Reading time: 9 minutes
The widespread use of metering devices - meters for gas, electricity, water - testifies to reforms in the housing and communal services sector. Since the choice of device remains with the consumer of services, it is worth figuring out how to choose the optimal model and how to install a water meter in an apartment.
The purpose of installing the meter
Almost a quarter of the amount of monthly utility bills falls on hot and cold water bills. In the absence of a water meter in the apartment, payment is made according to the average water consumption per person per day: 190 liters of cold and 130 liters of hot water.
This rate significantly exceeds the volume used by consumers, so apartment owners are interested in whether it is profitable to install a water meter. The calculation of the standard expense is made according to the number of people registered in the apartment, and their age and whether they actually live at this address are not taken into account at all.
As a rule, 2 metering devices are installed in the apartment: for hot and cold water. It is easy to calculate approximately the cost of cold water and sanitation in a metropolitan family of 3 without a meter and with its installation:
| Without counter | Without counter | By counter | By counter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard - 6.935 m3/person Tariff "cold water" - 35.4 rubles. | Standard for water disposal: 11.68 m3 / person; tariff: 25.12 rubles. | Average consumption of cold water according to the meter for a family of three: from 6 m3 to 9 m3. | Average meter readings: 18 m3. |
| Cold water: 6.935 m3 x 3 people = 20.805 x 35.4 = 736.50 rubles / month. | Water disposal: 11.68 m3 x 3 = 35.04 x 25.12 = 808.80 rubles / month. | Min. amount for cold water 6x 35.4 = 212 rubles / month. Max. amount for cold water 9x35.4 = 318.6 rubles / month. | Average payment for water consumption: 18x25.12 = 452.16 |
When calculating according to the standards, the volume of water used is divided by the number of registered residents, regardless of the number of residents in the house. There can be many more tenants, so someone has to pay for other people's expenses out of their own pocket. That is why, by installing a meter, the owner or tenant of the apartment will pay only for the actually used water.
Legal regulation of the installation of meters
The legislation governing the installation of water meters was developed in accordance with the Federal Energy Conservation Program. Based on the established norms, each resident can control water consumption, save resources and reduce utility bills.
Legislative acts also stipulate whether it is necessary to install water meters in an apartment in 2019.
The installation of metering devices for hot and cold water supply is regulated by the following regulatory documents:
- Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 6, 2011 No. 354 On the provision of public services to owners and users of premises in apartment buildings and residential buildings
- Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of November 14, 2014 No. 1190 On the Rules for determining the amount of fees for utilities paid by tenants of residential premises in dormitories included in the housing stock of organizations engaged in educational activities, under contracts for renting residential premises in a dormitory;
- Law No. 261 dated November 23, 2009 “On Energy Saving and Improving Energy Efficiency and on Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation”;
- Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 23, 2006 No. 306 "On the establishment and determination of standards for the consumption of utilities and standards for the consumption of communal resources, in order to maintain common property in an apartment building";
- Law of the Russian Federation of December 7, 2011 No. 416 “On Water Supply and Sanitation”.
After reviewing these laws, you can understand whether it is necessary to install a meter in a communal apartment.
A water meter is a device that allows you to reduce the amount of payments. If the neighbors manage to reach an agreement, they can choose one of two payment methods:
- by the number of registered;
- by the number of people in the rooms.
In the presence of a water meter, residents will not have to pay utility bills:
- during the absence of water supply;
- when carrying out preventive and repair work;
- in case of emergencies.
How to choose a water meter
When choosing apartment water meters, one should take into account the operational characteristics of the devices and the features of their installation. All counters are divided according to the principle of operation into several groups:
- tachometric - equipped with an impeller rotating under the action of water;
- vortex - register the frequency of the vortices of the water flow;
- electromagnetic - fix the speed of the liquid passing through the meter, inducing a magnetic field;
- volumetric devices - consider even the weakest flow of water;
- ultrasonic - analyze the acoustic effect.
Tachometric meters and electromagnetic devices are considered optimal for residential premises. Tachometric meters and electromagnetic devices are considered optimal for residential premises.
Meter installation procedure
Having calculated the savings on paying utility bills when installing an individual water meter and deciding to purchase a meter, the consumer needs to contact the local branch of Vodokanal. There he will be informed what technical requirements the device must meet, and they will explain how to properly put the meter on the water.
It is advisable to purchase equipment in a specialized store. Since the water meters for cold and hot water have different designs and equipment, they are accompanied by technical documentation indicating the serial number of the model and a mark on the passage of the primary verification.
Normative acts do not directly indicate the need to prepare design documentation for the installation of a water meter. The legislation does not mention at all whether a project is needed for installation or it can be mounted independently. Nevertheless, you should comply with all technical conditions imposed by the controlling organization, and buy a device that meets the characteristics and metrological requirements established by law.
The undoubted advantage for a water meter is:
- measurement accuracy;
- quick dismantling for verification;
- long service life.
Many consumers do not know where to start and how to install. Unlike other metering equipment, water meters can be installed both with the help of specialists and independently.
By Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of 05/06/2011 No. 354, only metering devices of the established type and verified are allowed to be used.
Before installation, the water meter must be handed over to the Vodokanal instrumentation service. In the passport of the water meter, the employee will affix the stamp of the institution, fill in the required fields and put a stamp on the meter, which must be maintained throughout the entire inter-verification period.
