How To Install A Water Meter Yourself According To The Rules And What Is Important To Know At The Same Time

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

• Which flow meter to choose
• Shut-off valves: why and which is better
• Installation features
• Checking and sealing
• Where to install the counter
• Installation procedure
• Commissioning
• Some nuances

Installation of water meters is a pressing issue. According to the law, every home must have such a flow meter. You can perform such work in two ways: hire a company that specializes in this, or do it yourself. The first option suits very few people, since the services of professionals are not cheap. As for the second option, not every owner knows how to properly install water meters.

Which flow meter to choose

Do-it-yourself installation of a water meter begins with the choice of a device. There is a wide range of such products on the market. Turbine mechanical devices are considered the best option. They are inexpensive and reliable. As for modern electronic flow meters, although they look cool, they often fail. As a result, you will have to replace the water meter, which will entail money and time costs.

Cold and hot water meters have some design differences. This can be seen in their belts. Thus, a “hot” water meter has a red belt, and a “cold” one - blue. The red belt flow meter is suitable for both hot and cold water. The problem is that it costs an order of magnitude more expensive than its "brother". If the flowmeter with a blue belt is put on hot water, the inspector will not be able to take it into operation.

It is better to buy ordinary flow meters for an apartment. They have the appropriate certificates. Therefore, there will be no problems with commissioning. When buying, it is worth checking if the kit contains all the elements used during installation. Unfair market sellers open the kit and sell the parts separately from the main product. Therefore, it is better to make a purchase in special stores. The complete set consists of:

• filter;
• connector with nipples - 2 pcs.;
• cap nuts;
• check valve;
• gaskets.

When purchasing a water meter, it is worth checking if there is a passport in the kit. It is printed using a typographic method and sealed with a factory stamp. The serial number of the product and the passport number must be identical. If instead of a passport there is a xeroxed piece of paper, then you will need to pay extra during the check.

Shut-off valves: why and which is better

Hot cold water meters are often equipped with special shut-off valves. There is a special hole on the tap, which is used for sealing. If a plastic pipeline with welded joints is arranged in an apartment or house, then the water meter is installed without a seal. Of course, the last word rests with the inspector of the city water utility.

When buying, it is also worth checking the type of crane. If it is silumin, then problems may arise in the future. The fact is that such products are subject to sudden destruction from corrosion. This is dangerous because the destruction of this element will lead to a leak, and there will be nothing to shut off the water. Therefore, it is better to purchase a water meter with a metal-plastic shut-off valve that can serve for a long period.

Installation features

When installing a water meter with your own hands, you need to take into account some of the nuances:

• If the apartment where the flow meter will be installed has a fire drain, then you will need another valve. It is installed on the bypass pipe and sealed. According to all standards, firefighters must perform this work. Therefore, you need to warn them in advance about the installation of a water meter. Of course, if necessary, work can be done independently.
• There are also problems with hot water supply, which are made according to a two-pipe scheme. Such systems are extremely rare. Here it will be necessary to additionally mount a bypass valve on the circulation pipe. Otherwise, cold water meters will constantly work, and count cubic meters of water that are not actually used.
• The temperature regime in the room where the meter is installed is also important. The temperature should be at least 5 degrees Celsius. This is especially true for private houses, when devices are installed on the street or in the basement. At low temperatures, the hot water meter may be damaged.

These nuances must be taken into account before proceeding with the installation. Otherwise, problems may arise that will lead to a malfunction of the device or to errors in measuring the consumed water.

Checking and sealing

Self-installation of water meters begins with checking them. There is no need to ask the seller for a device with all zeros and a check. Initial readings are recorded when the meter is put into operation. With regard to performance, everything is quite simple here. If, as a result of the check, it turns out that the meter is faulty, then the owner is issued an expert opinion. With such a document, he can easily change the device. The exceptions are cases when the product was purchased from hands without issuing any documents.

When buying a water meter, it is very important that there is a passport for the meter. It is imperative to look at the date of manufacture of the water meter, since this date can be indicated as a check. For cold water meters, check after 6 years. For hot ones after 4 years.

The meters are checked in the instrumentation service. You can find it in the housing office or in the water utility. You can also use the services of specialized firms. Regardless, the check is carried out free of charge, which is in accordance with the law. All the information of interest will be provided by the ZhEK engineer.

Counters are handed over for verification with a factory passport that came with the device. At the end of the check, a stamp from the relevant service is put in the passport. The service is obliged to take any device for inspection, even if there are no relevant documents for it. This is indicated in legislative acts.

Interesting: If the device is "left", then you will need to pay extra for the check, as a result of which the corresponding documents will be issued

The instrumentation control service must indicate the time when the instrument will be sealed. If the seal is damaged as a result of transportation of the device, the engineer may refuse to accept the meter into operation. When the check is carried out, you can start solving the question of how to install water meters.

Where to install the counter

Before starting work, you need to choose a place to install the water meter. It is best to do this as close as possible to the entry of the pipeline into an enclosed space. The fact is that if there is a possibility of connecting to the pipeline in front of the flow meter, then the inspector can refuse to seal. This is due to the fact that there is a high risk that water will be consumed without consideration. It is better to resolve the issue with a specialized organization. This problem will fall on their shoulders. But, if the connection of water meters is carried out independently, then you will have to think carefully about where it is best to do this.

