Tips For Choosing A Cold Hot Water Meter For Installation In An Apartment

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• How to choose a water meter?
• Choosing a meter for an apartment
• How to understand the scales?
• More complex models
• Counters for apartments
• How to choose a water meter for your home?
• What is important to know about performance?

Water meters are needed to account for the consumption of a communal apartment. They help to avoid any disputes with the management company, save on paying for its services, since you will not pay the average calculation, which is greatly overstated, but only for the actual water consumption. Water meters are reliable if you choose the right type of device that does not require additional maintenance for 5 years. We will help you decide which model of the water meter is better and for what it is suitable.

How to choose a water meter?

There are hot and cold water meters, different models also differ not only in brand and price, but also in device, they can give slightly different readings, be more accurate than very cheap models. Metering devices also differ in temperature susceptibility. And to the ability to stop with a neodymium magnet, although modern models are no longer afraid of impact, for example VALTEC water meters, it all depends on the task you are pursuing:-)

When choosing a device, you need to pay attention to its technical characteristics.

There will be the following benefits from installing a meter:

• You will have to pay at real expense, and not at an excessively high consumption rate.
• You will not be able to distribute the debt of residents of other apartments who do not pay utility bills on time.
• If you live in a private house, you will not have to pay extra for watering, which is included in the consumption rate.
• You don't have to pay for water losses.
• In addition, the costs of sewerage maintenance will be reduced, since they are tied to the volume of water consumption by the subscriber.
• Most often, when there are water meters, the residents themselves begin to relate to its use more economically, do not open the tap in vain, so you have to pay less.

As practice shows, all the costs of installing the meter pay off already after 6 months, then the savings begin.

Choosing a meter for an apartment

There are several types of water meters, the selection of which must be carried out, taking into account the parameters of your room.

Tachometric counters. There are blades inside such a device, they are attached to the wheel. The turnover of such a wheel corresponds to a certain volume of liquid. Such a device is compact, does not require complex installation or maintenance. It is used if the household pipes are of small diameter, there is an impeller inside the meter. The more powerful the flow of water, the more accurate the readings of the device will be, but the error is minimal.

If you have a more accurate device in front of you, then instead of an impeller, it will be equipped with a turbine. Such a meter is used for pipes with a diameter of 25 mm, it can also be used for thicker ones. In this case, the readings will be most correct with a powerful flow.

Combined models are especially distinguished: they are made in the form of a monoblock, which makes them more practical, but unattended. These devices are usually placed on the main line, since they cope well with different pressures.

Water meters can be roughly divided into dry and wet. They differ constructively.

Wet ones are equipped with either an impeller or a turbine that is in direct contact with water, when passing through the meter the water flow rotates the impeller, each revolution of which corresponds to a certain volume of water. This is a fairly simple counter, equipped only with mechanical elements that make it as reliable and durable as possible. However, there is also a minus - the appearance of corrosion on its internal parts is possible. The devices are not afraid of external magnetic fields, are inexpensive, therefore they are very popular among subscribers. However, such a meter requires that the water be clean, otherwise it may fail as a result of large particles entering it, which will interfere with its proper functioning.

The dry version is not afraid of contamination, since its elements do not have direct contact with the liquid. The torque is created thanks to magnets, therefore the device itself is electronic; the disadvantages include the dependence on an external magnetic field, which can directly affect it. The display of such a device is digital, it shows a more accurate flow rate, lasts longer, but costs several times more than a mechanical analogue. The installation of the device is quite simple, often the models are protected by a special sleeve that allows you to get rid of the influence of an external magnetic field.

How to understand the scales?

In order to correctly take readings from the meter, you need to know the scale division. To do this, pay attention to a number of numbers on the device: they can be black and red. Divisions on the rotating part correspond to 100 ml, respectively, one revolution will correspond to 1 liter.

The numbers indicated in black are cubic meters, and the thousandths are indicated in red. Some devices have a different arrangement of scales, however, instructions are always attached to them, so it is not very difficult to understand the values. The scoreboard can be either mechanical or electronic, but the values are usually the same.

