will this work?

[rb]

Not sure where I stand on this one. I have a labelled 3/4" water meter.

My line to the barn is 1". Can I use that meter with it OK? I would think that flow would easily be handled with a 1/2" line.

[Hustlin' Hank]

=BF=BD I would

Meters measure how many gallons of water flow thru it. Nothing to do with pressure. The main difference between using different size lines is GPM's (gallons per minute). A line can only put out what is coming into it, not more. But, going down to a smaller line will reduce GPM's. Pressures may vary depending on length of run, elevation and other appliances in the line.

Hank

[bud--]

Pipe design is for a reasonable pressure drop in the pipe at a design water use rate. I would expect 1" pipe was used because there is a lot of pipe in the run to the barn. A 1/2" pipe to the barn would have a lot more pressure drop (which would reduce the max flow rate). A 5' length of 1/2" pipe in the barn would have the same pressure drop per foot, but that would not be much.

(The equivalent in the electrical field would be increasing the wire size in a run to the barn to reduce the voltage drop.)

A 3/4" meter would have more pressure drop across it than a 1" meter (at the same flow rate). From what you describe, it shouldn't be significant.