Which is better, a metal rotor (field) flowmeter or a glass rotor flowmeter?
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I think that apart from their cost advantage, glass rotameters are far inferior to metal ones in every other aspect. Over time, scaling tends to form on the glass tubes of glass rotameters, which makes it difficult to read the scales. Even those with jackets suffer from water droplets forming between the jacket layers, further complicating reading. Moreover, the quality of domestic glass rotameters is really disappointing. What are your thoughts on this issue, fellow sailors?
In my personal opinion, when comparing the use of the two types, glass rotameters do not have the same level of accuracy as metal rotameters; they are also prone to the issues mentioned earlier. On the other hand, metal rotameters require higher standards regarding the material fed into them – it’s best that no iron-containing substances be present, as this can lead to inaccuracies... The choice between the two depends on the specific application
Most of the flow meters used on-site are glass tube rotameters, mainly because of their low cost, the ability to see the material inside, and straightforward reading. Additionally, since some of them tend to accumulate scale, they are easy to clean； As for metal tube rotameters, they are generally used for remote transmission; unless in special situations where the pressure is high and there is a concern that a break in the glass tube could have significant impacts on safety or the manufacturing process, metal tube rotameters should not be used on-site – glass tube rotameters are the preferred choice in such cases.