SHIPBOARD DAMAGE CONTROL, PERSONNEL PROTECTION, FIREFIGHTING AND CBR-D
 MUSEUM WEBSITE
 
DAMAGE CONTROL MUSEUM
DC EQUIPMENT Museum
 
Portable Pumps and Dewatering Equipment
 
PE-250
 
The PE-250 pump, designed for firefighting and dewatering operations, was developed in 1973 to replace the P-250 pump. It was a 250-gpm, portable, two-cycle, two-cylinder, gasoline-driven pump, rated at 25 horsepower. Ignition was by electric starter. Type 2190 TEP lubricating oil was mixed with the 80- to 100-octane gasoline; no other lubrication was required. With a fuel rate of 5.4 gallons per hour, the six-gallon fuel tank provided one hour of operation. The pump consisted of an engine, battery, starter, centrifugal pump, primer pump, water outlet gate, pressure regulator, self-winding pull starter, back-up motor controls, and a pressure regulator with gauge. Spare batteries were maintained on charge in case of problems with the electric start function. Accessories provided with the pump included a special tri-gate valve with two 1 ½-inch and one 2 ½-inch male connections, a 3-inch by 10-foot hard rubber suction hose, a 2-inch by 20-foot exhaust hose, and a foot valve strainer. The pump was self-priming up to 16 feet; manual priming was required for greater suction lifts. The 2 ½-inch discharge hose could be connected to an eductor for lifts above 20 feet. A 3-inch male suction connection and the discharge side had a 2 ½-inch male connection to attach a hose, wye-gate or tri-gate for multiple hose runs in firefighting. The pump weighed 163 pounds including the battery but without the fuel tank. Two personnel were required to transport the pump and twelve to set up and rig it for operation using an eductor. An electrician was required to be on standby to assist with electrical-related start problems. In ship wide or major emergencies, any member of the ship's company could provide assistance in operating the pump; otherwise pump teams from repair party lockers operated the pump. The repair lockers with specific PE-250 teams in Condition I were 1, 2, and sometimes 3 and 4, depending on the ship’s class. Suitable means had to be provided to carry the poisonous exhaust gases into the clear, particularly when the pump was used below decks. A 2-inch by 20-foot rubber exhaust hose was coupled to the exhaust outlet to remove the gases through an alternate overboard discharge connection or to the weather deck when operating on the DC deck and below. After being operated with sea water, the PE-250 pump had to be flushed and drained with fresh water before restoring. Pumps were generally stowed topside in water- and fume-proof sealed covers for safety because of the gasoline tanks, as well as to reduce salt water corrosion. The PE-250 pump was replaced in 1985 with the P-250 Mod-1 pump.
 
 
 
For more information, see the Index.