimize your pumper’s performance and ensure a steady water supply.

Tell us what you thought about this lesson!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

No comments to show.