The legislation of the Russian Federation does not contain the deadlines during which it is necessary to install a device that has passed verification, therefore, before carrying out installation work, you should slowly consider where exactly it is better to mount the device.
Usually the place for the meter is allocated closer to the entry of the pipeline into the room. In practice, in apartment buildings, most often individual water meters are installed in bathrooms, less often in bathrooms. However, the main condition is to comply with all installation requirements.
In order for the utility company to switch to performing calculations on a new meter, and not according to established standards, the consumer must contact Vodokanal immediately after installation to commission the equipment.
The employee will seal the device and draw up an act. It is this document that is considered the basis for the transition to payment for water according to the meter readings.
Often, homeowners are interested in who should install individual water meters in a privatized apartment. According to paragraph 3 of Art. 15 of the Law of the Russian Federation "On Energy Saving and Increasing Energy Efficiency", the installation of metering devices is carried out at the expense of the owners of residential premises.
Since the owners of the privatized apartments are citizens, they are in charge of the purchase and installation of equipment.
Water meter manufacturers promise that the purchase and installation costs will pay off in a few months, and with the right approach and saving resources, this period will be halved.
Rules for mounting the device
Vodokanal representatives will seal the device and allow it to operate if the consumer takes into account the basic rules for installing water meters in an apartment:
- Examines the condition of the pipeline and replaces the elements that have become unusable.
- He will select the installation site and check the completeness of the device: union nuts, coarse filter, non-return valve and counter.
- With self-installation, he will prepare the following set of tools: keys, an iron for forming joints and scissors for cutting plastic pipes.
This is the simplest scheme for connecting a water meter in a residential building or apartment. Upon completion of the installation work, the system performance is checked and a representative of Vodokanal is invited.
Preliminaries
Even before buying a meter, the owner of the apartment must prepare a package of documents for transfer to the resource supply organization:
- application, copies of passport pages;
- a document confirming the right of ownership;
- object plan;
- the consent of all residents of communal housing, because water meters in a communal apartment are not installed without the consent of the owners;
- registration certificate of the meter;
- verification certificate;
- contract for the installation of the device and its maintenance.
Since the water meter is installed directly on the pipes, it is necessary to check their technical condition before installation. Unstable pressure and air pockets in central water supply systems will negatively affect the operation of the equipment and lead to rapid wear of its moving parts.
It is strongly not recommended to install metering devices on an old pipeline. Before connecting a water meter in an apartment, experts advise updating communications by replacing metal pipes with products made from modern materials, depending on:
- water quality;
- pressure in the water supply system;
- type of connecting and shutoff valves used.
Self-installation of the meter
If the consumer is confident in his abilities, you can install a water meter with your own hands. Before starting work, you should carefully study the technical documentation attached to the device, and then proceed with the installation. This should take into account:
If water meters have already been installed, but consumers want to transfer water meters in the apartment with their own hands, you need to use equipment with a diameter of up to 15 mm.
The water meter is mounted horizontally with the dial up, in a place accessible for reading. In addition, the device must not be allowed to be mechanically affected by other equipment.
How to choose a contractor for meter installation
It is not legally established who can install a water meter in an apartment, but since the contractor in this case is responsible for the correct execution of work and the suitability of water meters for operation, the organization must develop an installation scheme in accordance with the requirements of regulatory authorities.
There are many companies that offer water meter installation services. It is necessary to choose who installs the meter from among licensed companies and equipped with the necessary equipment.
The contractor must document the completion of all work and ensure that the consequences of improper installation are eliminated.
Water meter sealing and documentation
The use of unsealed water meters is prohibited by the Law of the Russian Federation No. 102 dated 06/26/2008 "On the provision of unified measuring instruments", therefore, immediately after installation, you must contact Vodokanal in writing with a request to seal the meter.
This procedure is necessary in order to prevent outside interference in the operation of the device. It is described in more detail in the presented video.
The specialist checks the correctness of the installation, the absence of damage and the documentation for the water meter, after which he issues an act of commissioning.
In accordance with Art. 20 of the Law of the Russian Federation No. 416 of December 7, 2011 “On Water Supply and Sanitation”, during the initial installation of equipment and repair work, sealing is performed free of charge.
Water meter registration
After installation and sealing, the meter must be registered. To do this, the consumer within 14 days submits documents to the management company or to the Unified Information and Registration Center so that the following information about the equipment is entered into the common database:
- initial meter data;
- serial numbers and year of manufacture;
- date of installation of the water meter.
Only after registration and receipt of the relevant act, the use of the meter is considered legal.
Who pays for the installation of meters
Low-income citizens are interested in how to put water meters in an apartment for free. The answer to this question is contained in a number of regulations: housing is provided with metering devices at the expense of the owners.
In apartments owned by municipalities and provided under a social tenancy agreement, water meters are equipped free of charge on the basis of the obligations of the parties specified in the agreement. The standard version of this document does not oblige the tenant to pay for the installation of metering devices, so the installation is paid from the municipality.
In a communal apartment, each owner and tenant has his own personal account, everyone maintains a separate household and pays for utilities separately. Therefore, there are no problems with how to put a water meter in a communal apartment. It is enough to get the consent of all owners / tenants of housing and contact the resource supplying organization.
The legislation also identifies categories of persons who enjoy benefits when installing water meters:
- participants in the Second World War, home front workers and rehabilitated;
- the poor;
- disabled people of 1, 2 groups;
- widows of WWII veterans.
