Water meter piping

Stanley Chow · 05-13-2012, 03:01 PM

Need to confirm my suspicion. Does this piping arrangement look strange? Looks to me that water meter is not inline and water supply is bypassed. Am I right or wrong? Thanks.

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**Jerry Peck** · 05-13-2012, 03:32 PM

I believe that is a special fitting which directs the water up and out through the outlet to the water meter, then from water meter to an inlet in the same fitting which directs the water out into the pipe at the other end of the fitting.

**John Kogel** · 05-13-2012, 03:52 PM

If you install it backwards, does the city send you a check?

**Billy Stephens** · 05-13-2012, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by John Kogel

If you install it backwards, does the city send you a check?

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Nope , Just No Water.
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Stanley Chow · 05-13-2012, 04:12 PM

Thanks Jerry. Never seen a fitting like that but it makes sense. But isn't the conventional in-line method easier and cheaper. Why would anyone want to use a special fitting?

**Jerry Peck** · 05-13-2012, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by Stanley Chow

Thanks Jerry. Never seen a fitting like that but it makes sense. But isn't the conventional in-line method easier and cheaper. Why would anyone want to use a special fitting?

Most water meters I see are buried in the ground and are in-line, however, some are tapped off the line, which is then elbowed out with specially bent piping to the meter, and another specially bent piping from the meter and elbowed back into the line of the piping. I suspect that even though that fitting costs more in material costs, that its savings in fitting labor and number of solder joints make it either a break even or maybe even money saving installation.

Stanley Chow · 05-13-2012, 04:22 PM

Thanks again Jerry.

**Markus Keller** · 05-14-2012, 05:37 AM

Typical water meter install fitting around here in the suburbs. Pretty rare though that I see one in the City. Maybe I'm just dumb but I don't get it either, seems goofy.

Norm Grande · 05-14-2012, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Most water meters I see are buried in the ground and are in-line, however, some are tapped off the line, which is then elbowed out with specially bent piping to the meter, and another specially bent piping from the meter and elbowed back into the line of the piping. I suspect that even though that fitting costs more in material costs, that its savings in fitting labor and number of solder joints make it either a break even or maybe even money saving installation.

I had my plumber install one of these, but instead of a water meter there was a straight piece if threaded pipe. He was roughing in for a future water meter, as was required by our building code at the time. He used this fitting as it was supplied by the city, and was also time saving to install and used less room.
Norm

**Steven Saville** · 05-14-2012, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Billy Stephens

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Nope , Just No Water.
.

Standard meter yoke. Most have inlet/outlet in center of yoke. Looks like this one could be of benefit if service is close to a corner. Makes no difference which side is up -- the flow would still be the same. However, if the water meter is installed backwards, it would still allow flow but the meter would indeed run backward. That's the reason most water utilities install some type of tamper seal like the wire and lead seal shown on this installation.