Why Does My New Water Meter Not Start at Zero?

You may have noticed when you got your new meter from Flows.com that the dial shows some gallons recorded on it already. Then you wonder "Why does the meter not start at zero? Does this mean the meter is not new?"

No! All of the mechanical meters that we sell are tested and calibrated at the factory before being stocked in the warehouse. This means that some water has passed through the meter and therefore will be displayed meter's register. Each meter will have a different amount because the amount is dependent upon how long it takes to get the calibration completed. In all cases, however, the amount will be insignificant. Nothing that will affect billing to a noticeable degree.

All Meters Shown Here are Brand New Meters
WM-PC-100 22.85 Gallons	ME-PD-100-CF 5.72 Cubic Feet	WM-NLC-075 19.875 Gallons	NCM201C 264.248 Gallons	WM-NLC-200-CF 19.699 Cubic Feet

Is there a way to get the meter to start at zero?
For the mechanical meters, there is an arrow on the body of the meter meter that shows the direction the water should flow. You can run water or air backwards gently to get the meter back to zero. But use extreme caution when doing this so you do not damage your meter. DO NOT USE COMPRESSED AIR! You will have to run however many gallons are on the meter through it backwards to get it back to zero. While this is possible, we DO NOT recommend that you do it. It will only make a difference when taking the first reading anyway. Every subsequent reading will have the amount that was recorded at the last reading, so what difference does it really make

In order to monitor usage, you can write down your starting number and then you know what to subtract to get your total usage. Some people will also take a photo of the face of the meter at the time of installation - or even at every reading. 

TIP! Use this Water Meter Reading Log Sheet to record water usage over time.

Better Yet... Add a Digital Display
If you would like to avoid having to keep track of the meter face and subtract each time you want to know the usage, we have a solution! You can get a meter with a pulse output and digital display that is re-settable, like the KAL-D06. The meter will continue to record the lifetime total, but the digital display has can be reset, so you can start at zero every time! This comes in handy especially for landlords that are billing tenants for water usage. We even have a display with a keyed reset to prevent unauthorized or accidental resets - the KAL-D06-LOCK.

KAL-D06-NEMA		KAL-D06-LOCK

What is pulse output?
Check out this article that explains it! 

Most of our meters either come with pulse output included or are equipped to have a pulse output switch and wire attached later. If you have a water meter without the switch and wire, you probably can add them! See below for a list of meters that come standard with the pulse output wire, and a list of ones where the wire can be added. 

Still have questions?
Give us a call at 855-871-6091 or start the chat to speak to one of our technicians.