About compound meters

Compound meters are designed for applications where flows are usually medium and high but can occasionally be low. They are for use in measurement of potable cold water in commercial and industrial services where flows are in one direction. Typical applications are hospitals, universities, manufacturing, and processing facilities.

A compound meter is used where high flow rates are measured but there are also smaller rates of flow that need to be accurately measured. Compound meters have two measuring elements and a check valve to regulate flow between them. At high flow rates, water is normally diverted primarily or completely to the high flow element. The high flow element is typically a turbine meter. When flow rates drop to where the high flow element cannot measure accurately, a check valve closes to divert water to a smaller element. The low flow element is typically a multi-jet or PD meter. By adding the values registered by the high and low elements, the utility has a record of the total consumption of water flowing through the meter.

Typically, compound meters have a high flow and a low flow side. Usage on high and low flow sides can be measured independently with their own endpoint device. The customer is typically billed for the combination of usage for the high and low flow sides of the compound meter. By definition, a compound meter can only have usage recorded through either the high or the low flow register endpoint device at one time. Water will not flow through or be recorded by both the high flow side and the low flow side at the same time.