Installation cost
The price of installing water meters includes the cost of purchasing a water meter and its installation. The cost of the device depends on:
- modifications,
- configuration,
- technical characteristics,
- manufacturer.
Installation of equipment can also be done in different ways: on your own or with the involvement of organizations. The cost of the contractor's services depends, in particular, on which pipes the device is mounted on.
To calculate the total amount of expenses, you need to know all of the above aspects.
Possible meter malfunctions
A malfunction of the water meter is indicated by the lack of response to water consumption or the constant movement of numbers on the scoreboard at a time when no one opens the tap.
There are several common reasons why the counter broke:
- low water pressure or blockage in pipes;
- incorrect installation or depressurization of the device;
- water temperature for which the device is not designed.
In all cases, the water meter readings are incorrect. It is impossible to make calculations based on them.
As practice shows, most often the consumer is interested in what to do if the hot water meter does not change readings. This happens due to exceeding the permissible temperature standards when supplying hot water.
You can prevent such a malfunction by periodically checking the maximum temperature threshold. It must not exceed 90°C.
How to take and submit readings
There are 8 digits on the water meter display. Red indicates liters, black indicates cubes. To calculate water consumption, it is cubes that are taken into account, therefore, when taking readings for a month, only black numerical values \u200b\u200bmust be taken into account.
The frequency of reading water meter readings is once a month. As a rule, the exact date is indicated in the utility contract.
The data obtained is multiplied by the tariff for paying for water. The amount received is shown on the invoice.
You can send readings to Vodokanal in various ways:
- by phone;
- via SMS;
- through a mobile application;
- on the City Services website.
How often do you need to check
It is the responsibility of the consumer to control the correct operation of the water meter and transfer it for verification in a timely manner. During testing, the performance of the device and its accuracy are confirmed.
The calibration interval established by law is 6 years for a cold water meter and 4 years for hot water.
In order not to miss the deadlines and correctly draw up documents, read the material
Conclusion
Experts provide many tips on how to save money on utility bills. The most effective of them is the purchase of a water meter to account for hot and cold water. In order to independently regulate water consumption and pay only for used cubic meters, you need to install meters in your own or municipal apartment, even if it is not privatized. Manufacturers offer a wide range of equipment, so it is not difficult to choose a reliable device, and it will pay for itself pretty quickly.
What to do if the water meter breaks: Video
Lawyer. Member of the Chamber of Advocates of St. Petersburg. Experience more than 10 years. Graduated from St. Petersburg State University. I specialize in civil, family, housing, land law.
At the end of 2009, a law on energy saving was adopted in our country, obliging all owners of buildings, structures, residential buildings, as well as individual apartments and premises in apartment buildings to ensure the accounting of water coming from water supply networks.
The feasibility of installing water meters
The installation of water meters requires funds, nothing is being done for free now, but the law does not provide for funding these activities from the budget. The costs required to install water meters are borne by the building owners. The Russian government considered that the savings gained from the installation of metering devices would cover the costs of their installation.
To date, the deadlines for the installation of metering devices have expired, despite the fact that they have been repeatedly postponed. Nevertheless, the equipment of apartments, and especially individual houses, remains at a low level. The reasons for this situation are obvious:
- Lack of production capacity for the manufacture of a sufficient number of metering devices at the time of the adoption of the law;
- The complexity of installation and commissioning (at the initial stage, only organizations engaged in construction activities had the ability to install water meters);
- No punishment for citizens who do not follow the law.
Payback counter - Photo 03
By itself, the installation of a meter is not a measure to save water. It’s just that with him we stop mindlessly pouring water, forgetting to turn off the tap, or not repairing a leaking toilet flush tank for months. Thus, the overall consumption of drinking water is reduced, and utility bills are reduced. The cost of installing water meters pays off for a long time, but, given the reduction in payment for water disposal, it is not difficult to save 20-30 rubles per person per month.
The payback of the hot water meter is even faster due to the high cost of thermal energy. And the installation of individual metering devices on credit for up to 5 years at the Central Bank refinancing rate, which is the responsibility of the energy supply organization, actually becomes free.
Legal regulations affecting the process of installing metering devices
For owners who do not want to equip their premises with metering devices, the law provides for sanctions in the form of forced installation of water meters by an energy supply organization. But this provision of the law does not work yet, since the mass installation of metering devices has led to a decrease in the income of organizations supplying water to settlements, since the state limits the growth of tariffs.
Laws are constantly being improved, for example, since 2011, self-installation of water meters for individual houses and apartments has been allowed. Since 2015, changes have come into force in the Rules for Setting Standards for Utilities, hitting negligent owners with a ruble. In most regions of the country, there are already increased standards for water consumed without meters.
The cost of water supply and sanitation for owners who ignore the law will increase every 6 months and, in addition to inflationary price increases, will increase by 1.6 times over 2 years.
Rules for installing water meters
It is quite easy to install water meters in your apartment. If the installation of a common house meter requires an organization that carries out this type of activity, and a special project that is carried out in accordance with building codes and regulations, then an individual water meter is installed on the basis of the instructions prescribed in the device passport. The rules for installing water meters in an apartment have not yet been developed by anyone and, most likely, they will never appear, but there are certain points in the regulatory documents that must be observed.
- Do not install water meters in hard-to-reach places, and the scale of indications must be visible to the naked eye.
- It is necessary to observe the lengths of straight sections of pipes after the device and before it, indicated in the passport.
