1
Compressor Technical Specifications
The heart of the bid package. A vague specification invites bids that cannot be compared.
Maximum working pressure Match it to your SCBA cylinders. Many fire service SCBA cylinders are filled to 4,500 psi (about 310 bar), so the compressor must be rated above that. Specifications are written as 6,000 psi, 6,100 psi or 420 bar, and these are not the same. 420 bar is 6,092 psi, and 6,000 psi is 414 bar. State the figure you need in one unit so bids can be compared.
Delivered flow rate State the minimum air the compressor must deliver, in litres per minute, measured at its maximum working pressure. A flow rate quoted at a lower pressure, such as 2,000 psi, looks higher and cannot be compared. Ask bidders to state the pressure their figure was measured at, and how long it takes to fill one SCBA cylinder.
Drive type Electric is usual for a fire hall. Ask for diesel or petrol only if the unit must run away from the station or during a power outage.
Motor power Ask bidders to state motor power and confirm it matches the power available at your station.
Duty cycle After a working fire the compressor may run for hours. State whether it must be able to run continuously and for how long.
Room temperature and engineered review State the coldest and hottest temperatures in the room where the compressor will sit. A compressor gives off heat, and if the room's heating, cooling or ventilation is undersized, the compressor can overheat or freeze, and the problem falls on the installer. We suggest an engineered review of the room, priced separately on the bid form. See Air Intake & Compressor Room.
Cabinet type Compressors come as open units, or in unsilenced or silenced cabinets. For the comfort of everyone near the compressor, we suggest a silenced cabinet. State which one the tender requires.
Safety shutdowns On an oil lubricated compressor, require it to sound an alarm, shut down and stay off until someone resets it if its oil pressure or oil level is low or it runs too hot. It must also shut down if the pressure goes too high. CSA Z180.1, 7.2.1 · NFPA 1989, 7.2.2 and 7.2.3
2
Air Quality & Purity Standards
The most commonly missed section, and the one that matters most for the people breathing the air.
Air quality standard Name the standard and its edition. In Canada that is CSA Z180.1:19. If you also cite NFPA 1989, cite the 2019 edition, which is current. Some tenders still cite 2008. CSA Z180.1:19 · NFPA 1989:2019
Purity limits Require air that meets the limits in the standard you cite for carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oil and water. Citing the standard is safer than writing your own numbers, which can conflict with it. CSA Z180.1:19 · NFPA 1989, 5.6
CO monitoring and alarm CSA Z180.1 requires a continuous carbon monoxide monitor with an alarm and a way to calibrate it on oil lubricated compressors. NFPA 1989 goes further and requires the monitor to shut the compressor down above 5 ppm. Decide which you want and state it in the tender. CSA Z180.1, 5.6.1 · NFPA 1989, 7.2.1
Air test at commissioning Require an air sample at commissioning, analysed by an accredited laboratory, before the system goes into service. State whether the department has a preferred laboratory, and whether the department or the contractor takes the sample. Please note that results can take several days. Arrangements may need to be made with a neighbouring department or station for fills in the interim. CSA Z180.1, 14.1.4
Ongoing air testing State who is responsible for ongoing air testing, how often it will be done and which standard the department will follow. CSA Z180.1 requires testing at least every six months unless your authority says otherwise. NFPA 1989 requires it every quarter, and before and after every filter change. Both require a test after major work. CSA Z180.1, 14.2.2 and 14.2.3 · NFPA 1989, 5.1.1 and 5.2.1
3
Air Intake & Compressor Room
Where the air comes from decides what goes into every cylinder. The intake, its protection from cold and moisture, and the room's heating, cooling and ventilation work together. Under normal use a weakness in any of them may never show. When the system is working hardest, such as after a long fire, it can, and that is the worst time to learn the room was not designed for it. We suggest the tender ask for an engineered review of the intake and the room, signed off by a professional engineer, as a separate price on the bid form. The review then becomes part of the price rather than a separate cost to the department, and every bidder prices the same work.
Engineered review as a separate price Ask for an engineered review of the air intake, cold weather protection and the room's heating, cooling and ventilation, signed off by a professional engineer, and shown as a separate price on the bid form.
Cash allowance for remedial work Consider carrying a cash allowance for any remedial work the review identifies. State that it is spent only with the department's written approval, that any unused amount is credited back to the department, and that work charged to it may carry 5% overhead and 5% profit on cost.
