Oldest Litre Meter Pelton wheel flowmeters found 30 January 2012

Flowmeter manufacturer Litre Meter has found what it believes to be the oldest of its Pelton wheel meters still in use – at construction industry test service provider The British Board of Agreement.

Litre Meter started the search for its oldest operational unit last year, in order to celebrate 35 years of continuous manufacturing.

BBA has been using four such flowmeters on its test rig for assessing the standard of cavity wall insulation since 1985. The meters, which are now 26 years old, have only just been returned to Litre Meter for re-calibration and minor repairs.

According to a BBA spokesperson, the meters were coupled to original display units on its test rig for cavity wall insulation. "The displays are being replaced but we intend to carry on using the meters, which is why we sent them in for recalibration."

The spokesperson explains that two sets of walls in a pressurised chamber are set up with the manufacturer's insulation between them to represent the inner and outer walls of a home. Water is introduced at pressure into the chamber against the outer wall at various points.

"If water is detected on the inside of the internal wall then that insulation product is adjudged to have failed the test. The meters are used to measure the amount of water used. They operate at flow rates of between 0.2 l/m and 6.0 l/m at a pressure of 500 pa."

BBA has now commissioned a second test rig, again using Litre Meter Pelton wheel meters and displays.

"We had one candidate that returned a meter for re-calibration that was 24 years old," comments Litre Meter CEO Charles Wemyss. "The meters being used by the BBA pip that by another couple of years."

And he adds: "It has been a difficult task finding the oldest meters, because many of them still in use may not require maintenance or recalibration."

Brian Tinham

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