Gas meter warranty period: the service life of the equipment and the subtleties of its replacement

Depending on the purpose of the gas appliance - for individual or industrial use, as well as its model and brand, the warranty period of the gas meter may be different. Dismantling and replacement after a breakdown or expiration of the expiration date is carried out exclusively by employees of the gas service authorized to carry out this procedure.

Next, we will tell you in what cases it is necessary to replace a gas meter, and when it will be enough to carry out a routine verification of the equipment, and also dwell on the legislative aspects.

Types of gas meters

When purchasing a gas meter for personal use, you must understand its principle of operation. Counters designed for

household use, differ in the method of fixing the gas volume.

Rotary - make gas metering by the number of revolutions of the built-in rotor. It makes 1 rotation after filling a special measuring chamber, which contains 1 unit of gas volume, after which it returns to its initial position. Thus, it constantly produces the same amount of gas, which is reflected in the digital block.

Membrane - a portion of the supplied gas is taken into account by moving the membranes, they change their position when the chamber of the device is filled with the required amount of the gas mixture.

Electronic - are the most accurate and silent devices, as well as the most dimensional. They can independently transfer readings to electronic media, which greatly facilitates the life of the owner of such a device.

Sequence of actions when replacing the device

A gas meter intended for household use is a metering device for the amount of gas that passes through the gas pipeline of an apartment or house. These structures are similar in their functional meaning and do not depend on the type of housing in which they are used.

The requirements for the placement of gas meters are the same for everyone. They cannot be located closer than 80 cm from other gas equipment and must be raised from the floor at a distance of at least 120 cm.

To change a gas metering device, you need to take how many simple steps:

1. Leave a request with the management company, if necessary, provide documents for the gas meter and its installation.
2. Wait for a visit or a call from a specialist who will set the time for replacing the meter and the date of the visit to assess the technical condition of the gas network of the dwelling.
3. Purchase the device on your own, or agree with the management company to install their equipment.
4. After replacement, it is necessary to check the operability of the device, its installation, then sign an act confirming the completion of the work.
5. The final action of the replacement worker is to seal the meter, at which the owner must be present. Without this action, the readings of the device will not be taken into account.

Before dismantling the old meter, it is necessary that the employee of the management company who will replace it fixes the last readings.

List of required documents

When submitting an application to the management company, a home owner who wants to replace a gas meter must provide the necessary list of documents:

• identity document (military ID, passport, etc.);
• certificate of registration of ownership of the residential premises;
• passport for the meter to be replaced and a certificate for it;
• a receipt or other document containing the readings of the meter during its last verification;
• gas equipment installation project, if installed for the first time, indicating the places of gas consumption.

For the sealing procedure, if this is done without the participation of the management company, and the start of a new warranty period for a gas meter, you must provide the following list of documents: a document confirming the identity of the owner premises; data of the owner for communication (phone, e-mail, etc.) and the address at which the work was performed.

You will also need to inform the date of the expected start of using the new device, technical characteristics meter - its registration number, model and data of the company that installed or replaced the meter.

According to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354 dated 06/05/2011, which regulate the rules for the provision of communal services for owners and tenants of residential premises, the period for replacing meters cannot exceed 30 days, after the expiration of the control date of operation of the previous device.

After replacement, within 3 days from the moment of sealing the new device, the management company must contact the owner and recalculate, according to the new indications.

Device replacement cost

The legislation of the Russian Federation provides for the replacement of a gas meter at the expense of the owner of the premises. This is due to the fact that the equipment is located inside the premises, which means that it is also the property of the owner. This rule applies not only to private houses, but also to all apartment-type premises.

The total amount that will be spent on replacing the meter consists of the following items:

• the cost of a new device;
• the work of a gas service employee to remove the old meter and install a jumper pipe;
• verification of the removed device and its repair;
• installation of a new or refurbished meter.

The exact cost is calculated by the invited master, taking into account possible additional costs: installation of additional gas equipment, the number of metering devices, installation of pipes for output counter.

Depending on the region of residence of the owner, the cost of the meter itself starts from 3.5 thousand rubles, and the cost of its installation - from 5 thousand rubles.

These calculations are applicable only to those living quarters that are owned by residents. If the apartment is on the balance sheet of the municipality, then all the costs for it are borne by the local authorities.

Features of using the meter in a private house

The owner of the home in which the gas equipment and the meter are located must resolve all issues related to them on their own. Only constant monitoring of the service life and serviceability can ensure the safe functioning of the system.

If any abnormal situation arises, you should not expect a planned calibration of the instruments, you must immediately call a specialist. Unauthorized intervention or the involvement of specialists who do not have a proper license to work with gas equipment is prohibited.

Features of replacement in an apartment building

Unlike private housing, the gas meter of an apartment building is an industrial device capable of passing and recording a large volume of gas. All questions about its maintenance, repair and replacement are within the competence of the management company. Accounting for the service life also applies to their direct responsibilities.

The owners of residential premises in apartment buildings are not directly related to the replacement of meters, they are involved only in the material side of this issue. The management company sets tariffs for such work, which are adopted at a general meeting of residents. Monthly fees at these rates allow you to monitor and change gas meters on time.

Installing a gas meter can significantly reduce the cost of using gas. Despite the high cost, the device pays for itself within several years.

