Problems on this page:
Reading too high or too low
Hits OEE: Quality
Symptoms: The flow meter disagrees with a tank level change, a batch weight or a second meter.
Meter not full of liquid because of air or a partly empty pipe
Check the installation: the meter needs a full pipe, so mount it in a rising section or before a back-pressure point.
Straight pipe runs before and after the meter too short
Compare the upstream and downstream straight lengths with the maker requirement and move the meter if they are short.
Wrong settings for the fluid
Check the fluid density, viscosity and units programmed in the transmitter.
Meter out of calibration
Verify the meter against a reference or a timed weighing and recalibrate it.
Prevention: Meter verified against a reference at the interval the quality system sets.
Unstable or jumping reading
Hits OEE: Quality
Symptoms: The flow reading jumps or swings while the actual flow is steady.
Air bubbles or gas in the liquid
Check for air drawn in at pump suction or tank outlets.
Pulsating flow from a positive displacement pump
Fit a pulsation dampener or increase the damping setting in the transmitter.
Electrical noise on an electromagnetic meter
Check the earthing rings and the cable screen connection.
Deposits building on the electrodes or sensor
Inspect and clean the sensor, and check the cleaning cycle reaches it.
Prevention: Signal trend reviewed when the reading becomes unstable.
Zero offset with no flow
Hits OEE: Quality
Symptoms: The meter shows a flow when the line is stopped and the valves are closed.
Zero not adjusted after installation
Run the zero routine with the pipe full and the liquid standing still.
Valve leaking, so there really is a small flow
Check the valves on the line for leakage before zeroing.
Vibration from nearby equipment
Check the pipe supports near the meter.
Low-flow cut-off set too low
Set the low-flow cut-off so noise at zero is not counted.
Prevention: Zero checked after installation and after maintenance on the line.
No signal at the control system
Hits OEE: Availability
Symptoms: The control system shows a fault, zero or a frozen value from the meter.
Transmitter power supply lost
Check the supply voltage at the transmitter terminals.
Loop wiring broken or a terminal loose
Check the 4 to 20 mA loop or fieldbus connection end to end; work on live panels only as an authorised person.
Transmitter in a fault state
Read the diagnostic code on the display or through the configuration tool.
Input card or channel fault
Check the input channel with a loop calibrator.
Prevention: Diagnostic codes recorded so recurring faults show up.
Totaliser does not match the batch
Hits OEE: Quality
Symptoms: The totalised volume for a batch does not match the batch record or the received quantity.
Totaliser reset at the wrong moment
Check when the control system resets the total.
Volume versus mass confusion
Check whether the batch is defined by volume or mass and that the density is correct.
Flow outside the measuring range at start and end
Check the meter range against the lowest and highest flows in the batch.
Drain-back after the batch
Check that liquid does not flow back through the meter after the pump stops.
Prevention: Batch totals compared with a weighed reference on a schedule.
Sensor damaged by the process
Hits OEE: Availability
Symptoms: The meter fails early from wear, coating or chemical attack.
Liner or electrode material not suited to the fluid
Check the wetted materials against the fluid and the cleaning chemicals.
Abrasive particles in the flow
Check whether a wear-resistant liner or a different meter type suits the duty.
Temperature or pressure above the rating
Check the meter rating against the process conditions, including cleaning.
Water in the electronics housing
Check cable glands and covers are sealed after maintenance.
Prevention: Meter condition checked during planned maintenance.
Wrong reading after replacement
Hits OEE: Quality
Symptoms: A new or repaired meter reads differently from the one it replaced.
Configuration not copied
Load the saved configuration or check every parameter against the old meter.
Flow direction reversed
Check the flow arrow on the body against the actual direction.
Different size or calibration factor
Check the size and calibration factor entered in the transmitter.
Scaling in the control system not updated
Check the range scaling at the control system input.
Prevention: Configuration backups kept for every meter.
Calibration overdue or unknown
Hits OEE: Quality
Symptoms: No one can show when the meter was last verified, and a customer or auditor asks.
No calibration schedule for the meter
Add the meter to the calibration plan with an interval based on how critical it is.
Records kept in different places
Keep calibration records in one system against the asset.
Meter not tagged
Fit a tag with the asset number and the next calibration date.
Critical meters not identified
Mark which meters affect product quality or billing.
Prevention: Calibration status reviewed monthly.
Guidance only. Always follow lockout/tagout and your site's safe-work procedures, and verify against OEM manuals before acting.
Related equipment guides: centrifugal pump · control valve · PLC · metering pump · pressure transmitter
Stop the same fault coming back
Recurring flow meter stops usually trace to a cause you cannot see by hand. The partner we recommend is Fabrico: it tracks OEE and downtime live from PLCs, IoT sensors or AI cameras; where cameras are fitted, the video of a stop sits next to its machine data so the cause can be reviewed; and a technician opens the work order from the stop in the same system. Data is hosted in the AWS EU region, and Fabrico and the company behind it hold ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 20000-1 and ISO 9001.
Book a Fabrico demo
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Related tools: full troubleshooting directory · OEE calculator · downtime cost · MTBF / MTTR · glossary
Methods that cut recurring stops: the six big losses · root cause analysis · preventive vs predictive maintenance · TPM · SMED & changeover