M201C Cold Water and M201CH Hot Water Meters FAQ

Roles: Admin, Technician, and Billing Manager
Last Updated: April 2022
This article contains Frequently Asked Questions related to the M201C Cold and M201CH Hot Water Meter.

Does a grounding strap jumper need to be installed across the M201 Water Meters?

A ground jumper may be necessary depending on the type of plumbing and grounding method. Please reach out to support@nextcenturymeters.com for questions related to a specific installation.

How do you install and M201 series water meter?
Are the M201C Cold Water Meter and M201CH Hot Water Meter NTEP Certified?

Yes. Both the M201C and the M201CH are NTEP Certified. They are also approved for use in Boston and New York.

Can brass meter couplings be used with the M201 water meters?

NextCentury recommends installing the M201 water meters with the provided standard poly coupling set. However, if the installer uses brass meter couplings instead, it is important to ensure the following:

  • The brass meter coupling should match up exactly with the M201 meter thread - 1" NPSM
  • An O-ring washer must be used to provide a leak proof seal
  • The brass meter coupling nut should not be over-tightened as to crack the M201 meter body
  • The installer should be careful not to cross-thread the brass coupling on the meter body.
What type of reed switch is used on your meter?

The M201 meter series pulse output is a dry contact reed switch closed by a magnet that passes near the switch and is connect to the meter's dial. The source resistance is very low (similar to any relay or contact circuit).

Are the M201 full 3/4" meters compatible with 1" and 1.25" lines?

The M201C and M201CH have a max flow rate of 30 gpm vs. the 25 gpm of a standard 5/8" x 3/4" meter.

As an example: In an apartment with 2 bathrooms, a kitchen and a washing machine hookup nearly all appliances and fixtures would need to be running to approach the flow of the 30gpm maximum for the M201 meters.

As the cost of a 1" meter can be as much as 5 multiples that of a 3/4" meter, the M201 can present significant cost-savings for installations where 30 gpm maximum is acceptable.

Do the M201 meters have a passive or active pulse output? Does the output have polarity and need positive and negative to be wired in order?

The NextCentury M201 family of meters use a reed switch for their pulsing and fall into the category of giving off a "passive pulse" thus allowing the wires to be wired to either terminal of the Transceiver (no polarity).

Can the M201 meter's flow be installed in either direction?

No, the direction of flow is clearly marked with a raised arrow on the meter body pointing to the correct direction of water flow. If the M201 water meter is installed backward, then the register dials (registered usage) will not be accurate.

Can the M201C and M201CH meters be installed in either horizontal or vertical orientations?
Yes, either horizontal or vertical orientations are acceptable and are in conformance with the M201 NTEP Certification.
What are the flame spread index and smoke index ratings for your M201 series meter, meter coupling and spacer tube?

The NextCentury M201 meter, meter coupling and spacer tube are made out of Grivory GV-5H FWA, which has a UL94 HB rating.

The M201C Cold Water Meter and M201CH Hot Water Meter Overview and Documents section contains three documents with more related information:

  • Grivory Chart: In the blue/purple font, the x represents glass content. Here one x represents the 5 in Grivory Gv-5H FWA, which is 50% glass. 
    • (x) - Represents one-digit number from 5 to 7 denoting glass content from 50 to 70 percent. 
    • (xx) - Represents two-digit number from 50 to 70 denoting glass content from 50 to 70 percent. 
  • Yellow Card-Grivory GV: This document contains a more detailed spec sheet on this material. The GV-5H melt temperature is 260 degrees Celsius. Specific information about the thermal properties are listed on pages 6 and 7 of this document. 
  • Surface Burning Characteristics: This document contains information resulting from a surface burning test conducted by a UL laboratory. This report details the flame spread index and smoke index ratings.
Can the M201C and M201CH be installed for the chlorination process?
Yes, they can be installed for the chlorination process. They should not be installed prior to the system being flushed.