More complex models

There are quite sophisticated modern water meters, for example, equipped with a signal pulse output cable. Such a device is equipped with a reed switch. It reacts to the revolutions of the shaft and gives out certain impulses, which are transmitted to the metering device through a special cable. The meter can be located in any convenient place, it is not necessary to place it on the pipe, as in most cases. This makes its use convenient, since you can always come up and see the data, you do not need to get to communications.

There is usually a dedicated connector for connecting a cable, but some models have an integrated cable. The electronic unit is portable, it has its own power supply and memory, so it can go without power for a long time. It is also convenient in that you can program the amount to be paid, and the block will show not only the number of cubic meters, but also how much you will have to pay for them.

Hot water meters differ slightly in design, since they are designed for a greater temperature effect. They can not only take into account the consumption of the liquid, but also show its temperature, which is quite convenient, especially if you need to control this process, for example, for a bath or washing. Another advantage of such a meter is that if the water temperature is not high enough, then tariffing will become preferential, or like cold water, if the water is not hot enough.

There are water meters that are installed on two pipes at once, have different metering sensors and one electronic display. There are designs when the cable of the cold water meter is connected to the hot block. There is no fundamental difference, since the readings will be shown in any case quite accurately.

Counters for apartments

There are a large number of water meters, so the most popular models that are used in the house and apartment should be considered separately and in more detail, so that you can study all the pros and cons of the device and choose the most suitable one for your option.

Ultrasonic water meters can be quite interesting. They are able to determine the flow rate of the liquid using the sent ultrasonic pulses. For this, the device is equipped with piezoelectric sensors, which not only emit vibrations, but also receive them when they are reflected from the water passing through the pipes. All data is processed by a microprocessor, the results are displayed on an electronic display. Such a meter has high-precision readings, has no parts that come into contact with water, and is not afraid of electromagnetic oscillations.

An ultrasonic meter is a rather expensive and sophisticated equipment that is used on powerful water distribution systems. Most often these are enterprises, but there are also small devices that are used by users at home. The size of the device will be about the same as that of an electronic tachometer, but the ultrasonic version is marked on the Ultrasonic case, less often Ultralyd,indicating its peculiarity. Such a counter is distinguished by the possibility of the most accurate accounting. It is suitable for measuring both hot and cold water. The design of the meter has a special coil that is capable of creating a magnetic field. When a stream of water moves through this field, it creates a certain electromotive force, which the meter picks up. This allows you to get the most accurate readings.

Usually, such a meter is installed alone on an entire apartment building, its task is to control the water consumption of one object as a whole. Such a counter can be vortex or super-static, but this option is rarely used in city apartments, since this is not advisable in terms of cost. The device reads data as accurately as possible, has an electronic unit that sends information to the management company.

Kinds	pros	Minuses
Mechanical	+ High reliability based on extremely simple design + Compactness + Very low measurement error + Ease of installation + Average service life is 10-12 years + Low, in comparison with other types of meters, price + Availability of models with pulse output	Inevitable wear on the small gear train that rotates the impeller and counter High sensitivity to induction of magnetic field
Ultrasonic	+ High measurement accuracy + Lack of rubbing parts in the design and, as a result, low wear + No hydraulic resistance occurs + Large measuring range + Meter readings (to prevent spontaneous reset during blackout) are archived	Volatility: functions only with an active power supply Accuracy is greatly influenced by air bubbles in the water
Electromagnetic	+ The design minimizes hydraulic losses + The quality of the flowing liquid does not affect the meter reading in any way + They are used not only in domestic conditions, but also in chemical and food enterprises	The magnets installed in the meter can clog the flow pipe. High sensitivity to air bubbles in liquids, turbulent flows and ground currents flowing through the pipeline

How to choose a water meter for your home?

Before purchasing a metering device from a local management company, you need to inquire about the requirements for it. In many localities, a mandatory requirement for the installation of meters has already been introduced. For such places, a meter equipped with a pulse output is more suitable. The device must be certified, otherwise the management company will not approve it. You should only buy a new meter. The fact is that the controller will not seal a non-certified or not new device. Therefore, when buying a device, carefully consider the choice of the organization that sells it, in addition, it must have a product passport, which contains marks that it has passed the factory checks, the inter-verification periods and the warranty period are indicated.