Intake location The intake must be outside, at least 15 m from any exhaust or contaminant source and at least 3 m above grade. Apparatus exhaust counts, which can push the intake to the roof. CSA Z180.1, 6.1
Intake closer than the limits If the building cannot meet those distances, require a risk assessment by a qualified person and controls that are maintained. CSA Z180.1, 6.2
Intake warning sign Require the warning sign at the intake, in English and French, readable from 30 m. CSA Z180.1, 6.3 · NFPA 1989, 7.1.3
Cold weather intake Where intake air can drop below minus 20 C, as it does in much of Canada, ask whether the intake line needs heating to protect the compressor. CSA Z180.1, A.11.3
Intake arrangement Ask how outdoor air will reach the compressor. A duct run straight from outside to the compressor can draw in rain, fog and frost. A long run, an undersized pipe or too many elbows restricts the air, and the compressor will not run properly. We suggest an indirect arrangement where the engineered review confirms it meets the breathing air standard's intake requirements. A fresh air duct drops to within 300 mm (12 in) of the floor into a well, so outdoor air is tempered in the room before the compressor draws it, and nothing at the intake can be pulled straight into the compressor. An intake on the roof can draw air that the roof surface has heated, so the review should confirm the location too.
Intake filter and blockage monitoring Ask whether the intake has a pre-filter to keep dust out of the compressor, and how a blocked intake or clogged filter will be detected. A plastic bag or nest over a ducted intake can starve the compressor with no warning. We suggest a pressure switch on the intake that sounds an alarm when the airflow is restricted.
Compressor room Specify ventilation, heating and service clearance, and keep hazardous materials out of the room. CSA Z180.1, A.10
Contaminant sources Show fuel storage, generators, vehicle bays and other sources on a site plan so bidders can locate and price the intake.
4
Compliance & Certification Requirements
Missing certification requirements are a common reason for a challenge after the contract is awarded.
Pressure components and piping Require pressure components, piping, valves and fittings built to CSA B51, as the breathing air standard requires. CSA Z180.1, 5.4, 9.3 and 13.1
Electrical certification Require the complete unit to be approved for use in Canada before it is energised. That means a certification mark from a body accredited by the Standards Council of Canada, such as CSA, UL (cUL) or Intertek (cETL), or a field evaluation by an accredited agency. CSA SPE-1000
Manufacturer quality system State whether the manufacturer must hold ISO 9001 quality certification.
Provincial registration Decide whether the tender requires the system to be registered with your provincial pressure equipment authority, such as TSSA in Ontario or Technical Safety BC. Please note that registering a system that connects to existing equipment may identify parts of the existing system that do not conform today.
NFPA references If you cite NFPA standards, cite the current edition. NFPA 1500 covers a department's safety program, not equipment, so equipment cannot comply with it.
5
Electrical Supply, Isolation & Lockout
Your department owns its lockout program. The tender decides whether the equipment makes that program possible. Many existing compressors are wired in directly with none of the items below in place, so do not assume your current installation has them.
Electrical supply State the voltage and phase available where the compressor will sit, for example 240 V 1Φ, 208 V 3Φ, 480 V 3Φ or 600 V 3Φ. Many compressors need three phase power, so confirm it before tendering.
Plug-in connection with disconnect We suggest connecting the compressor through a lockable disconnect with a pin and sleeve plug and receptacle. Unplugging it separates the compressor fully from the electrical system, so maintenance can be done with zero electrical energy present. If the compressor fails, a temporary backup compressor can be plugged in, making a changeover a matter of minutes rather than hours.
Energy sources identified Require the supplier to identify every energy source, including the electrical supply, stored air pressure and any second power source. CSA Z460, clause 5
Lockable isolation devices Require isolation devices that can be locked out and are reachable from floor level. CSA Z460, 5.2.2 to 5.2.4
Isolation points labelled Each isolation device labelled on the system with the equipment it isolates and the type and size of the energy, such as pressure. CSA Z460, 5.2.2 to 5.2.4
Stored pressure release Require a way to release and confirm zero pressure before work begins, such as block and bleed valves. CSA Z460, clause 5
No automatic restart The compressor must not be able to start on its own while someone is working on it. CSA Z460, 6.2
Lockout information Require the manual to show where each isolation device is and how to use it. The supplier gives you the information, and your department writes the lockout procedure. CSA Z460, clause 5, 7.1.2 and 7.3.2
Contractor lockout State that contractors' lockout is coordinated with your department's program. CSA Z460, 7.3.6
6
Fill Station & Containment
The fill station is where your members stand next to high pressure. Specify it as carefully as the compressor.
Accepted fill station Require a fill station tested and certified by an agency your authority recognises. CSA Z180.1, clause 12
Containment State whether full enclosure is required, with any blast vented away from people and no fill possible unless the cylinder is in place. CSA Z180.1, A.8.4
Fill positions and cylinder types State how many cylinders you want to fill at once and every cylinder type and pressure you fill, including any SCUBA cylinders. Two and three position stations are available.
