A replacement device often starts at zero or another value below the old meter. That decrease is correct for the new hardware but wrong inside the old cumulative sequence. The safe approach is to close one installation and begin another while keeping both under the same logical meter name. MeterBook models that boundary explicitly.
Do not overwrite the old meter
Keep the existing meter entry and use the replacement action. Renaming the old device or deleting its readings destroys context. A new installation sequence preserves everything already recorded and tells future readers why cumulative values no longer continue from the old total.
Record the final old reading when possible
Take a final value close to removal and give it the actual timestamp. If the meter is inaccessible or failed, do not invent a number. The history can retain the previous confirmed value, while the replacement reason explains why a final reading is absent.
Write a concise replacement reason
Use factual language such as “scheduled provider replacement,” “display failed,” or “landlord installed new water meter.” Avoid unsupported conclusions about accuracy or liability. The note exists to explain the boundary, not to replace an engineer’s report or provider document.
Enter the new initial value only if observed
The replacement form never assumes zero. Read the new display and optionally save that exact value, time, and recorder name. If nobody can confirm the initial value, leave it empty and let the first later observation establish the new installation baseline.
Compare changes only within an installation
Differences between readings remain meaningful inside the old or new sequence. Do not subtract the last old-device value from the first new-device value. Provider billing around a replacement may use additional official data, so reconcile important totals with the provider’s statement.