Why it is called jockey pump?

What is a jockey pump and why does it carry that title? Picture a horse race. There is a small guy riding on top of (or above) a large horse. That small guy on the horse is referred to as a jockey. On a fire protection system requiring a fire pump, there is a small pump that maintains pressure above the pressure settings of the larger fire pump. Hence the name “jockey pump.” The purpose of a jockey pump is to maintain pressure in a fire protection piping system so the larger fire pump does not need to run. A jockey pump package consists of a pump, motor and controller.

TUSSU® have the are available for jockey pump applications. The preferable design is a centrifugal pump. The other type is a positive displacement regenerative turbine pump. A turbine pump appears to be the perfect choice as a jockey pump because it can generate high pressures at low flow rates with low horsepower. This is exactly what we are looking for in a jockey pump. However, a turbine pump operates on very close tolerances. If those tolerances wear out a few thousandths of an inch, the ability to generate enough pressure is lost.