Why do you need to check and replace water meters and how it happens at home

The owners of the premises are obliged to pay for utilities in accordance with the consumed amount of water. The counting is carried out by consumption meters, which are placed at the inlet of pipelines to the room. It is necessary to figure out who is responsible for monitoring the health, checking and replacing cold and hot water meters: a consumer, a service organization or service providers.

Why install water metering devices

Legislative acts do not contain a direct indication of the mandatory installation of metering devices. Moreover, it is stipulated that they are not installed in dilapidated, emergency buildings subject to demolition or major repairs.

The owner is interested in installing metering devices. Indeed, in their absence, the charge for water is made at the rate for each person registered in the room, regardless of whether he lives there or not.

Estimated rates of water consumption per person per month are:

• cold - 6.9 cubic meters m;
• hot - 4.7 cubic meters m.

For rooms where meters could be installed, but they are not, a multiplying factor of 1.5 is used.

In the absence of meters, a family of 3 people will have to pay monthly for 31 cubic meters of cold water, as well as for 21 cubic meters of hot water. This is 3-4 times higher than the actual waste of water.

It is more profitable to pay once for the installation of equipment than to overpay large sums every month. If the meters are installed, but are being repaired or being verified, the average monthly water consumption, calculated on the basis of readings for the previous 6 months, is taken for accruals.

For example, if a family of three from January to June spent 8 cubic meters of cold water and 4 cubic meters of hot water, then in July, having given the meters for verification, they will pay for the same volumes as before.

Purposes of checking the water meter

Metering devices must accurately show the water flow. The equipment is checked by competent persons in order to control the correctness of the measurements. Based on its results, an act (conclusion) is drawn up, which decides the fate of the device.

The first check is done at the factory. This must be noted in the technical data sheet of the product. The recommended period for the next verification is also indicated there. In this way, the manufacturer guarantees the quality of its products or the accuracy of measurements during the intertesting period.

Service life of water metering devices and their replacement

The average service life of a conventional meter is 8-12 years, for some models 15-16 years, this is recorded in the data sheet. With proper operation, metering devices can work longer.

The service life begins to count from the date of manufacture of the device, and not from the moment of its installation. Therefore, when purchasing a counter, be sure to ask about the date of its manufacture indicated in the product data sheet. Take a recently made one.

A measuring device is a complex device, parts of which wear out under the influence of external or internal factors. There are situations when doubts arise about the correctness of the meter readings long before the end of its service life.For example, attention was drawn to the fact that the water consumption according to the meter readings for no apparent reason sharply increased or decreased compared to the previous month.

Checking the cold or hot water meter at home without removing the device or turning off the water supply can identify the source of the problem. Before calling the wizard, you can independently establish that the equipment began to show incorrect data due to damage to the outer case or internal mechanism. This is evidenced by:

• the presence of water droplets on the inner cover - depressurization of the device;
• dents or cracks;
• the indicator blades do not rotate at all or jerkily.

Such disruptions in work can occur under the influence of external causes:

• poor water quality, the presence of sand, change readings, quickly disable;
• uneven or too strong pressure of water in the pipe, which breaks the measuring mechanism;
• blockage in the pipe or in the inlet of the meter;
• water supply leaks that increase water consumption;
• incorrect installation, as a result of which the indicator blades rotate in the opposite direction.

Repair of the device is necessarily accompanied by verification and sealing. It is cheaper and more expedient to supply a new meter with factory calibration.

The term for checking water metering devices

In accordance with the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354 of 05/06/2011, responsibility for the maintenance of metering devices in good condition lies with the owner of the premises.

The consumer chooses the time of the next calibration of the meter independently as needed.

The reason for checking the meter of cold or hot water may be their incorrect operation or the approaching date for the next verification, indicated in the technical passport of the device.

As a rule, domestic manufacturers set a 6-year calibration interval for metering devices, regardless of whether they are used for cold or hot water. In addition, devices appeared with a large interval between verification: 10-16 years.

Requirements for mandatory replacement or verification of meters are illegal. Telephone calls with a service offer or leaflets in the mailbox that mimic an official demand form are unfair advertising. Such companies, as a rule, do not even have a license for these types of work and are simply trying to defraud money in any way.

Home check procedure

Consumers have only been able to order a check of water meters at home for the last few years. Previously, you had to remove the device, take it for inspection, then install it again and seal it. The whole procedure took several days. Now you can check the quality of the meter in a few hours at home. To do this, you just need to do the following:

1. Look in the data sheet for the verification period.
2. If the deadline has already come or there are several months left before it, leave a request on the website or by calling the Center for Metrology and Standardization, or a company accredited to provide services for the replacement and verification of metering devices.
3. In the application, indicate: address, contact phone number, full name of the owner; meter parameters - model, type, manufacturer, serial number. Agree on the time.
4. An invoice will be issued. You can pay for it in advance and provide a receipt to the master, or make a calculation after the work.
5. For the arrival of the master, prepare the registration certificate of the meter and a receipt for payment. Provide a loose approach.
6. The procedure for checking water meters is carried out without dismantling the meters. The inspector connects high-precision scales to the water supply system. A fixed volume of water is passed through the meter under check. If the meter readings coincide with the data of specialized equipment, it is considered suitable for further use.
7. The master draws up an act, an agreement on the work done and puts a mark in the technical passport of the device about the check.
8. Then it is necessary to submit the act (conclusion) to the management company, housing office or HOA in order to set the date for the next verification.

When the master arrives, check if he has a license to carry out the work.

Legal grounds for replacing water meters

The installation of collective or individual metering devices for consumed water at the border with a centralized water supply system is regulated by the Federal Law of 23.11.2009 No. 261-FZ "On Energy Saving and Increasing Energy Efficiency". Article 13 states that the replacement of metering devices must be carried out by the resource supplier at the request of the owner of the dwelling. The cost is compensated by the consumer in parts or one-time. Maintenance, preservation and replacement are carried out by the owner.

In 2019, Rosstandart plans at the legislative level to impose the responsibility for the installation, calibration and maintenance of metering devices on the organization that sells resources. The owner will only have to provide access to the meters.