How do I read this meter?

[kevin37b]

Was there a post where your contractor put a pressure test on it and held it while trimming out ? He said air was better than a water leak ? I think your joints have separated . I would prefer 2 inch copper for the feed line . PVC has a place but not a pressure situation . The house and garage are nice , good luck , Kevin .

 

[Xfaxman]

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The pipe is also marked nsf-pw doesn't that mean that it is also rated for potable drinking water???

Here is an explanation: Understanding Plumbing Product Markings - NSF International

 

[CurlyDave]

Here is an explanation: Understanding Plumbing Product Markings - NSF International

I saw the same thing, and the markings on the pipe are certainly confusing.

In one place it says NSF-PW which clearly means suitable for potable water, but it also says DWV which should not be used for pw applications.

* * * * *

I would ask the local building inspector. The contractor is not going to want to replace that line unless the inspector tell him he has to.

OTOH, I would not pay for anything until the water line is fixed properly.

* * * * * *

Another thing to think about is what have temperatures been lately, and is the pipe buried deep enough. PVC pipe must be derated for temperature and the derating is very substantial.PVC Pipe | Schedule 4� & 8� Temperature Derating

If the pipe is near the surface, and in the sun, reaching 120 to 140 F is entirely possible with no water flow.

 

[justinramani]

I saw the same thing, and the markings on the pipe are certainly confusing.

In one place it says NSF-PW which clearly means suitable for potable water, but it also says DWV which should not be used for pw applications.

* * * * *

I would ask the local building inspector. The contractor is not going to want to replace that line unless the inspector tell him he has to.

OTOH, I would not pay for anything until the water line is fixed properly.

* * * * * *

Another thing to think about is what have temperatures been lately, and is the pipe buried deep enough. PVC pipe must be derated for temperature and the derating is very substantial.PVC Pipe | Schedule 4� & 8� Temperature Derating

If the pipe is near the surface, and in the sun, reaching 120 to 140 F is entirely possible with no water flow.

I'm confused. The pipe says well casing. How can it not be rated for drinking water?

 

[Rock knocker]

The pipe is rated for both PW and DWV. NST-DWV cannot be used for PW unless there are other designation such as those shown. Copper pipe is similar, it is often rated PW and DWV.

 

[Rock knocker]

http://www.sandersonpipe.com/PDF/SPC001.pdf

 

[BrinkME]

No confusion, it's a multi-rating pipe ... good for both potable water contact and dwv service. As far as the meter goes, the 156 are "test digits" used only to verify the accuracy of the meter, since you're most likely billed to the nearest 100 gallons.

 

[justinramani]

So I am even more perplexed at the moment. The builder came and fixed the obvious leak. Now the meter will register 0.00 GPM for 1-2 minutes, but will then start registering a flow of .2-.5 GPM for 1-2 minutes. Is it possible that the leak is so slow that water doesn't flow through the meter all the time?

 

[EddieWalker]

Did you talk to your water district manager? A lot of water departments have surge in their water lines. It's not a steady pressure, which means it goes up and down. Say 60 to 80 psi as an example. If you have an old meter, this surge can move the meter and cause it to read water use when there isn't any. They will rarely admit this, but will magically replace the meter without saying anything to you when this is the problem. I've had it happen twice on homes I owned thanks to the advice from he manager at my water department. Those two meters where in two different water districts, and both denied having surge on their lines, or that their meters would read it. After the new meters where installed, all problems went away. I still had to pay for the what the meter said I used, which made me mad, but in the grand scheme of things, it was cheaper then running a new water line that I didn't need.

If it's not the meter, then you need to isolate the line from the house. Do you have a valve before the water line gets to the house to that is 100 percent tight when closed? Are you sure? To find a leak, you have to be 100 % sure of every section. Then work your way down into smaller and smaller sections to isolate it. It's time consuming and it can get expensive.

If you have a valve before the house, I would remove it and cap the pipe with a cap that is primed and glued on. Only then will you know if it's the pipe or your house that is leaking. Toilets do weird things, that's the other place I would check if the line is good.