Do you know what a liquid flow calibrator or an ultrasonic water flowmeter is?  Have you ever heard of manufacturers such as Sierra Instruments?  Probably not, yet they are a bigger part of your life than you realize.  Flow meters play an important part in your everyday life, whether you realize it or not.

Here are several everyday applications for flow meters:

• Measuring your water usage.  You probably have a water meter either on the side of your house or in your basement.  This tells the water company how much water you are using, so that they can charge you for just that amount, rather than charging everyone a fixed amount.  Back in the day, someone walked from house to house, writing down those readings, but these days they can simply pull up in front of the house and download the reading onto an electronic device.
• Measuring your energy usage.  Energy companies also need to measure the amount of natural gas and other forms of energy you use.
• Keeping your car running.  A car’s engine requires a very precise mixture of fuel and air in order to run properly.  A mass air flow sensor measures the amount of air flowing into your intake, and the computer measures the gases in the exhaust to make sure the car is getting enough fuel to balance the amount of air.

Even if you don’t know what a flow meter is, it’s a crucial part of your life!

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