- In the kit of some devices there are connecting pipes, the installation of which eliminates the issue of straight sections.
Water meter installation diagram
The simplest scheme for installing a water meter in an apartment looks like this:
To provide water during the repair or verification of the meter, a bypass with a locking device can be provided in the circuit. It is much cheaper to make a pipe of the appropriate length and insert it in place of the meter. Sometimes a check valve is placed after the meter, but such a device is necessary when there is a reserve capacity in the apartment. On some models of meters, a strainer is installed by the manufacturer. Then the filter (No. 2) can be excluded from the scheme. In the wiring diagram, ball valves are shown as shut-off devices. The use of valves instead of them, of course, is allowed, but less resistance and the absence of rubber gaskets increase the pressure of the water flowing from the tap and simplify operation.
Features of the selection, verification and replacement of water meters
The choice of a water meter is made based on its consumption, and the size of the connecting pipes of the device is most often smaller than the cross section of the pipes into which it cuts, but a water meter is usually installed in the apartment in accordance with the diameter of the water supply. Now on sale are water meters from various manufacturers.
The question immediately arises - what to install water meters? Choosing the cheapest, you can miscalculate. The warranty period and operating time, the duration of the calibration interval, ease of installation - these are additional criteria that must be taken into account. The manufacturing time of the counter is also important, because the longer it lies on the store counter, the sooner you will have to carry out the next verification.
The calibration interval for cold water meters is usually 6 years. Water meters for hot water metering serve 4 years until the next verification. But there are manufacturers who produce water meters with other calibration intervals.
Unfortunately, re-checking meters rarely gives positive results. Having paid a considerable amount for verification, you may be refused in its further operation. You can check the error of the device yourself. Opening all the taps in the apartment at the same time and filling the containers with water, carefully calculate the volume that has poured out and compare it with the readings of your meter. If the error is higher than 2%, then the meter will most likely not pass verification, and it is better to buy and install a new one.
Choosing a place and technology for installing water meters with your own hands
The place of installation of the water meter in an individual residential building must be agreed with the supplier. Installing a water meter in an apartment does not require such approval. Usually it is placed immediately after the shut-off device on the riser (in the diagram, this is a tap in front of the filter). The technology for installing water meters is quite simple. When buying a meter, purchase taps, a filter, shackles, couplings, lock nuts, pipe sections with threads of the required dimensions. Putting it all together using FUM tape or linen is not difficult for a man.
It is even easier to install water meters with your own hands when using metal-plastic pipes and fittings. But it will not be possible to insert a counter without a welding machine into a polypropylene water supply system.
Please note that the valve on the riser is a common house property, you have already paid for its repair and maintenance according to a monthly receipt from the management company. If the closed valve allows water to pass through, then it is not necessary to turn off the common faucet on the riser. It is enough to make a request to the service organization about the need for repair.
Putting the meter into operation and sealing it
To register a water meter, you must submit an application to the management company, attach a water meter installation diagram to it (a drawing on a piece of paper is enough) and a photocopy of the device passport. Coordinate the arrival time of the master, who will check the correct installation and install the seals on the meter and the bypass locking device (if any). Breaking the seals automatically deprives you of the right to use the water meter to account for its consumption.
The signed act of commissioning a water meter imposes some obligations on you. Monthly it is necessary to transfer the readings of the meter to the operating organization. The timing of data transfer is strict, but in the absence of evidence, there will be no problems for 3 months. During this period, invoices will be presented at the average monthly expense. Then the calculation will go according to the standard.
In addition, it will be necessary to allow employees of the management company to check the meter. Such checks are carried out no more than once every 6 months, but refusing to do so may lead to the loss of the ability to pay for your water consumption by the meter, and the management company will have the right to charge you water consumption according to the standard.
Some cases from the practice of using
Particular attention to the points of the rules should be paid to cunning people who make tie-ins into the water supply in addition to the metering device. The water supplier, in case of detection of illegal withdrawal, has the right to make a calculation based on the calculation of the maximum water flow through such a pipe. The time taken into account in the calculation does not exceed 6 months, but the amount of the fine, even through a pipe with a diameter of 15 mm, can be 100 thousand rubles or more.
The use of metering devices does not solve the problem of water leaks into the sewer through faulty toilet valves or torn faucet gaskets. The fact is that water meters have a sensitivity threshold of 1% of the nominal flow. An apartment water meter DN 15 mm can pass through itself up to 15 liters of water per hour, and the meter dial will be stationary. There are many cases when a lonely pensioner, who spends 5-6 m³ of water per month on a meter, drains 10-11 m³ through a leaking toilet into the sewer every month.
Currently, management companies have the right only to inspect the condition of the equipment inside the apartments, and they cannot fine negligent owners or force them to repair faulty sanitary appliances. The difference between the common house metering device and the amount of apartment meters, which occurs with a large number of small leaks, management companies are forced to cover from their income. This difference in some houses reaches 35-40% of the total consumption. The Government of the Russian Federation urgently needs to make changes to the "Rules ...", allowing management organizations to activate apartment leaks and collect the appropriate amounts from apartment owners.
After much debate and hard thinking, you still decide to install water meters in Moscow. Have you ever had seditious thoughts that in today's conditions, when water networks do not work very well, installing meters is not the best thing to do?
