11
Maintenance
Follow these general guidelines for operating and maintaining your positive
displacement flow meter.
Use the Maintenance Guides
Always review the Maintenance Guides provided with the flow meter
(download additional copies at www.awgearmeters.com ) prior to attempting
any maintenance work. The majority of down time and repairs is the result
of breakages due to improper maintenance actions, lack of training or rough
handling.
Flow Testing
Do not use water for flow testing.
The viscosity of water is too low to produce
accurate results unless the flow rate is elevated, and the internals would then
have to be dried and lubricated to avoid corrosion or scaling. If system calibration
is necessary, the preferred calibration fluid is the actual fluid to be metered.
Alternatively, using a fluid with a viscosity of approximately 30 cSt
°
such as
mineral oil or thinned glycerin is recommended.
Plugging and Filtration
Filtration is recommended to prevent contaminants from entering the flow meter.
Should the flow meter become plugged, a reduced flow may still be observed
from the outlet as fluid pressure will squeeze fluid through the flow meter –
visual flow does not necessarily mean that the flow meter’s gears are turning.
If contaminants are causing the plugging, install filtering. If particle buildup
repeatedly causes plugging, review the cleaning and maintenance procedures in
the Regular Cleaning section on page 8. Because of the considerable differences
in fluid types and in-plant procedures, some trial and error may be required to
determine the ideal flushing or cleaning regimen.
Calibration
A calibration factor (k-factor) is established at the factory on a preferred
calibrating fluid. This number, which is provided with the flow meter either on a
Calibration Data Sheet or on a tag attached to the flow meter, is usually accurate
for a wide variety of fluids and should not usually be changed. Should the data
sheet become lost, contact the factory for a duplicate copy. See the Calibrations
section on page 12 for a calibration verification procedure.
*cSt is a unit of kinematic viscosity that equals one hundredth of a stoke.
Summary of Contents for FPD-4000 Series
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