Product Overview
The Series 200 is the workhorse six-bladed insertion meter — a rugged, non-magnetic sensor that taps a single 2 in. point to meter pipe from 3 in. to more than 40 in. The forward-swept impeller holds consistent torque, resists fouling, and reads accurately even at low flow and in the rust-laden water of steel and iron pipe. The same 220 sensor body is built three ways: direct-insert in Admiralty brass (220BR), 300-series stainless (220SS) or an all-plastic PVC build for corrosives (220PVCS), or as the Hot-Tap 225 / 226 that goes onto a live, pressurized main — all reading ±1% of full scale from 0.5 to 30 ft/sec. The two-wire raw frequency carries 2000 ft to a 300-series transmitter, FC-5000 display or BTU electronics, and the impeller, bearing and shaft are field-replaceable without recalibration.
Other Impeller meters & electronics
SDI Series — lead-free, NSF 61/372, to 60 in.
Metal Tee 228 & 250 — preassembled bronze / SS / cast-iron tee
Inline Series 4000 — flow-through PVC / PVDF, small lines
300-Series Flow Transmitters — 4–20 mA, scaled pulse or relay flow switch
340 BTU Energy Transmitters — flow × ΔT hydronic energy over BACnet / Modbus / Metasys
One sensor body, three ways to mount it
Every Series 200 build shares the same six-bladed 220 sensor element, the ±1% of full scale reading and the two-wire frequency output — what changes is the mounting and the wetted body.
Direct-insert 220BR / 220SS / 220PVCS
standard saddle or Threadolet insertion
- Admiralty brass (220BR), 300-series stainless (220SS) or all-PVC corrosive build (220PVCS)
- Metal 400 psi at 100°F; 220PVCS 100 psi at 68°F
- Line must be drained to install or pull the sensor
Hot-Tap 225 (gate valve)
live-main install through a gate isolation valve
- Admiralty-brass sleeve, lead-free brass adapter (225BR)
- 300 psi at 100°F (210 psi at 300°F, high-temperature build)
- Installs and removes under pressure — no line shutdown
Hot-Tap 226 (ball valve)
recommended for a true live hot tap
- Brass (226BR) or 316 stainless (226SS) sleeve and adapter
- 400 psi at 100°F (226SS 300 psi at 300°F; 226BR 250 psi at 300°F)
- Ball-valve isolation — the build Badger recommends when the pipe is to be hot-tapped
All three install in a 2 in. NPT saddle or Threadolet to a 1-1/2 in. insertion depth, read 0.5 to 30 ft/sec, and carry the same raw frequency up to 2000 ft to the electronics. The Model HTT hot-tap tool inserts and removes the 225 / 226 under pressure.
Key Features & Benefits
- Six-bladed, fouling-resistant rotor — the forward-swept impeller holds steadier torque at low flow than a flat-bladed rotor and resists the debris and rust that foul lesser sensors
- One tap covers 3 to 40+ in. — a single 2 in. saddle or Threadolet tap meters large mains with no full-bore body, brass, stainless or all-plastic for the fluid
- All-plastic build for corrosives — the 220PVCS puts PVC wetted parts and a zirconia shaft in the stream for corrosive liquids, with stainless trim kept out of contact
- Hot-tap a live main — on a line that cannot be shut down, the 225 (gate-valve) and 226 (ball-valve) builds go in and come back out through their own isolation valve with the pipe still pressurized
- Raw signal travels 2000 ft — the two-wire square-wave frequency carries up to 2000 ft without amplification to a 300-series transmitter, FC-5000 display or BTU electronics
- Field-serviceable, no recalibration — the impeller, bearing and shaft replace in the field and similar sensors interchange without recalibration
Specifications
- Measurement principle
- Single-point insertion impeller (paddle-wheel) — a six-bladed, forward-swept impeller with a proprietary non-magnetic sensing mechanism; the forward-curved blades hold consistent torque and resist fouling, and read accurately even at low flow and in steel or iron pipe carrying rust particles
- Service / fluids
- General clean-liquid flow in metallic or non-metallic pipe; the all-plastic 220PVCS build serves corrosive liquids
- Accuracy
- ±1% of full scale over the recommended design flow range (±4% of reading within the calibration range)
- Repeatability
- ±0.3% of full scale (linearity ±0.2% of full scale)
- Flow range
- 0.5 to 30 ft/sec (0.15 to 9.1 m/sec); initial detection below 0.3 ft/sec
- Pipe sizes
- 3 in. to more than 40 in.
