Service life of water meters in an apartment: when to change, and when to call a specialist for verification?
The installation of water meters allows citizens to pay for the actual consumption of water consumed. The service life of vane water meters in apartments is specified in GOST R 50601-93 and is 12 years. The service life of other types of devices is indicated by the device manufacturer.
The material costs of installing the meter and the responsibility for conducting timely checks of the device for serviceability and accuracy of readings are borne by the owner of the apartment.
How to find out the service life of the meter?
Each water meter has its own technical passport, which indicates the model of the device, the date of manufacture and factory testing.
The service life of a water meter begins to count from the date of its manufacture - the date of installation in the apartment does not matter. Therefore, it is important to carefully study the accompanying documents before purchasing.
If the metering device is made according to GOST, its warranty period is 18 months. During this period, the manufacturer undertakes to make a replacement at its own expense if the meter fails without the fault of the owner.
If the water meter is manufactured according to specifications (own technical conditions), service life and warranties may differ significantly from state standards. All information is indicated in the device passport; the date of manufacture should also be on the device body.
Meter verification
The average service life of a water meter is 8–12 years.Models from foreign manufacturers can have a service life of up to 16 years. When purchasing such a device, you need to make sure that its installation is included in the state register.
To avoid mistakes and additional costs, it is better to choose meters after consulting with housing and communal services specialists or the management company.
After installation and sealing, the device must undergo regular verification, which will confirm its serviceability or reveal its unsuitability. The owner of the apartment must control the timely completion of the inspection.
Law on the timing of verification
The timing of verification and details of the process are specified in Federal Law of the Russian Federation No. 102 “On ensuring the uniformity of measurements.” The following standards are outlined there:
- Cold water meters must be checked once every 6 years.
- Hot water meters are verified every 4 years.
Verification procedure
Housing and communal services employees or specialists from private companies who have received a license to conduct such checks have the right to check meters.
There are 2 ways to test a water meter:
- Without removing the meter. In this case, the technician comes to the apartment, where, using special accessories, he checks the serviceability of the meter. If the water meter is in working condition, it is sealed again, after which a commissioning report is drawn up.
- The counter is taken to the laboratory. With this method, specialists remove the meter, and during the study, the owner pays for water consumption based on the average consumption for the last six months.
To verify the meter, you must submit an application to the management services (a sample document is provided on site).At the set time, the technician dismantles the water meter for testing in the laboratory or checks the device at home. The verification results are indicated in a report drawn up by a utility employee.
The verification is considered completed when the test report is submitted to the Unified Settlement and Information Center of the given region of residence.
If experts recognize the meter as faulty, it is removed from the register. Until a new water meter is installed, the consumer must pay for water consumption according to the norm, taking into account the number of registered residents.
Replacing the meter
The purchase of a water meter and its installation are paid by the homeowner. The sealing and registration of the meter is carried out by an employee of the management company free of charge.
Replacement must be carried out in the following cases:
- The metering device was found to be faulty as a result of the inspection;
- the meter has failed for unknown reasons or as a result of mechanical impact;
- the service life specified in the technical passport has expired.
Procedure for installing a new meter
The model of the new meter is chosen by the apartment owner. When purchasing, it is important to make sure that this metering device is approved in the Gosstandart register (some outdated models are not allowed for installation).
The procedure for replacing the meter:
- The owner submits an application for installation to the company that services the residential complex.
- If the device will be installed by employees of another organization, you need to enter into an agreement with them, thanks to which the company’s employees will bear responsibility in case of incorrect installation.
- It is important to ensure that the meter is installed correctly - the pipe section is level, there is access for inspection and maintenance, and the starting numbers written in the report correspond to reality.
- The installation stage is completed by sealing the device.
It is important to know that only employees of the management company or individual organizations with a license have the right to put a seal and draw up an act on putting the meter into operation. Therefore, if the water meter was installed by an outside technician or the owner installed it himself, then it is imperative to call a utility service specialist to seal the device.
The presence of water metering devices can significantly reduce material costs for housing and communal services, since usually the average norms per 1 resident significantly exceed its actual consumption. But the quality of the meters’ work must be closely monitored - they must be checked and replaced in a timely manner.