Flow and pressure control per hose Require separate flow and pressure control on each fill hose. CSA Z180.1, A.8.4
Spare fill hoses Ask for a spare fill hose for each fill position and for any hose connecting the storage bank, so a hose damaged in use, or in a cylinder failure, can be replaced right away. State the hose replacement interval, following the manufacturer's instructions.
SCBA fill rate SCBA cylinders are filled at no more than 2 MPa (300 psi) per minute on average, unless the SCBA maker states otherwise in writing. This does not apply to storage cylinders. CSA Z94.4, 11.7.1
Fill pressure limit Never fill above the maximum pressure marked on the cylinder. CSA Z94.4, 11.7.2
7
Storage, Cascade & Piping
Storage lets you refill SCBA quickly after a fire. It is often priced as an afterthought, so spell it out.
Storage cylinder specification State the construction required. Provinces differ, some requiring ASME construction and others accepting Transport Canada specifications, so check with your provincial authority. CSA Z180.1, 11.3 and A.8.1.2
Cascade capacity State how many storage cylinders you want, their size and working pressure, and whether any existing storage cylinders will be reused. State whether they are to be used as a single bank or as a cascade, where each fill draws from the lowest pressure cylinder first so more of the stored air can be used.
Receivers Corrosion resistant, sized for the system and built to CSA B51. CSA Z180.1, clause 10
Breathing air piping Corrosion resistant, used for breathing air only, identified along its length, with outlets marked Compressed Breathing Air. CSA Z180.1, 13.3 to 13.7
Connection to existing equipment State whether the new system connects to an existing fill panel, cascade or piping, and include photos and details.
Responsibility for existing equipment State who is responsible for existing equipment the new system connects to, including its condition and certification.
8
Installation & Site Requirements
Clear site requirements prevent installation delays and cost overruns.
9
Commissioning & Training
Commissioning proves the system works as specified. Training makes sure the people using it know how.
Commissioning Require commissioning by the supplier or its qualified representative with your department present, ending in a signed Record of Commissioning. CSA Z180.1, A.12
Commissioning records Commissioning records are kept for the life of the system. State who holds them. CSA Z180.1, 5.7
Operator and maintenance training Require operator and maintenance training at commissioning, and a maintenance logbook. CSA Z180.1, A.13
Refresher training The breathing air standard requires training at commissioning, and the cylinder filling standard requires anyone filling cylinders to be trained for it. State whether annual refresher training is required, and whether it is to be given at the annual maintenance visit on the compressor. CSA Z180.1, A.13 · CSA B340, 5.1.2
Fill operator training and records Anyone filling cylinders must be trained for it and inspect each cylinder before every fill. State whether the bid includes that training. Keep a record of every fill, including who filled it, the cylinder serial number and the final pressure. CSA B340, 5.1.2 and 5.1.3 · NFPA 1989, 7.6.4
Factory trained technicians State whether commissioning and service must be done by technicians trained by the manufacturer.
10
Maintenance, Warranty & Support
The purchase price is only part of the cost. Service terms decide whether the compressor is ready when you need it.
Warranty State separate warranty terms for the compressor and for the installation. We suggest at least two years, parts and labour, on the compressor.
Scheduled maintenance Ask bidders to state the manufacturer's maintenance intervals in operating hours and the price of each service, so you can compare the cost of ownership.
Annual service State whether annual service is included, and for how many years. We suggest at least the warranty period, with refresher training at each visit.
Spare filters and consumables We suggest a spare set of filter cartridges with the package, so the compressor is not out of service while waiting for parts.
Compressor oil on site We suggest a supply of compressor oil kept on site at all times. It must be an oil approved for breathing air by both the compressor maker and the oil maker, because the wrong oil can contaminate the air. CSA Z180.1, 7.2.2
Remote monitoring State whether remote monitoring of hours, pressures and alarms is required. It lets the service provider see a problem before it becomes a failure.
Service response time State the maximum response time for a service call, and whether a technician must be based in your region.
Parts availability State how many years parts must remain available after purchase.
Manuals and maintenance schedule Require the maintenance schedule and service manual with the bid.
11
Bid Submission & Payment
Clear submission and payment terms protect your department and make bids comparable.
Required bid documents List what every bid must include, such as the technical data sheet, a completed compliance checklist and a company profile.
Bid validity period State how long bids must remain valid after closing. Allow time for council or board approval.
Delivery and commissioning timeline State when you need the system in service. Allow for manufacturing, shipping and commissioning.
Evaluation criteria State how bids will be scored, such as price, technical compliance, service and warranty, and the weight of each.
Payment terms State the payment terms and who approves invoices. Prompt payment legislation in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba sets 28 days to pay a proper invoice for construction work. Confirm whether it applies to your project.
Payment schedule State the payment schedule. A deposit at order, with progress payments at shipping and at substantial completion, is common for breathing air compressors.
