I was reading my water bill and it says I have a 3/4" service / meter.

But the main gate valve at the house seems to be a 1 1/4" valve and and a 1 1/4" copper line based on circumference. It gets reduced to 1" copper pipe right before entering the house (again based on circumference).

Does this sound right? What does it mean when it's a 3/4" service or meter but they use 1 1/4" or 1" pipe? Why doesn't it match?

Most pipe is measured based on the opening size of the pipe. If it looks like 1" on the outside, it probably is 3/4" pipe.

Thanks. I get ID and OD. Based on the OD, I have 1 1/4" pipe at the house that gets reduced to 1" pipe going into the house.

But my bill indicates a 3/4" service or 3/4" meter. Not sure what 3/4" service means when I have 1, 1 1/4" pipe being used. And not even sure why it matters - whatever that 3/4" represents since I'm paying for amount of water used, whatever the pipe diameter.

What does 3/4" service mean? Apparently unrelated to the pipe size.....

Most residential meters are 5/8ths or 3/4 referring again to the ID.

Your meter is a 3/4” meter but the larger main supply line helps with demand in the house. I’m not sure it needs to be that big but it definitely doesn’t hurt.

Thanks.

Okay, sounds like no big deal and typical - no match needed between meter size and line size. I would have thought that the meter size needed to be as large or larger than line size. But I guess not.

The tap on the main (they may call it a ferrule) would be ¾” and the meter would be ⅝”. They call that a ¾” water service. In areas of lower pressure or low flow (or fluctuations of both) there’s nothing to stop the installer from using a bigger pipe, to improve flow (less restrictive). Q=V*A. Increase the quantity by increasing the area of the pipe, assuming the velocity remains constant regardless.

My water comes through the front wall directly to a ¾” full port ball valve, runs in ¾” all the way to the meter couplings, which are connected via ¾” x ½” female adapters. Then BANG it goes to 1” vertical and horizontal header. The front hose bib? 1 x ¾” tee, ¾” x 24” galvanized nipple, full port iron pipe ball valve with ¾” x hose fitting. Great water FLOW into and out of the hose.

Makes sense. I have a long run uphill from the meter to the house. So I’m guessing the larger line is beneficial, especially with lower pressure. I’ve just never noticed the different sizing.

The intake & discharge for the meter is 3/4. That’s how they measure the amount that goes thru it. Everything else is moot.

Several years ago I installed a new 1" PVC or similar water line from the shutoff valve at the street thru the basement wall to our meter. The overall length of run from the main line in the street to my house is only about 60 feet. Our house was built in about 1910 and the original line was iron/galvanized pipe.

We have several hose hydrants around the property, and losing flow/pressure when running two or more at the same time is a nuisance. I also like the convenience of washing the truck while my wife is doing the laundry, or refilling the hot tub from two hoses.

We have a 3/4" meter. A few years ago I asked our municipal water company tech if this was the restriction in getting more flow, since the supply line is 1", the shutoff valve at the street is larger, and we have 1" copper in the basement from the meter to the first "T" fitting in the line. He said they can test the flow, and we could upgrade to a 1" meter, if it would help. But, they say they have a higher monthly rate for the larger meter, around $10 more, I recall.

That's my experience in this area.