Propeller Meters

Propeller meters are bulk water meters, designed specifically to handle dirty fluids. Originally these meters were designed for the irrigation market, where the water can be silt laden, have plant material, small rocks, etc. There are only three propeller blades and they have a very long body with the front edges angled backwards. This allows vegetation to hit the rotor and slide off of it without catching.

There is one basic design, which has been installed in a variety of bodies to meet application requirements. They range from saddle types to in-line flanged units with integral straightening vanes. If your situation is such that you cannot easily shut down the water flow to remove the meter, specify a design that has a removable flange top. This allows you to leave the body in the line and remove the measuring element for cleaning.

Saddle meters

These are available in both strap on and weld on body designs. In both cases we need to know the pipe I.D. and O.D. If the pipe is PVC or other plastic, tell us and we will provide saddles with wider straps.

Flow ranges

The flow ranges of a propeller meter are different from the flow range in a typical bulk water meter. Example - A 3" propeller meter is rated for 40 to 250 GPM, where a 3" standard bulk water meter is typically min/max/peak ranges of 4/600/750 GPM.

Installation

Be sure to install these meters in a straight pipe with a minimum of 5 pipe diameters upstream and 1 diameter downstream.