Water company cheating me?
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Posted by: cpudesigner ®

08/02/2006, 15:12:54
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Hey, I'm an EE but even I don't think this is right.

I have a 3/4 inch pipe from the water main to my house. The water company recently installed a meter partway between the main and my house. They installed a 1 inch meter, NOT a 3/4 inch meter. So what's wrong with that? Should get an accurate reading, right?

Alas, there is a "gotcha." Their monthly charge is $11 for a 3/4 inch meter and $19 for a 1 inch meter.

Apparently the water company claims that the 1 inch meter is better because its necessary to support a fire suppression sprinkler system in the house (I don't have one but that shouldn't make any difference).

Going way back to freshman physics (admittedly a long time ago) and using common sense it seems to me that with a small diameter pipe (3/4 inch) in and the same size out as long as the meter is not smaller than the pipe there is NO advantage to a bigger meter (at least not to me). A 4 inch meter would not make the water go into my house any better.

So it seems to me that the water company is fraudulently and deceptively raising my monthly bill by installing a more costly meter when a just the right size meter would have done the job.

Am I wrong?








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Re: Water company cheating me?
Re: Water company cheating me? -- cpudesigner Post Reply Top of thread Forum
Posted by: Kelly Bramble ®

08/04/2006, 08:24:49
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You might investigate your local codes on this issue. There could be a requirement that for a structure of some number of square feet must have a 1" meter. There could be a requirment based on the number of bathrooms or bedrooms. I'm sure that the water compnay never wants to be the bottle-neck (meter-neck ;) ). The issue could be as simple as they did not have any 3/4" meters available.. I can see why there would be a additional charge for the 1" meter, in that the meter should cost more to buy and maintain for the water company/you.

In general, I don't beleive there is this collective conspiracy to rob you of $8 per month. If there are no codes on the issue, just ask for a 3/4" meter to be installed.








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Re: Water company cheating me?
Re: Water company cheating me? -- cpudesigner Post Reply Top of thread Forum
Posted by: scalarcharge ®

08/04/2006, 08:07:38
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Since the meter has to interfere with the water to get a reading, won't that cut down on the flow? Maybe a 1" meter has less of an effect than a 3/4" meter?

It's been my experience that utility companies don't have to get creative to cheat you :D








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Re: Water company cheating me?
Re: Water company cheating me? -- cpudesigner Post Reply Top of thread Forum
Posted by: stewart ®

08/03/2006, 19:34:34
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I agree with you, 3/4" dia pipe in 1" dia meter and then 3/4" dia pipe out to house. Unless this meter is "more accurate" it offers no advantage installed under these conditions.

Stewart








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Re: Water company cheating me?
Re: Water company cheating me? -- cpudesigner Post Reply Top of thread Forum
Posted by: randykimball ®
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08/02/2006, 20:18:24
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As far as the volumn of liquid passing through your meter I see no change because of the meter being a 1" pipe size, agreed.

As far as opinions as to your water provider being in the right or wrong this is not a forum for legal issues.

Does the meter connect to a 1" pipe on the supplier side which goes to the main? If so they may have a code requirement to provide you with a 1" meter so you have the option to increase your pipe size when/if you add additional or new plumbing, at which time you may be required to increase pipe size to 1" per new code, loosing your grandfather clause. This would be so the city can provide meters now and not be required to repurchase meters as estates are updated to the new code.

In addition, if your water line on your side of the meter is rather long, there could be a code requiring you to have a 1" line to reduce pressure drop to the home, without which would reduce your ability to do emergency first action on a small fire while the big equipment is in transit. If this is the case, ...I, ...myself, ...would be careful about making too much of a fuss, while I planned to update to a 1" supply line.





The worst suggestion of your lifetime may be the catalyst to the grandest idea of the century, never let suggestions go unsaid nor fail to listen to them.

Modified by randykimball at Wed, Aug 02, 2006, 20:28:16


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Re: Re: Water company cheating me?
Re: Re: Water company cheating me? -- randykimball Post Reply Top of thread Forum
Posted by: Guttdogg ®

08/04/2006, 15:36:00
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IMO it shouldn't make a difference what you have... i.e. I have an 1-1/2" incoming line, 5/8" meter, and 3/4" outgoing... The way the meters are designed, 5/8 are most common weather you have 3/4" or 1" outgoing line.

You're getting hosed... typical for utilities!

~for a reference, i used to work for the local H2O company.







Modified by Administrator at Fri, Aug 04, 2006, 16:10:03


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