FRC DFA400 - Install Flow Sensor

DFA400 Rev150730
10
Install Flow Sensor
There are several ways to install paddlewheel type ow sensors. Mounting options
include saddle clamps, weldments, pipe tees, and special adapters. Each mount meets
a particular plumbing requirement.
Flow sensors are interchangeable. It is recommended to check display accuracy if
sensors are swapped and calibrated when necessary.
The maximum ow sensor pressure is 600 PSI.
Flow Sensor Location
Locating the ow sensor in the plumbing system is critical. The ow of water
at and around the sensor must be laminar, or smooth, to ensure accurate ow rate
measurement. There must be enough straight pipe before the ow sensor for the water
stream to stabilize into a uniform ow. Guidelines for selecting ow sensor locations
are outlined in Figure 3.
Turbulent Water
When the ow sensor is mounted after an area in the plumbing with increased
water stream turbulence (e.g. a valve, increase in pipe diameter, etc.), stabilizing the
ow is critical. Steps should be taken to stabilize the ow. When a pipe is reduced in
diameter, the water stream tends to be squeezed into a more uniform ow. This can
help stabilize ow when there is not sufcient straight pipe up stream.
Linearizer Feature
This meter features a Linearizer function in the calibration programming. This
function should be used when the ow sensor is installed in a plumbing location
where ow is not linear. It corrects for nonlinear ow by calibrating the display
at multiple ow rates (up to 9). This provides more accurate ow rate readings.
(Refer to Calibration Section.)