Taking the Guessing Game Out of Water Meter Sizes

Taking the Guessing Game Out of Water Meter Sizes

When it comes to recording water usage within a structure, there are multiple water meter size options available – and they’re not always labeled as so. Knowing this, regular maintenance to meter change-out jobs can easily become a guessing game for municipalities if they don’t know what to look for. Thankfully, we do.

Water meters are distinguished from one another based off of features such as gallons per minute, lay length, and thread size. When the meters are placed next to each other, these characteristics are easy to point out but that isn’t exactly an option while out in the field. The majority of the industry has trouble deciphering between 5/8”, 5/8” x ¾, ¾”, and ¾” short water meters in particular. See below for a table that highlights each size’s characteristics and comparisons.
 

Water Meter Size	Picture	Characteristics	Similarities and Differences
5/8"		1-20 GPM Lay length of 7 1/2" Thread is close to a 3/4" male iron pipe thread (~1 1/8" diameter)	Same lay length as 5/8" x 3/4 and 3/4" short Labeled as 5/8" on the meter itself
5/8" x 3/4		1-25 GPM Lay length of 7 1/2" Thread is close to a 1" male iron pipe thread (~1 1/4" diameter)	Labeled as 5/8" on the meter itself Same lay length as 5/8" and 3/4" short
3/4"		2-30 GPM Lay length of 9" Thread is close to a 1" male iron pipe thread (~1 1/4" diameter)	Same thread size as 5/8" x 3/4
3/4" Short		2-30 GPM Lay length of 7 1/2" Thread is close to a 1" male iron pipe thread	Same flow as the 3/4" Same thread size and lay length as 5/8" x 3/4

As you can see, there are many similarities between all four meters but there also features that make each one unique. At A.Y. McDonald, we receive a large amount of calls inquiring about which meter size the customer is currently working on. By putting a visual to each size and comparing them, we can help answer this question better than ever before!

Each water meter size holds its own flow rate, which is why it was specifically installed in the first place. If you’re still not sure which size you’re dealing with, make a call to our customer service department at 1-800-292-2737.