When buying a water meter, it is important to pay attention to the year of manufacture, it is desirable that there is a date of manufacture of this year.

Both the water utility and your management company are obliged to seal such a device and accept its data; in case of a dispute, you can safely go to court. In detail, about self-installation of a water meter in an apartment.

The best mechanical water meters: budget up to 900 rubles	The best mechanical water meters with pulse output
1 ITELMA WFW20 D080 Best User Confirmed Quality	1 Zenner ETWI-N DN 15 The best combination of price and quality
2 METER SVU-15 Best price	2 Itelma WFW24 D080 High quality device
3 Betar SHV-15 Best operational ability	3 Valtec 1/2 Best Price

What is important to know about performance?

Before buying, pay attention not only to the price and place of sale, but also to the quality of the device. There are fairly cheap but unreliable water meters that will have to be replaced pretty soon. These include, for example, those whose body is siluminous. This material is afraid of corrosion, does not last long. If you want the device to last at least ten years, the body should be made of brass or bronze, if the meter is in direct contact with water, it can be stainless steel. The polymer case shows itself well. The material is durable, absolutely not afraid of moisture.

According to the law, the verification period for water meters is: 4 years for hot water; cold 6 years. It is important to pay attention to the year of manufacture and service life, it can be up to 12 years.

Pay attention to the contact with water of what temperature the meter is designed: some models are designed exclusively for cold water and cannot withstand temperatures more than +40 degrees. Models produced for metering hot water can withstand up to +90 ° C, some are perfect for use in cold water supply and should last longer. According to statistics, hot water meters most often break down.

Look at the display as well: it is desirable that it be color coded. It is usually made in two colors - blue and red. Such meters are universal and are installed on hot and cold pipes. The multipurpose instrument will have a gray display. Although, according to the manufacturers of some water meters, there is no technological difference, this is only a marking.

Pay attention to the installation parameters of the device. Pipes can be of different diameters. Accordingly, you need to select a suitable meter or use an American, but this will complicate the cut, create unnecessary joints that may start to leak. Another important parameter is the installation length of the meter: it can be from 110 mm to 260 mm, it depends on it whether there is enough space for the device where you are going to install it or not.

In addition, you will need to take into account the force of water pressure. The water meter must have a sufficiently large margin of safety, otherwise its body may crack. A standard water meter can withstand about 1 MPa - this is 10 pascals, and a more advanced one can withstand 16 atmospheres: this value is 1.6 MPa. In reality, there are practically no such pressure values in the water supply system.

Many counters allow a certain error, the smaller the better. The device must have an indicator of the permissible water consumption. This is a certain volume of liquid that can pass through the device without losing the accuracy of its readings. You can view the data in the product passport, they have alphabetic meanings that must be understood as follows:

• Qmax is the volume that is allowed to pass through the device for an hour.
• Qn - indicates the nominal flow rate. This indicator will provide the most accurate readings, while the meter itself will not suffer from increased loads.
• Qmin is, on the contrary, the minimum value at which the error will also be at a low level.
• Qt - denotes a transient flow rate, from which the level of error may vary slightly.

If you buy a meter for a DU-15 pipe, the maximum possible flow rate is usually standard, it is 3 m³ / hour, while the nominal value will be less than 1.5 m³ / hour, but you should remember that you should not exceed the maximum flow rate. The device may be damaged. The accuracy class of the device may differ from A to D, the higher it is, the smaller the error. For apartments and private houses, inexpensive class B devices are often bought, since they have sufficient accuracy, while their price is affordable.

Before buying, you need to check the completeness of the water meter, delivery number, warranty card, and case integrity. If you can choose a model with union nuts, take it, such a device is easier to mount.

Find out why it is so important to install a water pressure reducer in multi-storey buildings.

Conclusion: a water meter is a useful thing that will save you a lot, its purchase and installation will pay off in six months, and if you rarely use water, for example, you often leave, then the savings will start much faster. The main thing is to choose the right model for the price and quality.

Video:

Video:

Video: