Where To Install a Flow Meter?
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This page contains information about where to install a flow meter on your swimming pool system. There are a few different kinds of flow meters, each of which have specific installation requirements if you want the meter to function and read accurately. Additionally you need to be aware of the potential to add too much resistance to flow to your pool system with an improperly placed flow meter so it is important to understand how and where to install one.
Flow meters for pool systems are relative new and really only becoming popular since the growth in popularity of variable speed pool pumps. Suddenly you have the ability to actually control the flow rates. With a single speed pool pump you have no ability to control pump motor RPM or flow rates in the system so there is little need for flow meters outside of commercial swimming pool installations with much more strict filtration and turnover rate requirements. With the average backyard residential swimming pool now using a variable speed pump this means there is now a need for instrumentation. The flow meter is like the speedometer in your car. Without one you are "driving blind" in terms of speed. The addition of a flow meter to a pool system is what enables you to set an energy efficient filtration schedule. This is simply not possible to the same degree without a flow meter.
Types of flow meters for swimming pools - Before we can talk about installation requirements you need to be aware of the main differences between the pool flow meters on the market. FLOWVIS is a brand of "flow through" style flow meter which comes in a Jandy style diverter valve body. FLOWREAD is a rotameter style flow meter, which means the water flows by, not through, the meter in order to get the water velocity reading. This small difference between flow through meters and flow by meters actually affects the functionality quite a lot. Having used both styles of meters extensively I can say that each has their benefits. I like the FLOWVIS flow through style meters because they record low flow rates better and easier than the rotameter style flow-by meters. However they add more resistance to flow to the system than the FLOWREAD meter, which is certainly a consideration since we are doing this all in the pursuit of improved system efficiency. Ultimately the right one for your pool will depend on your unique swimming pool installation and your expectation of function. If you need a check valve (like a Jandy diverter style check valve) in your system anyway then I tend to encourage using the FLOWVIS style meter (with the check valve component included) as a dual function flow meter and check valve. If there is no check valve required for the system, and there is adequate space to meet the more strict installation requirements for the FLOWREAD then this would potentially be the better option. Genuinely every swimming pool installation is unique and there is no single flow meter that is best for every installation.
Where do you install a pool flow meter? - If we consider the needs of the flow meter and nothing else about the pool system then the answer to where you should install the flow meter is anywhere after the filter. If you install the flow meter before the filter it is likely that the meter would foul with debris, hair etc. that otherwise the filter will remove from the system. In some cases where required you could install a flow meter before a filter but you would have to regularly inspect and clean the flow meter to ensure continued operation and accurate readings for water flow.
How to install a FLOWVIS flow meter - A FLOWVIS flow-through style flow meter should be installed on the pressure side of the pool system after the filter. If there is a pool heater the FLOWVIS unit should be installed downstream from the heater, and before any chlorination devices. The FLOWVIS unit will act as both the check valve (to protect the heater from chlorine) as well as to be the flow meter. Note that proximity to some erosion feeders can shorten the life of the rubber seals. If you use a FLOWVIS meter in between an erosion tablet chlorine feeder and a heater, you should expect to inspect the internals of the flow meter for damage as part of your regular pool maintenance. Since the FLOWVIS meter is a flow-through style this means it can fit anywhere in the system where there is physically enough room for the diverter valve body. No additional pre or post straight pipe run considerations are needed.
How to install a FLOWREAD flow meter - The FLOWREAD meter uses the water flowing through the pipe (and by the meter) to take measurements of the flow velocity. For this reason you need specific installation clearances which you can get from your FLOWREAD meter installation instructions. Commonly you will need to have a horizontal pipe run free from other valves, fittings or restrictions, and you would install the meter with five times the pipe diameter in front of the meter, and two times the pipe diameter after the flow meter. So with 2" plumbing pipes as an example, the meter would require a straight length of horizontal pipe at minimum 14" long with 10" of straight run before the meter and 4" of straight run after the meter. The FLOWREAD meter is installed by drilling a hole in the top dead center of the pipe. It is then inserted along with a rubber gasket and clamped in place with two hose clamps.
FLOWVIS FV-C from Amazon.com
FLOWVIS FV-C from Pool Supply Warehouse
FLOWVIS FV-C from Amazon.ca
FLOWREAD 30200P from Amazon.com
FLOWREAD 30200P from Pool Supply Warehouse
FLOWREAD 30200P from Amazon.ca
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