You were told that when the water pipes are worn out, it is difficult for you to install the IPU purely physically. This operation will become costly and will not benefit your family budget. Or your water heats up for a long time and you have to spill it until it reaches the desired temperature. At this time, the expense will begin to wind up and you will have to pay.
However, practice shows that such fabrications do not have the slightest foundation. Whoever says this has never read the real rules. Their conclusions are based on speculation. You must make a decision after carefully analyzing the situation.
Before adopting a mandatory law, the Russian government used calculations that were carried out by specialists. Those, in turn, relied on world experience, where they have been using units for a very long time to save resources and money.
We also gained Russian experience in installing devices. Only after that did the federal law see the light, which, in its clauses, spoke about the installation of meters on a mandatory basis. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev independently convinced the population of the need for this service.
The legal act forced the installation of appliances in apartments. Otherwise, imposing financial sanctions were imposed. Naturally, no one was going to go to your apartment with a rifle. Just for the lack of such measuring elements, the legal mechanism was turned on.
According to the law, it followed that the absence of water meters leads to the fact that an increasing coefficient for water consumption begins to apply to your apartment. Its progressive scale forced tenants to install, but not with their own hands, water appliances. The rules began to work.
There was a question how to install a water meter. There is no difficulty in this. There are many companies that offer this service. You just have to choose the right one, but you must not make a mistake in this.
Which company to choose to install water meters in Moscow?
The company must follow the rules. It employs craftsmen who not only inspire confidence, but also install high-quality IPU. You will be able to determine the quality of work on your own, because your documents will be accepted by the settlement authorities by registering the counters.
The City Center for Accounting and Saving Resources has a special certificate that the federal service issues to its agents to accredit the installation and verification of water meters in Moscow. Installing is only a part of owning and operating said equipment. It needs to be serviced.
And this is a verification procedure, which is carried out after a certain period of operation of the installed device. The GCUiER company conducts according to two schemes:
- You negotiate with the operator and place an order for checking water meters. A master comes to your house and removes the meter, placing a temporary adapter in its place. The mechanism is verified in the metrological service. After this process, the master carries out the installation, placing the device back.
- The modern and most common way is to check water meters at home. It passes without removing the unit using special equipment. After that, you are given documents on such work, which you refer to the settlement organization.
For hot, verification is carried out once every four years. The cold ones were set to expire two years later due to their exposure to lower temperatures. After installation, you yourself will have time to decide on the organization for their verification. That is, Which water meter installation company is best, she will serve them.
What documents are issued when installing water meters?
- the first, of course, is the passport of the water unit itself. According to it, it is possible to establish both the date of issue and the calibration intervals of the device. Without it, it is impossible to carry out any maintenance work on the meter. There are also certificates;
- you will be given an act of work performed, which will indicate which, in fact, took place in your apartment;
- you will have the act of commissioning the measuring device in your hands. The number of the seal is also indicated. It will be sent to you in triplicate. The first will remain with you, the second - with the master who installed the water meter, and you will give the third to the Criminal Code;
- you will have paper that you do not need to transfer anywhere. It just confirms your rights if you install a malfunction. It is called a contract for the installation of this equipment.
Some additional agreements may be issued that emphasize your legal grounds for owning and operating instrumentation to a greater extent, and it is not made by yourself.
Installing water meters that will account for the used water, both for the whole house and for one apartment, saves a lot of money. The amount indicated on the receipt will depend on how you use cold and hot water and in what volumes. In addition, by installing such a water meter, you will not pay for water losses that occur due to the deterioration of pipes and systems, which the employees of the water utility are very fond of writing off to ordinary people.
You can install such a counter yourself or with the help of a wizard. After the installation procedure is completed, the water meter is subject to sealing and registration. We will tell you in this article how to register a water meter, install it and where to go.
Self-installation of the counter
Before you install the meter on the pipe, you should prepare it. To do this, you need to attach a cleaning filter to it, which will protect the device from debris. It is also necessary to install a check valve. It will not allow the measuring device to rewind the readings back. If you install it, the water utility inspector will not allow you to register it. In addition, you will need tow or FUM tape, which will ensure the tightness of the nuts.
Next, the procedure for the direct installation of a meter begins, which takes into account the amount of water consumed. The easiest way to do this is on pipes made of metal-plastic or polypropylene, which can be easily cut even with a kitchen knife. It will be possible to connect the pipeline using a compact soldering iron.
The procedure for installing the counter is as follows:
If you have metal pipes, then it will be very difficult to install the meter yourself and you cannot do without the help of craftsmen.
Choosing a company for installation
If you do not want to bother with installing the counter or are afraid to get confused in order and do something wrong, then you can invite a special master who will do it for you. When choosing a company to install meters for water metering, you need to take this seriously. Good companies are:
If the water utility inspectorate refuses to register such a measuring device, then the company will be responsible for all the shortcomings. Specialists will do all the necessary work correctly and in the shortest possible time, after which they will issue you documents with which you will later contact the management company for its registration and sealing.
What you need to register
Before registering a meter with a management company or at the Unified Information and Settlement Center (EIRC), you will need to receive documents from the company that installed it. The list of required documents will include the following:
If you installed the meter yourself, then you still have to contact the service company involved in their installation in order for them to check whether the water meter was installed correctly and how it was connected. If there are no problems, then they will seal it and give you all the papers that are necessary to register the water meter.
Where to register the counter
The registration of meters for the amount of water consumed is carried out by the EIRC and the management company, which you will have to visit personally with a package of necessary documents. It is not possible to register a meter via the Internet or by mail. However, you will be able to report its indicators in the future using a phone or an online service.
