Unless the flow switch, the fire pump, and the fire alarm panel are wired really weird, the water flowing past the flow switch will not override the "turn-off" switches on either the fire pump or the fire alarm system. When there's a fire, because everything is turned off, they'll stay off; right now, there is no "Automatic" Fire Suppression System, and no Fire Detection and Alarm System.
Using the Flow Switch to Turn-On the Fire Pump
To turn on the pump in case of fire, there is the possibility of wiring the flow switch into the main fire pump controller, but there is a major drawback to doing that.
If you're concerned with the system being tested and commissioned, using the flow switch will not pass commissioning. The biggest problem is that it cannot be tested properly. Yes, you can test it to make sure that at the time you test it, it will work. However, to make sure it will work reliably, and under all circumstances, the two systems working together requires laboratory testing.
The manufacturers have used UL, ULC, CE, FM, CCC, or other testing laboratories to test the systems to make sure they work reliably. However, neither the fire pump controller not the fire alarm have been tested to turn-on, and then activate when the waterflow switch detects flowing water.
Turning Everything Back On
Not commissioning the fire pump or the Fire Detection and Alarm System (FDAS) is a problem that should have been addressed originally by the developers. However, I'm not certain about what legal recourse you are able to use at this point.
For the big picture, legal recourse isn't the issue here, life safety is the issue. Think about it this way. If someone was injured, or worse, because of a failure of the fire pump starting and failure of the fire alarm system giving warning to evacuate the building, that person would be injured, or worse.
Yes, commissioning is important, but commissioning does not override the turning-off of either the fire pump or the fire alarm system. I know that it costs money, but hire a fire sprinkler company and a fire alarm service company to come in and fix both systems.
Remember, the developer doesn't have any skin in the game. But it's your life, and the lives of all the other condo residents that are in in balance.
Douglas Krantz
