How to Measure Water Flow Rate with AquaScan

Understanding water performance is crucial for maintaining a home’s plumbing system and ensuring appliance efficiency. AquaScan is an innovative digital water multimeter that simplifies this process. Here’s how to analyse the water pressure, flow, hardness, and temperature in the system using AquaScan.

What is the Best Way to Measure Flow Rate?

Measuring the system’s flow rate is vital for specifying new products, diagnosing issues and ensuring the demand for water in a property is met. While a flow cup can provide a rough estimate, AquaScan offers a precise, accurate reading.

Steps to Measure Water Flow

A garden tap is the best location to measure the incoming flow rate, as they are commonly the closest outlet to the incoming mains supply and are often unrestricted.

1. Connect AquaScan to an outdoor garden tap or the nearest outlet.
2. Ensure the isolation valve on AquaScan is fully open.
3. Take three measurements using the live ‘Flow’ reading to ensure accuracy. Calculate the average.

How to Measure Water Flow with AquaScan

When this isn’t possible, such as in properties where there is no outside tap, measuring the flow rate while multiple outlets are open is the best way to calculate the total incoming flow rate, as this ensures any restrictive outlets do not impact the measurement.

AquaScan can measure up to 30L/min. If the flow rate at one outlet exceeds 30L/min or if you believe the AquaScan is restricting the flow follow the steps below:

Connect AquaScan to the first outlet (guidance on this is outlined in section Common connection examples).
Ensure the isolation valve on AquaScan is fully open.
Fully open the outlet. Use cold water only to measure total incoming flow rate.
Allow 30 – 60 seconds for the flow rate to settle.
Take the measurement from the live ‘Flow’ reading.
Record the measurement in the AquaScan results notepad in the ‘Outlet 1 – Flow’ box.
Open another outlet (so both are turned on).
Check the flow rate on AquaScan:
- If the flow rate remains the same, then continue to open further outlets until it decreases.
- If the flow rate decreases, use AquaScan to measure the flow rate at each outlet (all outlets must remain turned on), make a note of the flow rate in the specification notepad. Add the flow rates together to determine the total flow rate, then record this in the total flow rate section of the AquaScan results notepad.

If the water flow rate to the household and increased water performance is required, click here to visit our product selector software to find the right product solution.