3/4” city line - Can I upgrade to 1” or is it a waste?

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mrbigplumberguy

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My 1923 house has a 1/2 inch galvanized waterline, and I’d like to upgrade it before landscaping my front yard. The city meter is at three-quarter inch. Does it make any sense to run my main water line at 1 inch copper? Or would this all be wasted since the city is at 3/4”?

I’m hoping to only do this once in my life. Also, would pressure be the same at 3/4” and 1”?
 

Reach4

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Not a waste. 1/2 inch galvanized is probably narrowed. Even if the steel is not narrowed, 1 inch copper will have about 4x the area vs 1/2.

It is also not a waste to use 1 inch or 1-1/4 inch after a 3/4 inch meter. Pressure drops add, rather than being determined by the smallest path.
 

Jeff H Young

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Exactly as Reach 4 says . Its actually a waste of money and unnessesary often times to up the meter size . That is why we size out water mains and required meter size rather than guess ? or throw money away just to go big . I go oversize slightly but I wouldnt very often up meter size
 

Breplum

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Pressure is determined by the source and does not change based on pipe diameter.
Flow IS affected by pipe diameter.
We use the plumbing code to determine main sizing, and pressure range does come in to play.
A typical two bathroom house is typically ok on 3/4" copper if pressure is over 60 psi.
 
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