After you submit the documents, the EIRC will check them and certify them with seals. Data from them will be entered into the information base.
When registering water meters, the following will be recorded:
- Serial number of the water meter;
- The year in which this device was manufactured;
- Date of installation of the meter;
- The amount of water that has passed through it.
After the registration of water meters is completed, it will be put into operation. Every month, the user must report his performance to the management company or to the EIRC, which in the future will issue a receipt to the person for paying for the consumed water.
Availability of benefits
If the family or one of its members is entitled to benefits regarding the payment of utilities, then information about this must be indicated in the contract that was concluded by the company supplying the services. At the same time, in order for the benefits to start accruing, you will need to write an appropriate application and attach papers confirming the right to the benefit.
Rules for installing water meters
"The economy must be economical!" - the slogan of Soviet times is more popular than ever in the light of today's prices for the services of housing and communal enterprises.
Heating, water, light. Just imagine - the water utility charges for 5.5 cubic meters of water per resident per month! The real consumption rarely exceeds 2.5 - 3.0 cubic meters. Calculate the overpayment yourself.
Photo: the economy must be economical!
In addition, on July 1, 2013, a law came into force on the mandatory installation of water meters in residential and non-residential, domestic and industrial premises.
So every homeowner and owner of a city apartment, like it or not, will have to attend to the purchase and installation of hot and cold water metering devices.
Also, due to the fact that public services and private companies that install meters are quite busy with work, and for this reason they have raised prices for their services, I will give a few simple examples of installing a meter with your own hands.
About five hundred types of water meters are registered in the state register of measuring instruments of the Russian Federation.
According to the principle of action, they are divided into:
- tachometric, in which the flow of water passing through the meter directly affects the impeller or turbine installed inside the housing.
Photo: tacheometric water meters
The rotational movement of the latter is converted by a special mechanism into digital indicators of water consumption. According to their design, they are "wet" and "dry".
In a measuring device built according to a "wet" scheme, the mechanism - the converter is washed by the flow of water passing through the meter. The circuit is cheap, accurate and reliable.
The only drawback is that it is sensitive to the presence of mechanical impurities in the water. From this shortcoming, counters built according to the "dry" scheme are spared;
The "taking into account" mechanism is located in a sealed box made of non-magnetic material, and the turns of the impeller or turbine are recorded using two magnetic inserts. A slightly more expensive device.
- electromagnetic, in which the body of the device is a kind of Faraday coil, and the passing stream of water plays the role of a moving core. By the strength of the induced current, it is easy to determine the flow rate, and knowing the cross section of the inlet pipe, it is possible to calculate the volume that has passed through the meter per unit time. Precise instrument, but expensive and practically non-repairable;
Photo: electromagnetic meters
- ultrasonic, in which the determination of the speed of water flow is carried out by comparing the speed of sound along and against the direction of movement of the liquid. Accurate, reliable and insanely expensive.
Photo: ultrasonic meters
For home use, I advise everyone to purchase the simplest tachometric meters for cold and hot water of the “wet” type.
It is important to remember that not all regions of the Russian Federation allow the installation of water meters with their own hands. By contacting the local branch of Vodokanal, it is easy to get advice on this issue.
If self-installation is allowed, we write an application and within ten calendar days we receive permission and a list of requirements that should be followed during installation.
Here are the most common ones:
- meters must be certified on the territory of the Russian Federation. Otherwise, you will simply be denied registration;
- a coarse filter must be installed in front of the meters. It allows you to intercept large mechanical inclusions (sand, scale formed during the operation and repair of pipelines);
This installation scheme reduces the likelihood of mechanical damage to the impeller, therefore, increases the accuracy of the device.
- sometimes there is a requirement to install a check valve. In this case, it is impossible to rewind the counter with a vacuum cleaner;
- counters should be installed no further than twenty centimeters from the entrance to the highway. In this case, it is practically impossible to make a tie-in into the pipe bypassing the measuring device;
- the temperature in the room where the meters are installed should not fall below +5 degrees Celsius throughout the year;
- all meters must be sealed by a representative of the managing organization, otherwise their readings will not be taken into account in the calculation of water charges, and an additional amount will appear on the receipt - a fine.
When buying a meter, you must check the availability of a passport and check the serial number of the device with the data indicated in it.
In case of discrepancy, the representative of the responsible organization will simply refuse to seal, as a result - frayed nerves and money thrown to the wind.
For the same reason, I strongly advise against making such a responsible purchase at the “iron” collapses of flea markets and flea markets.
If there are any non-zero indicators on the scoreboard, it does not matter, they will be entered into the registration card and the countdown of the used volume will go from them.
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The standard set consists of a stopcock, a coupling - an adapter, a coarse filter, and, in fact, the meter itself. If it is necessary to switch from metal to a metal-plastic pipe, it is necessary to purchase the appropriate fittings.
If the meter body is made of silumin or similar alloys, it is better to immediately refuse to buy. Alloy adapters and shut-off valves must be replaced with those made of brass.
The measuring device must be screwed into the “flax” coupling for at least five turns. The installation of the remaining connections is easiest to carry out with the help of “American” union nuts and rubber gaskets.
Important! If paronite seals are included in the kit, they should be replaced immediately. Cold water meters are marked with a blue stripe and remain operational at temperatures up to +40 degrees Celsius.
