How Do Pulse Meters Work?
*** This article applies to all types of meters - water, gas, and electric - but for the sake of simplicity, all explanations are in reference to water meters reading US gallons.
Pulse meters record usage by generating electrical pulses that say, "I counted". For all pulse-generating meters, any time a specific amount of water flows through the meter, it will generate one of those electrical pulses. In the example image below, the meter produces 1 pulse for every 10 gallons (some meters are 1 pulse per 1 gallon, 1 pulse per 0.1 gallons, 1 pulse per 100 gallons, etc.).
This electrical pulse gets sent through that gray cable on the upper right, called a pulse wire, where the pulse is collected & recorded by a transmitter (not pictured). The transmitter can be programmed to read any pulse rate - 1:1, 1:10, 1:100, etc. The transmitter takes the pulse saying "I counted" and multiplies it by its programmed pulse rate, which gives you your usage. So, if the meter pulses 3 times, and the transmitter is programmed to a 1 pulse per 10 gallons pulse rate, the transmitter will translate +30 gallons of usage. The transmitter then sends this data to the system's "brain" - the Gateway or DCAP - where it is uploaded to the internet for ease of access.
One drawback to pulse meters is that the transmitter doesn't automatically know what pulse rate is on the meter - all it knows is that it is receiving a pulse. The only way for the transmitter to know that the meter says 1 pulse equals 10 gallons is by programming it. If your transmitter is programmed for the incorrect pulse rate, the usage reported by the transmitter will be incorrect.
For instance, let's say you have a meter with a 1 pulse per 10 gallon pulse rate (1:10). Last month, you used 3,120 gallons of water, so your meter produced 312 pulses. If your transmitter is also programmed to a 1:10 pulse rate, your usage will be accurate and there's nothing to worry about. However, if the transmitter is programmed incorrectly, you could see wildly inaccurate numbers (see below for examples).
- A transmitter with a 1:0.1 pulse rate would say you used 31.2 gallons last month.
- A transmitter with a 1:1 pulse rate would say 312 gallons.
- A transmitter with a 1:10 pulse rate would say 3,120 gallons.
- A transmitter with a 1:100 pulse rate would say 31,200 gallons.
For almost all devices across all systems, the transmitter's pulse rate can be checked and altered online by one of our team members. Some systems even allow you to check your programmed pulse rate yourself! If you have any questions or concerns, or if you think your transmitter's pulse rate is programmed incorrectly, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at support@submetersolutions.com. We are always happy to help!
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