F3E · Fixed flow

Measure flow. Keep the pipe intact.

A compact clip-on flow meter for DN20–DN80 water pipes. One PoE cable carries power and data, and readings can be stored in the cloud and read from a phone or PC.

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At a glance

What F3E does, in plain words.

What it measures: Liquid flow; How much liquid moves through the pipe.
How it installs: Clamp-on; Sensors fit on the outside of the pipe, so the pipe stays closed.
How it connects: PoE / Ethernet; One Ethernet cable carries both power and data.; Works with MeterTube, the pFlow app and cloud platform.
Pipe sizes: DN20–DN80; DN is the nominal pipe size, roughly the inside diameter in millimetres.

Why F3E

F3E in short.

F3E measures liquid flow from outside the pipe using the transit-time ultrasonic principle. Transmitter and sensors form one clip-on unit, so installation needs no contact with the liquid and no shutdown.

After four installation steps it is powered on and measuring. Power and network data share one PoE cable, and readings are stored in the cloud for phones and PCs.

Clips on without cutting the pipe
Measuring after four installation steps
Power and data over one PoE cable
Colour LCD that rotates in four directions

Where it is used

Flow control and monitoring
Totalised flow
Water distribution
Leak monitoring

F3E with a PoE network switch

How it works

Sound with the flow arrives sooner.

Two sensors on the same side of the pipe take turns sending sound through the water. Sound travelling with the flow arrives slightly sooner than sound travelling against it; the meter turns that time difference into flow, which is why it needs to know your pipe.

How clamp-on ultrasonic measurement works →

Pipe & installation

What the meter needs to know about your pipe.

These are set up on the meter after installation. Pipe size and transducer type are decided when ordering.

Pipe & installation guide pipe materials, sizes, setup checklist

Stainless steel · 2″ example

A smooth metal surface. Clean the spot, add coupling gel, then clamp the sensor on.

60.3mmacross the outside

2.8mmwall thickness

54.8mmacross the inside

Pipe sizes are names, not measurements: a 2″ pipe is 2.375″ across.

The meter needs Pipe size Wall thickness Material: Stainless steel

Technical details standards, OD / ID, both units

Standard: ASME B36.19 · 2″ Sch 10S
Outside diameter (OD): 2.375″ (60.33 mm)
Wall: 0.109″ (2.77 mm)
Inside diameter (ID): 2.157″ (54.79 mm)
Meter parameters: OD · wall · material

This guide shows what a clamp-on meter needs to know about a pipe. It does not mean every model fits every pipe: check the specifications below or ask an engineer.

Specifications

Check the fit before you specify.

The short version is above. These are the specifications published for F3E; values that are still being checked are left out.

Performance

Flow velocity: 0.03–5.0 m/s (0.1–16 ft/s)
Accuracy: ±2% (1.0–16 ft/s)
Pipe diameter: DN20–DN80
Fluid: Water
Pipe material: Carbon steel, stainless steel, copper, PVC

Function

Ingress protection: IP54
Power supply: Power over Ethernet (PoE) network cable
Keypad: 4 keys
Display: 1.44-inch colour LCD, 128 × 128
Ambient temperature: −10 °C to 50 °C (14 °F to 122 °F)
Medium temperature: 0 °C to 60 °C (32 °F to 140 °F)
Humidity: 0–99% RH, non-condensing

Physical

Transmitter: Integrated
Transducer: Clamp-on
Cable: Waterproof PoE tail cable, 0.5 m

Need a value that is not listed, or the datasheet for your configuration? Ask an engineer.

What these terms mean

DN: Nominal pipe size, roughly the inside diameter in millimetres (DN50 ≈ 50 mm).
Clamp-on: Sensors strap to the outside of the pipe. No cutting, no shutdown for installation.
PoE: Power over Ethernet: one network cable carries power and data.
LoRaWAN: Long-range, low-power wireless. Readings travel through a gateway to a network server.
Modbus RS485: A wired connection widely used by building and industrial control systems.
4–20 mA: An analogue signal where the current represents the reading.