When installing the measuring device, you must strictly adhere to the direction of flow indicated on the body by an arrow - otherwise the meter will not work correctly.
Photo: cold water meters are marked with a blue stripe
Measuring devices that record the flow of hot water are marked, as a rule, with a red stripe. The number of meters installed in a residential area depends on the number of hot water risers.
The rule is simple - one riser, one counter. The technique is practically no different from the above, with one exception. The upper limit of the temperature regime of operation of this type of meters is +130 degrees.
Therefore, the same requirements apply to the materials used in the installation. Sealant and rubber seals must be designed to work in this temperature range.
Photo: hot water meters are marked with a red stripe
Do-it-yourself water supply for a private house. completed is the object of close attention from the regulatory authorities.
Without even knowing it, the owners leave so many "holes" and opportunities for theft that the organizations responsible for the water supply were forced to put forward stringent requirements regarding the installation of meters.
Consider them in comparison with the requirements put forward to the owners of city apartments:
- the meter in a private house is installed no further than 20 centimeters from the entry point to the highway, and in a city apartment - no further than 20 centimeters from the place where the pipe exits from the floor or wall. It would seem - what's the difference? The fact that from the entry point to a private house there may be another half a kilometer of a pipe, the owner of the "hacienda" is already responsible for it. And in the event of a crack or leak, he will have to pay the entire amount that the meter will “wind up”;
- if the water supply comes from a well or a well located on the site, the latter must also be sealed by a representative of the controlling organization. Without the right of free access, except for force majeure circumstances. The owner of the apartment, for obvious reasons, is spared from such "joy"
- stopcock. It makes it possible to turn off the water in the room in case of an accident of the water supply system. It is allowed to use cranes of any design;
- coarse filter. Designed to catch large debris. It happens oblique and perpendicular. The first can be used both in vertical and horizontal positions, the second - only in horizontal;
- in fact, the counter itself. It is used, it is clear why.
Photo: water meters installation diagram
Before starting the installation, we lay out the parts so as to prevent confusion during assembly. We seal the threaded connections with flax, the American nuts with plumbing paste. We carry out a leak test.
First, the direction of water flow. It must match the arrow marked on the body of the device. Otherwise, the counter will wind in the "other direction".
The location of the coarse filter. It must be installed with the cover down in an easily accessible place. After all, the moment will come when it will have to be cleaned.
Do not use sealant to seal. As it polymerizes, it shrinks, which can lead to leaks.
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It's no secret that the so-called water meters allow not only to control the flow of water, but also to pay exclusively for the consumed natural resources. The actual savings in the family budget are already noticeable after a month of using the water meter - as a rule, the payment for tap water is reduced by two or even three times. The profitability of these devices is obvious, so installing them in your apartment is only a matter of time.
Do you want to bring this hour closer and save today? Then read further this article and study the question of how to install water meters with your own hands.
Installation of water meters photo
Vodokanal requirements for the installation of water meters
Oddly enough, but the water utility puts forward only three basic requirements for the installation of water meters.
Firstly, it is the presence of protection of meters from mechanical damage by large and small debris, which is in abundance in tap water. In order to prevent foreign particles from getting inside the meter and, thereby, to protect it from premature failure, a coarse filter must be installed in front of the water meter. You need to put it in your own interests - most modern plumbing fixtures also need such protection.
Secondly, the installation of water meters in an apartment, in order to avoid unwinding them by some irresponsible individuals, must be accompanied by the installation of a so-called non-return valve. It is installed immediately after the counter and does not allow some craftsmen to let the air flow against the movement of water through the counter and release it through the filter. At one time there were many such precedents.
Thirdly, this is the sealing of counters. Immediately after their installation, an application is submitted to the local water utility, whose specialists perform sealing. Along the way, they also check how correctly the water meter installation scheme was followed in your case.
How to install a water meter with your own hands
Self-installation of water meters, as a rule, is combined with a complete or partial replacement of the water supply - it is almost impossible to insert water meters into an existing water supply system made of metal pipes without special tools.
First you need to correctly determine the installation location of the water meter. Usually it is located on the pipes that drain water from the riser. But this is not important - by and large, the counters can be moved to any place in the apartment. Another thing, is it necessary? Yes, and it’s easier to install them directly on the pipes immediately after the shut-off taps - in this case, you don’t even have to turn off the risers and deprive all residents of the water supply.
But if the faucet is old and needs to be replaced, then shutdown is indispensable. To do this, call a plumber and turn off the water supply. After that, we boldly dismantle the entire water supply system or part of it, unscrew the old valve and install a brand new ball valve in its place, which has an internal thread on one side and an external thread on the other. Please note that a tap marked DN15 is used for cold water, and DN25 for hot water. At first glance, there is no difference between them, but if you look, it will be found in the materials used in their manufacture - on hot water, a tap marked DN15 will not last very long.
Do-it-yourself installation of water meters photo
We go further and screw a coarse filter onto the external thread of the tap. Pay attention to the arrow on this product - it indicates the direction of water flow. The filter must be installed in accordance with this arrow - the tip from the tap. This is exactly what the correct installation of water meters requires. To seal threaded connections, either tow, or FUM tape, or a special thread is used. The seal is wound in a clockwise direction.
Self-installation of water meters
Following the filter, a pipe with a union nut is installed - as a rule, two of these products come with the meter. Like the filter, the spigot with union nut is installed using tow.