- Insertion / installation
- Mounts in a 2 in. NPT pipe saddle or Threadolet to a standard 1-1/2 in. insertion depth set by positioning nuts; install with at least 10 pipe diameters of straight run upstream and 5 downstream
- Wetted materials
- 220BR — Admiralty brass (UNS C44300) sleeve with a lead-free brass (C89833) hex adapter; 220SS — 300-series stainless sleeve and adapter; 220PVCS — all PVC wetted parts (316 stainless non-wetted trim) with a PPS housing. Standard internal stack: EPDM o-ring, tungsten-carbide shaft, nylon impeller, UHMWPE bearing (the 220PVCS ships with a zirconia-ceramic shaft and Tefzel impeller / bearing)
- O-rings / seals
- EPDM standard; Viton or Buna-N optional
- Process / fluid temperature
- Standard 221°F (105°C) continuous; high-temperature build 285°F (141°C) continuous, 305°F (150°C) peak (metal bodies); the all-plastic 220PVCS follows its PVC limit
- Pressure rating
- Direct-insert metal 220BR / 220SS 400 psi at 100°F (325 psi at 300°F, high-temperature version); all-plastic 220PVCS 100 psi at 68°F. Hot-tap by model — 225BR 300 psi, 226BR 400 psi, 226SS 400 psi at 100°F (226SS 300 psi at 300°F)
- Tap / mounting connection
- 2 in. NPT pipe saddle or Threadolet
- Signal / outputs
- Two-wire raw frequency (low-impedance square wave), 3.2–200 Hz, proportional to flow; power and signal share a single pair
- Signal transmission
- Travels up to 2000 ft (610 m) to a display, transmitter or PLC without amplification; supplied with 20 ft of shielded cable
- Certifications
- CE certified
- Options
- High-temperature build (PEEK housing, Viton o-ring, Teflon bearing); IR irrigation electronics with direct-burial leads (rated 150°F / 66°C); Hot-Tap Series 225 (gate valve) or 226 (ball valve, in brass or 316 stainless) for live-main installation and removal under pressure. Build options off the standard stack — o-ring Viton or Buna-N (EPDM standard), shaft zirconia ceramic or 316 stainless (tungsten carbide standard), impeller Tefzel (nylon standard), bearing Tefzel or Teflon (UHMWPE standard)
- Calibration
- No custom calibration required; similar sensors are interchangeable without recalibration; program the pipe size and flow scale at the transmitter or display
Common Applications
- General water flow on large metallic and iron mains (3 to 40+ in.)
- Building chilled- and hot-water, cooling-tower and condenser-loop flow
- Corrosive-liquid lines — all-plastic 220PVCS
- Live-main metering where the line cannot be drained — Hot-Tap 225 / 226
- Irrigation, municipal and groundwater monitoring with the IR direct-burial electronics
For potable / drinking-water service and pipe out to 60 in., the lead-free SDI Series is the certified insertion meter; on small metal lines a preassembled Series 228 / 250 tee drops in as one piece.
Design & Selection Considerations
- Set the insertion depth and give the meter straight run — an impeller meter reads the velocity at a single point in the profile, so it reads true only at the correct insertion depth and with developed flow: the rule is at least 10 pipe diameters of straight run upstream and 5 downstream of any elbow, valve, pump or transition. The positioning hardware sets the standard depth; more straight run is better after two close elbows or a pump. Use the input form to send us the pipe run and we’ll confirm the meter will see a clean velocity profile where you want to tap it.
- Match the wetted stack to the fluid — and to the pressure — the body sets the duty: brass / bronze for water, condenser and cooling-tower service, 316 stainless for aggressive or higher-purity water, and all-plastic PVC for corrosive lines. Within the sensor the o-ring (Viton, EPDM, Buna-N or AFLAS), shaft (tungsten carbide standard, with zirconia or 316 stainless on the models that offer them) and impeller / bearing are configurable, and the pressure rating follows the body alloy and temperature. Use the input form to give us the fluid, the working pressure and the peak temperature together — they set the alloy and the full wetted stack.
- Keep the fluid clean and the pipe full — the impeller is a moving rotor, so grit, debris and heavy solids are the wear enemy and a partially full pipe under-reads. These impeller sensors tolerate the fine rust particles found in steel and iron pipe, but a strainer upstream of the meter still pays off on debris-prone water. Use the input form to tell us the water quality — if it carries solids we’ll recommend the filtration that protects the bearing.
- Decide direct-insert vs. hot-tap for installation and service — a standard insertion meter needs the line out of service and drained to install or pull the sensor; on a main that cannot be shut down, the Hot-Tap 225 / 226 (and the SDI hot-tap) install and remove under pressure through an isolation valve — spec the ball-valve 226 for a true live hot tap. Use the input form to tell us whether the line can be drained and we’ll point you at the direct-insert or the hot-tap build.
- Pick the electronics for the signal you need — the Series 200 sensor is a two-wire raw-pulse device that pairs with a 300-series transmitter (4–20 mA, scaled pulse or relay) or an FC-5000 display; the SDI instead carries its own powered analog, scaled-pulse, display and battery options on board. Use the input form to tell us whether the reading goes to a local display, a PLC loop or a building network and we’ll match the electronics.
To size & select the right Series 200:
Use the input form to send your pipe size and material, the fluid with its temperature and pressure, and the flow range — with whether you need a local display, an analog or pulse output, or a Modbus / BACnet signal — and we’ll spec the insertion style or tee, the wetted materials and the electronics.
Flow Meter Application Sheet ›Talk to an engineer directly — Scott Prater, Principal · 917-580-0878 · scott@pratertechnical.com
Specifications compiled by Prater Technical Partners from Badger Meter Data Industrial impeller flow-sensor product literature.