Help...Could larger than normal pipe cause inaccurate meter reading?

Gordy

I had fiasco last year which was a misread meter.......900 .00 one month. Avg therms per day 37. Then when I sent in my own next month which was lower than the previous I still got billed for the difference. After emails, and phone calls of suspected leaks. It turns out the meter was misread. I was up to 1200.00 by the time it was figured out. Glad I did not pay it would have reimburse me free gas instead of cash.

j a_2

Hi I may have missed it but are there any pics of the installed appliances? We do agree that the pipe size has zero to do with usage, correct? I hope so...

johnnyh

Hi everyone,
I agree that were are ruling out the different Natural Gas pipe sizes as being the issue. I'm putting that idea completely to bed. Thanks for you patience in educating me A couple of points here to follow up.

I did compare my neighbors CCF usage during the summer with my fireplace pilot off, two in my home that take no more than 1 shower per day. One neighbor is single at one shower per day but with a Gas dryer. Other neighbor has two people that take on average two showers EACH per day and an occasional bath as well with no other gas appliances. All CCF numbers seem to be close in value but I didn't record the neighbor's CCF usage during the above months. I asked what those values were each month and they seemed in range so I didn't write them down.

My usage during the off months of summer were as follows: June= 10ccf July =7 ccf August = 4 ccf September = 6 ccf October = 12 ccf. These numbers are from the monthly bill that ends generally around the 12th of each month. Not that it matters but for example the June bill is from approximately May 12th - June 12th .

I'll take a photo of the install and send it along later today when I get back home. One thought that came to mind is that my exhaust has an unusual set up as it vent up through the brick chimney. PVC pipe inside the chimney just so you know that important point. The installer spoke with the service rep and they claimed it wouldn't be an issue. Prestige said it would be fine as well as the dealer. Other units such as the Navien would not allow vertical venting through the chimney. That's a variable when compared to my two neighbors, vertical venting via a PVC pipe through the brick chimney and a few elbows as well.

Maybe I'm looking at the wrong pipe? Not the Natural gas pipe but maybe this exhaust/out-take PVC pipe? The comments that you guys have made are starting to raise a concern about this PVC pipe being a factor.

ChrisJ

johnnyh said:

Hi everyone,
I agree that were are ruling out the different Natural Gas pipe sizes as being the issue. I'm putting that idea completely to bed. Thanks for you patience in educating me A couple of points here to follow up.

I did compare my neighbors CCF usage during the summer with my fireplace pilot off, two in my home that take no more than 1 shower per day. One neighbor is single at one shower per day but with a Gas dryer. Other neighbor has two people that take on average two showers EACH per day and an occasional bath as well with no other gas appliances. All CCF numbers seem to be close in value but I didn't record the neighbor's CCF usage during the above months. I asked what those values were each month and they seemed in range so I didn't write them down.

My usage during the off months of summer were as follows: June= 10ccf July =7 ccf August = 4 ccf September = 6 ccf October = 12 ccf. These numbers are from the monthly bill that ends generally around the 12th of each month. Not that it matters but for example the June bill is from approximately May 12th - June 12th .

I'll take a photo of the install and send it along later today when I get back home. One thought that came to mind is that my exhaust has an unusual set up as it vent up through the brick chimney. PVC pipe inside the chimney just so you know that important point. The installer spoke with the service rep and they claimed it wouldn't be an issue. Prestige said it would be fine as well as the dealer. Other units such as the Navien would not allow vertical venting through the chimney. That's a variable when compared to my two neighbors, vertical venting via a PVC pipe through the brick chimney and a few elbows as well.

Maybe I'm looking at the wrong pipe? Not the Natural gas pipe but maybe this exhaust/out-take PVC pipe? The comments that you guys have made are starting to raise a concern about this PVC pipe being a factor.

Having you as a neighbor must be magic.

Take some pictures of the system and I'm sure some of the pros here can set your mind at rest or they will tell you what needs to be rectified.

Tim McElwain

Meters never run fast, they may run slow (to the customers advantage). The meter only measures what flows through it no more no less. High bills are never the result of meters being faulty. The cycle of the system, along with customer demand,over sized equipment, undersized equipment under or over radiated the list goes on as to what causes high usage.

Have the usual house audit conducted along with a proper heat loss etc but it is never the meter.

johnnyh

Fireplace is rated at 30k btu. I clocked the meter three times at 50 / 54 and 58 seconds. I took the average to be 54. The fireplace flame has a low to high setting and I set it on high. I shut down the power to the boiler. Clocking shows 33k btu. 10% above the 30k btu rating. It would have made me feel better if the meter ran at 60 seconds, that would have worked out to exactly 30k btu. It's higher than I feel it should be but I don't think it reaches a high enough level to explain my concerns.

I'll check the boiler but I'll need my friend to clock the meter as I'll need to be sure it fires at 100% while clocking.

Have a good weekend.