When you’re looking for the right measurement tool for your water management system, the choice for supreme accuracy and ease of use is an ultrasonic sensor. Ultrasonic sensors are simple to stall and provide consistently accurate readings, which is why so many water operations rely on this too. However, if you’ve never installed an ultrasonic sensor before, there is one pitfall to avoid: installing your sensor too low.
If your sensor is mounted too low, you will get inaccurate flow readings and will have trouble maintaining a consistent level of success. Here are a few tips for installing your ultrasonic sensor at the right height and advice for equipping your operation with the right water management tools.
What You Need for a Proper Installation
When you’re planning to install your ultrasonic sensor, you will need to consider a few factors to make sure that you pick the right installation height.
First, you will need to know the expected maximum flow rate that your water management system will experience, which will directly determine the correct installation height of your ultrasonic sensor. Second, you need a flow table for whichever flow management tool that your system uses, a flow or a weir. Finally, you will need an ultrasonic sensor mounting bracket, which is what will allow you to install you the actual sensor in your system.
With these factors in place, you should be able to successfully mount your ultrasonic sensor at the height that will give you the most accurate readings possible.
The Dangers of a Low Install
Now that you know a little more about how you can mount your ultrasonic sensor at the optimal height, it’s a good idea to examine why you should put this much effort into picking the right installation height.
The reason you must avoid installing your ultrasonic sensor too low is related to how this device functions. Ultrasonic sensors work by sending a pulse towards your flow that then echoes back to your sensor to give you a flow reading. When the sensor is too low, the cone formed by the pulse and echo spreads too widely, reflecting of the sidewalls of your flume or weir and making it seem like your flow rate is artificially low.
As you can see, low mounted ultrasonic sensors can pose big problems for water management systems that rely on accuracy.
Matching Your Installation Height to Your Flume
An additional factor that you need to consider when you’re mounting your ultrasonic sensor is what flow management tool your system uses. Each different type of flow and weir has their specific requirements for the height of flow measurement tools, and if you don’t know the specifications of your specific product, it will be nearly impossible to mount your ultrasonic sensor at the correct height.
Get Help with Your Ultrasonic Flow Meter
If you’re ready to install an ultrasonic sensor in your management system, you need to make sure you purchase this water measurement tool from a trusted source like Tracom, FRP.
Tracom is focused on producing excellent water management tools, including flumes, weirs and ultrasonic sensors, and we are ready to connect you with the products you need. Contact us today for more information.
