When installing a water meter it is best to use these installation practices.
1. When installing a horizontal water meter it is best to install the water meter close to level with the dial facing up and with the surface of the dial level. When installing a vertical water meter it is best to install the water meter close to vertical with the dial facing up and with the surface of the dial level. If the water meter dial is not level, the internal paddle wheel can rub on the sides and cause the water meter to slow down.
2. Install either a sediment trap or a filter before the water meter.
3. Install a check valve to prevent water from flowing backwards through the water meter. Water meters will spin backwards, which could result in anomalous pulse outputs.
4. Pipe Lengths Rule of Thumb: You must have at least 10 pipe diameters in pipe length before the water meter and at least 5 pipe diameters in pipe length after the water meter. For example if you have 1.5 inch pipe and water meter you would want 15 inches of straight pipe before your water meter and 7.5 inches of straight pipe after your water meter. This is to achieve maximum accuracy. If the straight pipe length before and after the meter is less than this, the water meter will still be highly accurate, just not as accurate if you follow the above rule of thumb.