I’m going to finally get around to submetering the water at my small 14-space park. I’d be interested in any specific meter recommendations that you might have.
My big question is climate related. The park is 90 miles east of Tucson, Arizona. They do freeze and get snow over the winter, though a plumber told me recently (if I’m remembering right), that “we don’t really have a frost line here”.
I’m not sure whether I need to put the meters in a box at all, and if so, whether the box would have to be below ground level. One company I called said that they have cute little styrofoam jackets to put around the meters when it gets cold out (ok, I added the “cute” part; can’t you just see the meter wearing a little fuzzy winter coat?).
And I see that there are meters with a polymer body. Would that help minimize the chance of freezing compared to a brass body?
Coach being from Florida you would not be familiar with freezing and the particulars of this type of home. In freezing weather the worst thing you can do is have a dripping tap. The water flow is insufficient to clear the line. The drops will freeze in the horizontal run under the home building up to block and ultimately burst the line. I have seen it too many times with first time home owners.
Greg, being from Canada I can understand your point, but this is Tucson. The average low in January is 42 degrees F. I don’t think their freezes are hard enough to cause a frozen drain pipe.
I could be wrong but I really don’t think so. I know in areas temperate like Tucson and southern GA it’s common practice and things don’t usually freeze up.
In that case neither the drain nor the meter will freeze. If the concern were that the meter will freeze then the drain will also freeze, sounds as though there really is no freeze issue.
It would take a extended and sustained sup freeze temp drop for anything to freeze.