There’s a good chance that you’ve never really taken a good look at your water meter. Or at least, not in a long while, and maybe only when you’ve suspected there was a leak. The truth is that not everyone is familiar with their water meter, how to read it, and how it should function. We’ve recently had one of our clients call stating that their water meter was spinning backwards, and they weren’t sure what that could even mean. If you’re also wondering, “why does my water meter spin backwards?” read on to find out more.
1. Improper Installation
This is the first in our list because it’s also highly probable. We’ve seen a lot of weird things, and a water meter that was improperly installed wouldn’t be the most surprising on the list. For reference, the meter should be installed so that the arrow on the meter is facing the direction of water flow.
2. Backflow
Let’s assume that your water meter is indeed installed correctly. If the meter is still spinning backwards, what then? It could be indicative of a larger problem – backflow. Backflow is when water flows incorrectly in the wrong direction. This would definitely make the meter spin backwards, and warrants a call to your local plumber. Backflow can occur due to either back pressure or back siphonage, which are essentially too high or too low of pressure in the system.
3. Broken Water Meter
Let’s not forget that aside from the issues outlined above, water meters do sometimes break. If you’ve had your water meter properly installed and there’s no backflow situation going on, then it could be that your water meter is broken. Contact your local water supplier and explain the issues. They’ll be able to send someone out to inspect your water heater and advise you on what to do next.
If you’ve been wondering why your water meter spins backwards, it’s important that you take note of our advice above. Don’t let the problem go unsolved – check for a backflow issues, or have your water meter fixed sooner rather than later.
