The main water pipe into our house is only a 1" ID pipe, but the city decided to install a 2" water meter for us, which has a significantly higher monthly service charge than a 1" meter (over $1000 more per year).
I found a couple of websites (like this one) that calculate the required water-meter-size based on the number of showers, toilets, sinks, and such in the house. They all place us solidly into the 1" size range. But we live on a hill and the incoming water pressure into our house is only 35psi. So I'm trying to understand the following things:
- Do I need to correct the required water meter size for the lower pressure? If so, by how much?
- If the main pipe to the house is only 1" ID, would a water meter bigger than 1" even help at all?
- Is a 1" water meter equivalent in "size" (as far as flow impedance goes) to a 1" water pipe?
One of our neighbors with an identical floorplan said he got the city to swap his meter out for a 1.5" at no charge and is not noticing any difference other than the $600 annual savings. I'm trying to figure out if it makes sense to be even more "aggressive" and have them down-size us to a 1" meter.
Note: This question is purely about things to consider when determining the right size of our water meter. I'm not looking for any off-topic policy advice on how to deal with the city.
Best Answer
It's likely that the type of meter you have is called a PD meter.
PD Meters are very accurate, but do this at the expense of pressure.
My guess is that increasing the volume of the meter likely does do a little to reduce pressure drop. However, without the actual specs for each meter, it's impossible to say how much.
That said, **it is highly unlikely that a 2" meter in the middle of a 1" line it's making a $1000 (or even $400) per year difference in pressue. For less than $1000 you can can make a one time investment in a residential pressure booster.