How to seal a water meter yourself and correctly

Today, when the cost of utilities and energy is constantly increasing, the installation of individual control devices - meters, is not only desirable, but also vital. It reduces family financial expenses, and internally disciplines the owners, forcing them to more closely monitor the state of electric networks, heat supply systems and hot and cold pipelines water.

If electricity meters are firmly established in the life of Russians and are installed not only in places of permanent residence, but also in summer cottages and gardens houses, the installation of devices for controlling the consumption of hot and cold water has become widely used only in recent decade.

Especially, the relevance of using these devices has increased, after the next reorganization of the housing and communal services, when payment for use is not transferred directly to authorities of the water utility and organizations responsible for heat supply, and scandals about misuse of funds, which are constantly circulated in the press.

Why do I need a seal?

According to Russian law, the operation of unsealed meters is prohibited. We will not be so categorical.

Any owner of residential real estate has the right to install in his apartment water main any device that will not interfere with the operation of the water supply network outside apartments.

Another thing is that the readings of an unsealed meter for measuring water consumption by anyone other than the owner will not be taken into account.

Sealed water meter indicates:

1. Unauthorized persons did not have access to the device.
2. His testimony corresponds to the accuracy of the last verification.
3. The apartment owners did not try to direct the flow of the recorded water to bypass the meter.

As you can see, the sealing of the device is necessary first of all to the owner of residential real estate, where water consumption is recorded. Only a sealed water meter makes it possible for the landlord to pay for the real expense, rather than pay for average standards per living or one square meter of area for heating meters highways.

The management company is interested not so much in the sealing itself as in the integrity of the seals, which confirms the legitimacy of the testimony of the device and indicates the absence of uncontrolled access to plumbing resources.

However, before the homeowners begin to pay the real price for the really consumed water, they will have to carry out a significant amount of work, which includes the following procedures:

1. Water main preparation or hot water lines to install appliances.
2. Install optional accessoriesnecessary for the normal operation of the control device and metering water flow.
3. Installation and leak tightness test the water meter itself.
4. Calling a responsible specialist - a representative of an organization that, in a given area or residential settlement, has the right to seal the device.

Preparation of the meter for filling

The normal operation of the meter is guaranteed by installation in the water main, before the coarse filter device. Thanks to the filter, particles of rust, scale, debris are prevented from entering the device mechanism, which shorten its service life and can lead to failure.

To protect against "unwinding" of readings, by means of a reverse water flow, a check valve is installed in the system. Without the installation of a non-return valve, sealing of water metering devices is prohibited, and inspectors of organizations, performing seals, first of all pay attention to the presence of this device in the water supply highways.

Typically, water-measuring devices are equipped with union nuts and gaskets, which simplify the installation of the device. The tightness of the compound is additionally ensured by the use of a fluoroplastic (FUM) tape or linen tow.

If the device is installed on its own, then when assembling the individual elements (water meter, check valve, water filter), it is necessary to monitor its correctness. The direction of water flow is indicated on these accessories by an arrow.

If you violate this rule, then some models of meters can block the water main, acting as a check valve. Usually, any device for monitoring and accounting for water consumption is completed with installation instructions, which detail the rules and procedures for installation work.

It should be borne in mind that some management companies do not consider legal the independent installation of water meters. They require installation work or by the specialists of the company or send the owner to an accredited organization. How legitimate it will be described below.

Self-installation of a water meter

For self-installation of the water meter, you need to purchase the device itself, not forgetting to note the sale date in the warranty card, and all associated fittings - at least a coarse filter and reverse valve. Many companies offer these products in full.

It is most simple to carry out independent installation of the water meter - if the water mains in the house are made of polypropylene or plastic pipes. These materials can be cut without problems with a conventional bench saw.

The sequence of operations for self-installation of a water meter is as follows:

1. Assemble a water meter block, which includes the meter itself and all the necessary hinged fittings.
2. In the immediate vicinity of the inlet tap, blocking the water supply to the apartment, in a place accessible for reading indications, cut the pipe.
3. Using FUM tape or linen tow, connect the assembled block of the water meter to the cut pipe - in this case, if the diameters of the threads of the meter and the main pipe do not match, it may be necessary to use adapters.
4. Connect the outlet fitting of the water meter to the water main - here it may be necessary to trim the connecting pipe section to the required size.
5. Tighten union nuts, open the apartment main crane and check the tightness of the joints and the operability of the device - with the rotation of the arrows and indicators on the dial of the water meter and the absence of leakage, and installation work can be considered finished.

If there are metal pipelines in the living room, the work will be somewhat more complicatedHowever, the installation sequence is maintained and performed in the same way.

Next stage of work - call a responsible specialist to seal the device. At the same time, it should be firmly remembered that changing the form of payment for the use of water is not carried out at the time of installation (even if the installation was carried out by the management company), and from the moment of sealing instrument.

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Choosing a company to install the meter

The call of a specialist for sealing and the sealing procedure itself are absolutely free.

However, in Russia, there is a tendency to hidden payment for the installation of the meter, when management companies force tenants to apply to an “accredited” company that has some kind of “certificate” for the right to perform work, which can provide a complete set of “proven” water measuring fittings, at a price higher than the store’s price, and install a water meter in the apartment water supply network.

At the same time, “unauthorized” tricks are used - the alleged ban on the independent installation of devices or the sealing of counters “out of turn”. The latter is most effective for nervous homeowners.

Sealing time can reach one to one and a half months.

Often, self-installation leads to litigation, which usually ends with a positive decision regarding the apartment owner.

The only time it is advisable to contact a specialized company is when repairing or replacing the meter. At the same time, the period when payment for water is charged at the “meter” or “human” tariff is minimized.

In principle, an organization that has a certificate for sealing the meter will be able to carry out work on installing or replacing and sealing the meter within one day. However, against the background of these companies, a lot of firms divorced that perform installation work, but do not seal the meters.

The cost of installation work on pipes made of polypropylene will cost the apartment owner 400-500 rubles without the cost of components. Replacing a faulty device costs one and a half to two times cheaper.

That is, many owners will prefer this amount, insignificant at the present time, than to "pick" on their own with pipes, gaskets, gas keys and other troubles.

However, when choosing an installation company, you should use the following recommendations:

1. Availability of certificate or license for the right to carry out installation work on the installation of water measuring equipment.
2. Providing homeowners with service or guaranteed service after installing the meter, as well as its free replacement if a breakdown occurs during the warranty period.
3. Contractual execution of work - conclusion of the contract and signing of the acceptance certificate.

After installing and testing the water meter, the installation organization must provide the client with a set of documents on the right to use the meter, which, as a rule, includes the following minimum:

1. Acceptance certificate completed work on connecting the water meter to the water supply, apartment highway with the installation completion date.
2. Technical certificatewhich indicates the current flow rate.
3. Evidence of verification of accuracy water meter indicating the date of the next verification.