When you need to send a crew out to access a meter, do you spend a lot of your day thinking about potential issues? From the property owner who doesn't want them there to that crazy dog that always gets out when your crew is accessing the meter, meter access can often bring up a whole slew of unrelated issues. Fortunately, there's a great option you can implement to avoid having to deal with private property issues and the hassles of accessing the meter: HDPE meter pits. Here's some information to help get you started.
When you need to change out a water meter, open or close the service valve or get readings, HDPE meter pits are a 20" round diameter that are 48" tall or taller. Available with incoming and outgoing lines of 3/4", 1", 1-1/2" and 2", our meter pits are fabricated to your specifications, even mixed inlet and outlet sizes, to allow you to quickly and easily change out an existing meter or install a new service line. Our compression fitting at the inlet allows you to connect with copper tubing or CTS plastic. K copper tubing from Cambridge Lee is used in the meter pit to provide a high-quality connection to and from the meter, coming in deep underground to prevent freeze damage, then connecting to a 90-degree soldered elbow and rising closer to the surface.
A PVC schedule 80 spacer pipe maintains your meter's position in the pit. Once at the height of the meter, an AY McDonald angled meter ball valve is installed, with the outlet converting to your meter's needed adapter. On your meter's outlet side, an angle meter check valve is installed to prevent backflow, running the copper down to the base and going through a soldered elbow out of the HDPE wall to our compression fitting that goes to the structure. To access the meter, the technician only needs to remove the Sigma Corp or General Foundries cast iron cover and get to work.
Every pit is tested for leaks to ensure that you won't need to repeat the installation process. Because the meter pit is set up to your exact specifications, there's no need to look for adapters to go from our pit fittings to your meter and back again, allowing your crew to save time and materials on the job. Because the opening at the bottom of the pit is below the frost line, the earth's warmth travels up the tube to keep the meter from freezing. The plastic inner lid provides a small amount of insulation, and we can also provide foam insulation discs to provide extra insulation at the cover if requested. Multiple meters, multiple inlets and multiple outlets are well within our experience range as well.
Meter pits provide you with easy-access options for your crew while showing respect for private property rights. But what if you need more information on whether our meter pits are the right solution for your water utility? At Team Red Hed, we believe in providing you with the right solution to your waterworks issues. Download our guide below to learn more about our pre-fabricated meter pits.
