I'd like to measure how much water I'm using inside the house vs outside for landscaping.

I have a 3/4" supply line coming from the main. That tees off at the house with one line going into the house, and the other line going to a backflow prevention valve then transitions to PVC pipe and then multiple lines leading to pressure reducers and landscape valves.

I'm thinking about installing a water meter in-line with the landscape piping - after the backflow prevention and before the breakoff into multiple landscape valves. PVC seems easier to work with to insert the meter and also don't need to worry about another component in-line with house water. To calculate in-house use, I'll take my water bill and subtract the usage from the landscape line. This also helps me monitor each landscape line flow (and check for leaks / abnormal usage after I baseline each line).

1) Does this sound like the right approach?

2) Any recommendations for a water meter that I can use w/ 3/4" PVC pipe? I found this but not sure really what to look for - brand, model, features, etc. http://www.jerman.com/dljmeter.html

Thanks.

Either the DLJ50 or the DLJ75 will work. In these parts it is ¾" coming into the house with ½" meter couplings - Aqua - except Chester. Chester has their own water authority and uses ¾" meter couplings.

Some municipalities will bill lower for irrigation water. Not sure if a separate water service is required.

When I had to replace a meter for a shop within a supermarket I bought a surplus "Badger" meter off eBay for $25. The meter couplings cost me a few bucks as well, maybe $12/pair.

Thanks as always for your help. Okay, I’ll go with one of those after reconfirming pipe sizes.

The meter has male NPT on each side, so PVC female NPT to PVC coupler adapter glued to the existing PVC pipe sound about right?

I'd check with the municipal water folks as someone else mentioned. For the most part around here they'll install a second meter for water intended for outdoor use (not involving returning the water to the sanitary sewer) and bill it at a lower rate.

Around here, if you have a lawn irrigation system, the city basically subtracts wintertime water usage from summertime usage to determine what to charge for the sanitary sewer tax. I believe they use the months of Jan-Mar as the baseline for the year. Maybe that would be accurate enough for you also.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:

The meter has male NPT on each side, so PVC female NPT to PVC coupler adapter glued to the existing PVC pipe sound about right?

You'll install ¾" socket x ½" female PVC couplings - I'm not sure what they are called, I seldom work in PVC, but in copper they'd be called "three-quarter by half inch female adaptors" and be written ¾"x½" CXF.

Then the ½" meter couplings will screw into the female adaptors. The meter sits between the meter couplings. The meter couplings each act as a union on either side of the meter. The best meter coupling washers usually come right off the water company's truck. Every few years I'll run into a water department employee doing service work and ask nicely for a few sets.

Screwing brass into plastic you'll use teflon tape, trice around the threads. I bet hand tight will be plenty tight to make a seal. Maybe a quarter/half turn with Channellocks.

quote:

Originally posted by the_sandman_454:
I'd check with the municipal water folks as someone else mentioned. For the most part around here they'll install a second meter for water intended for outdoor use (not involving returning the water to the sanitary sewer) and bill it at a lower rate.

I'll second that. The water utility that I retired from offered 2 meters if you irrigated your lawn. The sewer fee was deducted from the irrigation meter.