During acceptance testing, the discharge shall be continued for the time required to obtain what result?

• A. For a fixed duration of 30 minutes
• B. Until the test personnel determine the discharge is acceptable
• C. For the time required to obtain stabilized discharge
• D. Indefinitely until a manual stop

Answer: (C)

During acceptance testing, the discharge is continued until the discharge becomes stable—flow and pressure settle to steady values and the foam concentrate is proportioned and mixing at the intended rate. This ensures the system can sustain its design operating conditions and that all components (pump, piping, proportioning equipment, and foam solution) perform consistently, not just during a transient start-up. A fixed time is unreliable because stabilization time varies with system and test conditions, relying on test personnel’s judgment is subjective, and continuing indefinitely until a manual stop isn’t how the test is framed. Thus, the criterion is achieving a stabilized discharge.