Anybody here use the rola-chem water flow meter. I was reading about people using the blue-white brand one and it was $80. Picked up a new rola-chem on EBay for $39 (1 1/2" model), can't wait to see how well it works. Seems like it's the same as the others I have seen of similar design.
Water flow meter by Rola-Chem
- Thread starter mnormington
- Start date
I think the difference is that the Blue White flow meter is an acrylic block so it's more durable. The Rolachem is a plastic flow meter.
They should both perform the same though.
They should both perform the same though.
Makes sense to me. Oh well, I'll give it a try. Hopefully it'll help me manage my pool better.
Coming out of the commercial service end for 25 years, I never bought the Rola Chem flowmeter. One reason, they use the same rubber cone washer to seal that the chlorinators use. I exclusively use the feeders though. The issue we see with them is that the washer is just not consistent when it comes to not leaking. The Blue White is far superior as it uses a flat rubber gasket. Good luck with and make sure you don't over drill the hole.
The Rola-Chem doesn't seem as solid as the Blue-White but it does have less tendency to clog. I haven't had either one of them leak.
Pay very close attention to the inlet and outlet run distances outlined in the installation guide to get accurate readings. Placing it right after a valve or elbow, etc. will get you very inaccurate readings.
Pay very close attention to the inlet and outlet run distances outlined in the installation guide to get accurate readings. Placing it right after a valve or elbow, etc. will get you very inaccurate readings.
I have one of the Rola-Chem flow meters. No problems so far. No leaks. No clogs. It appears to be accurate the best I can tell. They are certainley cheaper.
I am in the market for a flowmeter as I have recently installed a variable speed pump. The rola chem seems attractive as it will read to a lower flow than the blue-white, 20 vs 40. If anyone has an updated experience with these two brands, could you post your thoughts?
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If you want a good accurate flow meter, then the FlowVis is what you want.
The 2 mentioned in this thread usually have an accuracy of 10% of the highest rated flow. Since they are 100 GPM meters, the accuracy of the reading is +/- 10% or 10gpm ... that is a 20 gpm range.
The FlowVis seems to be much better than that and can integrate into an existing check valve or can be used when a check valve is needed. They are certainly not cheap though.
EDIT: That said, there is usually no need to actually know the flow rate. It can be estimated fairly well based on your plumbing details and pump pressures if desired. Why do you think you need to know the flow rate?
The 2 mentioned in this thread usually have an accuracy of 10% of the highest rated flow. Since they are 100 GPM meters, the accuracy of the reading is +/- 10% or 10gpm ... that is a 20 gpm range.
The FlowVis seems to be much better than that and can integrate into an existing check valve or can be used when a check valve is needed. They are certainly not cheap though.
EDIT: That said, there is usually no need to actually know the flow rate. It can be estimated fairly well based on your plumbing details and pump pressures if desired. Why do you think you need to know the flow rate?
Thanks for the reply. I'm sure I don't really understand the issues involved, but have looked at a bunch of threads re estimating flow rate based on tubing diamter, bends, filter pressure and vacuum to calculate total head. I think most pools like mine, in ground pool/spa combo, wind up around 50 to 60. I reviewed the Jandy flow charts, which I also probably don't fully understand, and am trying to calculate the flow/rpm needed for my Jandy Stealth epump 2.0 to turn over the pool, which is 32000 gallons. I figured a flow meter would be an easy shortcut to get a real flow rate for any given speed. With all that said, since I have an overflow pool/spa combo, I may need to run it at a fairly high speed just to keep the spa overflowing. Or -- side question -- do some folks run the pool only for x hours per day to get turnover and chlorination, and then run the spa for a shorter period to turn over the water and have that chlorinated? would that ultimately be a more efficient model than running the pool/spa all the time at a higher speed?
Turnover really is a poor benchmark to use for proper level of circulation, but is handy in estimating correct sizing for a pump when under construction. Need for filtering will vary considerably from pool to pool depending on a number of factors (type of debris, use, shape, weather, circulation patterns, etc.) So instead of worry about turns per day or any such thing, it is much better to start at some X hours per day and judge if the water is remaining clear, if skimming action is removing surface debris, etc. Then keep turning that down until you start to notice issues, and bump it back up plus a little safety margin, and that is the amount of time you need to run your pump.
ps speed for a variable speed pump, can be set at a minimum level that provides effective skimming and circulation
ps speed for a variable speed pump, can be set at a minimum level that provides effective skimming and circulation