In the event of a disputable situation, self-elimination of the management company or inadequate control over gas equipment, the owners have the right to apply to the competent authorities for checks.

We also recommend reading our other article, where we talked in detail about how calculations are carried out on a general house meter. More details - go to link.

Replacement or verification, which is better?

Calibration of a gas meter is possible if there is exact confidence that the malfunction is removable, for example, there was some kind of mechanical effect on the meter.

If the cause of the breakdown is not clear, then most of the owners of premises prefer to replace the meter, for the following reasons:

• in addition to the cost of the verification itself, you will have to pay additionally for dismantling, reinstallation and attachment of the seal;
• delivery to the verification company is carried out at the expense of the owner;
• when a malfunction is found that excludes further operation of the device, it will need to be replaced, but you will also have to pay for verification;
• the meter verification period is about 21 days, at which time the payment for gas will be made in accordance with the established standards.

Considering all these points, we can conclude that replacing an old device with a new one is more profitable than checking it, both in terms of the cost of work and the time of their production.

Reasons for replacing the meter

The cost of payment for consumed natural resources is carried out on the basis of the readings of their metering devices. Any equipment has a warranty period, after which its replacement is required.

This action is regulated by the Government Decree No. 824 dated 19.09.2013, it establishes the warranty period for the gas meter and provides the following reasons for replacing it: the specified service life has expired or during the verification a malfunction was found that does not allow further operation of the device.

All meter replacement operations are paid for the owners of the premises and free for those who live under a social tenancy agreement.

But, the legislation provides for categories of owners, who are also entitled to free installation:

• WWII veterans;
• families belonging to the category of large families;
• pensioners who received this status by age;
• low-income families.

The service life of a gas meter depends on its technical characteristics and the manufacturer. Typically, it is around 20 years old. After installing the device, it requires regular checks for serviceability, which are carried out with the participation of the management company.

The verification procedure can be established by the company itself, but at least once every 10 years. But most companies carry out checks every 3-5 years.

Conducting scheduled checks

Installation of gas metering devices is carried out only if there are documents for it and is allowed into operation after it has been sealed. The manufacturer, together with the device, sends documentation, which indicates what kind of warranty for the gas meter of this model is provided by the manufacturer.

To confirm the health of the meter, the management company conducts its checks, the interval between which is called so - intertesting.

If the scheduled calibration has not been performed for a reason depending on the owner, then after its date the readings of the device are not taken into account and payment for gas use is made according to general standards.

For verification it is necessary:

1. Call a gas equipment specialist from the management company or gas service with which there is a valid contract.
2. Be present at the meter dismantling and agree to send it to the gas service for verification.
3. Get an opinion on the state of the device. If its further operation is possible, then the specialist mounts the meter in place and seals it. In the event that the device is faulty, then purchase a new one and perform the same procedures.

The recognition of the meter as faulty is accompanied by the drawing up of an act on the inadmissibility of its use, about which the owner of the premises is informed. As a rule, breakdowns in which use is impossible include: stopping the operation of the meter, violation tightness of the device connections, incorrect display of readings (this applies to electronic devices).

Visual verification without dismantling the meter itself, seals and other gas equipment is carried out 2 times a year. The specialists of the gas service are authorized to do this upon presentation of the relevant documents. They also check the period of use of the device for fixing the readings and are engaged in its stationary repair, which does not require transportation to the gas company.

If during such a verification it is revealed that the warranty period for the gas meter has expired, then an act is drawn up about this and, according to it, the manager the company recalculates the payment for gas according to the average standard from the moment when the warranty period of the meter has expired.

Taking into account the constantly growing gas tariffs, failure to comply with the terms of their replacement can significantly affect the total amount of payments for utilities.

Refusal to replace the gas meter

Replacement and installation of a gas meter is a voluntary deed for each owner. Payment for gas upon consumption is always less than the average tariffs set by the management company.

Many owners of private houses and apartments receive notifications that a check and replacement of the device is required, and they strive to quickly submit an application.

However, this should not be done for several reasons:

• it is possible that the notification was sent not by an organization serving the house, but by a third-party company that is not related to the control of gas equipment, but simply seeks to sell its services;
• the time for checking or replacing the device has not yet come. To establish the exact date of the warranty period for the gas meter, it is necessary to check the certificate and the date of manufacture of the device;
• the owner does not need to replace the meter and wants to abandon it.

The latter option sometimes also arises, despite the fact that it is cheaper to pay for gas with a meter. As a rule, such cases arise if the deadline has come, but the owner sells his home and does not want to spend money on replacing equipment.

It is worth refusing to replace it even if the apartment is transferred from the category "with gas service" to the tariff "with stationary electric stoves". Usually, such transitions are made in apartments of the "Khrushchev" type, when the gas supply to the apartment is completely stopped and additional capacities for electric stoves are installed.

The owner needs to know that neither the management company, nor the HOA, nor any other organization can force him to install a gas meter in his apartment.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

How to choose a good gas meter will be discussed in the following video:

Installing a gas meter is an expensive undertaking. The cost of the device itself, as well as its installation and commissioning, can negatively affect the family budget. But, given that its service life, on average, is 20 years, with the help of simple mathematical calculations, one can come to the conclusion that it will fully pay for itself in a couple of years.

Do you have any questions about the topic of the article? Or can you supplement our material with interesting information about gas meters? Please write your comments, ask questions, share your experience - the contact block is located below.