Water meter installation technology
Further, by means of a union nut and a rubber or paranitic gasket, a counter is attached to the already assembled fitting design. As in the case of the filter, it has an arrow indicating the direction of water movement.
How to install water meters
Now we pick up the second pipe with a union nut and connect it to the check valve. The valve also has a certain direction of installation - when screwing it with the union nut, pay attention to the fact that the arrow points away from the nut.
How to install a water meter correctly
And again we take a rubber or paranitic gasket, through which we connect the check valve to the other side of the meter.
The last step, which provides for the technology of installing a water meter, is to connect the entire assembled structure to the apartment water supply. In case of partial dismantling of old pipes, it is very easy to connect them to the meter with a metal-plastic pipe - for this you only need a pair of keys.
How to install a water meter yourself photo
This is how the correct installation of water meters is done by one's own hands. As soon as the work is done, and all connections are checked for leaks, you can safely go to the water utility and apply for sealing the meters.
Installation of water meters in an apartment: water utility requirements
do-it-yourself water meter It is known that installing water meters with your own hands allows you to fully control the costs of consumed water, as well as pay only for the resources used. As a rule, a positive effect is visible after a couple of months - payment for water is reduced by two, or even three times. But how to independently perform such a procedure, what exactly is the installation of the counter?
Water utility requirements regarding the installation of meters
It should be noted that there are certain water utility requirements for installing a meter:
- it is necessary that the meter be protected from damage by small or large debris in the water supply;
Water meter installation scheme according to the requirements of the water utility
Counter selection
One of the best options is turbine meter with an impeller, ordinary ones are also in demand mechanical counters - they are very inexpensive and easy to use.
Electronic meters are also a good option, but electronics can fail, and replacing such a meter again will lead to a bunch of bureaucratic formalities.
It should be borne in mind that the meters for hot and cold water differ from each other: they are marked with red and blue belts, respectively.
You should not take risks and buy a meter that is not suitable for water: for example, putting a “cold” meter on hot water will be a completely pointless undertaking - a specialist simply will not put it into operation.
When buying a water meter, you need to make sure that it has a complete set. Particular attention should be paid to the technical data sheet of the product, correctly, so that it is printed in a typographical way, the serial numbers in it and on the water meter should not match. In addition, such a passport must be sealed with a factory stamp.
Components required for the installation of meters:
Stopcocks
Such a stopcock must have one feature: there must be an eyelet with a hole on the outgoing pipe itself. If such a stopcock is complete, check if it is silumin. The thing is that such taps are highly susceptible to intergranular corrosion, and it may happen that soon you will have to save the room from a flood. Not a bad option is an ordinary metal-plastic crane.
stopcock diagram
When buying, it is also recommended to purchase another regular shut-off valve. It is installed after the tap on the flush tank itself. It will come in handy when in the kitchen or in the bathroom if there is a repair - in this case it will be possible to use the toilet as usual.
Place in the house for the counter
It is desirable that the water meter be as close as possible to the input of the pipeline itself in the room. When such a meter is put into operation, a specialist from the water utility will see if it is still possible to somehow crash into the pipe itself up to the meter. In practice, there are no questions if the water meter is installed in the toilet near the toilet, even if the stopcock is half a meter back. If the pipes run along the floor in the room, then the installation of the meter will also be approved, because in which case it will be almost impossible to hide the traces of work on the pipes.
The situation is stricter when checking a private house. Here the rule must be observed: installation must take place at a distance of no more than 20 cm from the outlet of such a supply pipe. If there is a well on the territory of the house, it is necessary that it be capital and with a lockable lid, otherwise it will also be sealed.
Technical features during installation:
- if there is a fire drain in the room where the meter will be installed, it is necessary to install a valve on the bypass pipe. When a specialist from the water utility comes, he will seal it too.
Installation process
Before proceeding with the process called installing the meter with your own hands, you need to read the instructions for all its components. It is necessary to check in the data sheet of the meter exactly what distance the straight pipe should be before and after it.
The installation process consists of several steps.
Measure how long the structure turned out. The same distance should be measured on the pipe to the very joint. Substituting the basin on the floor (remaining water may flow), cut off the measured area.
psg 11:10 04/09/2015
A few words, I would like to say, about ball valves, you should not save on this. You need to take brass ones, because others fail very quickly. This is especially not convenient when the central faucet breaks. Again, call the plumber, wait for the water to be turned off. These taps still do not like to be opened halfway and left in this position for a long time. On the spherical locking element, scale or plaque may form, which will soon cause it to break.
Lana71 13:24 05/12/2015
Pretty good, informative information. I just want to add that if you live in an apartment building, then before starting work to turn off the water in the riser, you must invite not an employee of the water utility, but an employee of the housing office. It is the employees of the housing office or the management company that have access to common house communications and basements. Although if you are not a plumber, then you should not independently violate the integrity of the plumbing system in an apartment building. And in the event of a possible accident-leakage, the damage will also have to be compensated independently.
Max 13:26 05/12/2015
I suffered with installing a cold water meter. And all because of the fact that the mine with pipes is behind the toilet.
I had to remove the toilet. Further, it is even more fun - there is not enough space for the entire structure in the mine, if you install all the details in sequence. As a result, I had to do everything in a vertical position, using a metal-plastic pipe, bending it to the limit.
But still installed! Although it was carried, it's a shame to say - two days. A technician from the water utility came - sealed it, did not find fault with anything.
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