Which watermeter

Post by **Digit** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 10:12 pm

What i did was going to the local DIY shop (i'm no plumber either), where they still try to take the time to serve you. I took the water meter with me, told them i had to fit it to 22 mm pipe and asked them what was the best way to do it.
They came up with what you see in the picture below: an extra adapter soldered on the pipe and with a flat sealed nut on the other side. No need for additional counter measures against leakage. Disadvantage: you need more 'length'.
Not every shop will have this on stock, so have them order it for you. Don't make a choice out of what's available in the store, but search for the right parts

Post by **Lennart** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 10:38 am

@Bastiaan, Robert: thanks for your advice. Sometimes you'll just have to do with the things you can buy at 17.00 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon

. One meter is in the water pipe, using Bastiaans advice and plenty of tape; no leakage yet (on the second try

.

One more question: there seem to be several different types of Alaxa meters out there, with different wiring (colors, number of wires). Mine has black, green and red, as in Bastiaans picture. I have an open ended RFXPulse cable. How to connect these two? Copper + blue on the RFXPulse open cable to ??? on the watermeter?

Thanks again,

Lennart

Post by **Bastiaan** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 10:43 am

It's just a reed contact so polarity is no issue, I am using black and green, Red=NC

Post by **Lennart** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 8:48 pm

Update: I installed the two meters, connected each of them to an RFXPulse (thanks again Bastiaan) and configured the RFXPulses in Homeseer. Water usage is coming through OK! But I'm afraid I'm not done yet: once in while a drop of water is leaking through the teflon tape sealing, so tomorrow I'll redo that part using locktite. (Hmm, it's not the Gamma parts failing this time, it's just my lack of experience

.

Lennart

Post by **Jeroen Bartels** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:07 pm

Sounds stupid but if the drop is just a tiny leak it will stop automatically (Kalk...). Did you wind the teflon tape with the 'schroefdraad' or against it. (it should be against it otherwise you just push it away when screwing the thing together).
And use a lot of it. Teflon and Gamma parts should work.

Good luck.

Post by **Lennart** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 10:38 pm

Hi JayBee, thanks! I don't remember what way I put the tape on, so I guess that could very well be the problem... Anyway, I wouldn't like to depend on calcium deposits for watertightness (it just doesn't feel right) and if I have to redo it anyway, I might as well go for locktite.

Lennart

Post by **Lennart** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 5:01 pm

Update: I went to the "Warmteservice" (plumping shop) and had the choice between locktite 570 and (old fashioned?) hemp + fitting kit. The shopkeeper warned me that locktite works well, but if it somehow still leaks after glueing, you really have a challenge as you won't be able to unscrew the glued parts. Furthermore, it needs to harden for 24 hours before you can use it. So I decided to try it with hemp and fitting kit first, which is supposed to be better than teflon tape (as the hemp will expand a little when it gets wet). I redid both watermeters and both seem to be ok now, after the first try. No leackages, wetness, etc. Let's hope it stays that way

Thanks again for all your support/advice.

Lennart

Post by **Bastiaan** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 5:18 pm

Hoi Lennart, good you managed to get it done. Hemp is old style but still works well. It just ages more than the other products. Check again in 50 years

Locktite will not leak, it has too many contact/sealing points. It's also used by the Pro's.

Post by **Jeroen Bartels** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 5:20 pm

Don't smoke the remaining hemp Lennart.... [:p]
I would also never use the Loctite stuff. If it works it works but if it doesn't you're screwed...
With hemp or teflon tape you get a second, third, [:(!] fourth or even [xx(] fifth chance...

Post by **Bastiaan** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 5:23 pm

Different locktite numbers have also different strengths, if you are not sure you take one that unscrews easy. no. 570 is the 'hard to unscrew' version.

Post by **Bwired** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 5:26 pm

Good choice Lennart, don't use locktite.
I know its a dirty job but you have to take it loose again and redo it!
The risk is to high, the leak can stop but it can also get worse!
Don't screw everything to tight the first time.... you can allways adjust
Pieter

Post by **Esteban** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 6:29 pm

Maybe a little Domotica is in order for the next few days? Some kind of homeseer alarm just in case a leak is detected? Congrats on getting the job done without flooding the house Lennart.

I don't expect anyone to do this, but just for the fun of it:

Ducttape it under the connection at an angle and gravity will do the rest.

Post by **Jeroen Bartels** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:38 pm

If you want to know how tight to screw it: 'een halve slag voordat de moer afbreekt stoppen' [:D]
(Sorry for the dutch language....)

Post by **Lennart** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:30 pm

Thanks everyone for your support. Everything is still dry, so I guess I'm done, fortunately.

@Estaban: nice suggestion. But I do have a Visonic MCT-550 water sensor

.

Lennart

Post by **r_255** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:57 pm

I use locktite 55 for these kind of jobs.

Een nieuwe, snellere en veelzijdige pijpafdichting die traditionele tape, hennep en pastacombinaties op alle fronten verslaat. Het product werkt snel, schoon, is...