As practice shows, there are many schemes for installing cold water meters. So, the inspector can take it into operation if it is installed near the consumer or half a meter from him. If this is not possible, then the water meter is mounted in the wrong place. Before making any decisions, you need to consult with experts on how to install a water meter.

Interesting: In some cases, the water supply system may be incorrectly laid, which, as a result, will not allow the device to be installed in the proper place. It is better to coordinate such nuances with the housing office engineer who serves the house

Do-it-yourself water meter connection in private houses is more seriously monitored. So, the device should be no more than 20 cm from the wall where the pipe comes out. If we are talking about a private house, then there are some features. So, a water well located on the territory should be in a capital structure with a metal cover that fits snugly. A seal is also placed on it to prevent it from cutting into the pipeline and consuming water bypassing the meter. If you need access to the well, you will need to unseal. So in detail how to install a water meter can be found by watching the video below?

Installation procedure

The correct installation of water meters is carried out according to a certain scheme. There should be no water intake devices up to the stopcock. If the pipeline is made of metal pipes, then the first and last joints are waterproofed. The rest use ordinary seals. Installation is carried out in the following sequence:

• Ball shut-off valve. If necessary, it allows you to shut off the water supply to consumers located in this room. When it comes to welded plastic water pipes, the flow meter can be moved back a little.
• Mesh filter. With its help, fine suspended matter is collected. This protects the water meter from blockage. According to technical conditions, this element is installed in the water supply system, both in city apartments and in country houses.
• Counter. The name speaks for itself. The main thing is to correctly install the water meter.
• Check valve. Provided by technical conditions and prevents reverse unwinding of the water meter.

Particular attention is paid to the installation of the filter. If the flowmeter is installed in a horizontal pipeline, then the filter branch pipe is placed downward. In a vertical water supply, it should stick out to the side. This prevents clogging of the water meter when cleaning the filter. To perform the installation work, you will need an adjustable wrench and tow to seal the threaded connections. Now, probably, everyone knows how to install a water meter yourself.

It is important to know that a check valve must be installed in order to avoid a pressure difference in the water supply system and overflow of water from cold to hot or vice versa.

There are meter models in which a check valve is already provided in the kit. But it is so tiny that it is better to install a full-fledged check valve.

Commissioning

After the flow meter is installed, it is necessary to check the piping for leaks. If they are not there, then you need to immediately contact the water utility and find out when the inspector will come to seal the device. Until the moment the seal is in place, water is charged at the old rate. The water meter sealing scheme looks very simple.

The inspector is given only three working days for sealing. To carry out the procedure, you will need an act of checking the water meter and a technical passport. There is no need to provide any documents that the installation was carried out by the appropriate specialists. Therefore, do not worry if this work was done independently.

Important: The inspector has no right to demand from the consumer that the installation of the water meter is carried out by specialists

When sealing, the inspector draws up an act of putting the flow meter into operation, which indicates the initial readings. At the end of the procedure, a vodokanal employee provides a service contract. It needs to be investigated carefully as there are known cases of fraud. So it may contain a subscription fee for service, as well as information that the consumer is obliged to periodically provide a water meter for verification at his own expense.

Some nuances

Having weighed all the pros and cons, you decided to install water meters in your apartment or in your organization. What do you need to know?

Do not entrust this important event to random people, do not buy counters "hand-held" on the street, market or simply from friends, do not install them yourself. This will lead to a number of problems, ranging from a low-quality device and most importantly, a lack of warranty for the water meter. Once deciding to save on the installation of a water meter, you will inevitably go through this process again from start to finish, when you have to calibrate the meter, since the installation, maintenance and the meter itself for an organization that takes into account water consumption and sends you a bill, it is necessary to submit licenses, certificates for the installation of water meters and a passport for the device itself. Only in the presence of the entire package of documents, the readings of your meter will be recognized as correct, and the installation of a water meter will not give you any trouble in the future.

Having installed water meters, you will have to read the meter readings on a monthly basis, send the readings themselves to the EIRC (Unified Information and Settlement Center). The readings are read from the indicator device, compared with those previously taken, the difference is calculated, and this difference is considered an indicator of the water consumed by you per month. Indicator devices are of two types: roller and pointer. According to your indicators, you will be charged in accordance with the established tariff for this service, and sent in the form of a receipt.

You can submit an application for the installation of metering devices for hot and cold water both online on the website of a company that has permission for this type of work, or by calling the company's phones. The installers will arrive at any time convenient for you. There is no need to sit and wait all day, the main thing is to agree in advance about the time of work.

It is worth noting that the use of metering devices in residential apartments allows you to save up to three thousand rubles for the entire period of consumption throughout the year, but at enterprises the savings will be many times greater over the same period of time. It is especially beneficial for legal entities to install industrial metering devices with a large size and higher throughput. Organizations that perform all types of work on the installation, calibration and maintenance of water meters work with both individuals and legal entities. Payment is possible both in cash and by bank transfer. The devices have anti-magnetic protection, the dimensions established for these types of devices, and are included in the list of all individual metering devices for the consumption of the volumes of resources used.

You can see the cost of installation, maintenance and calibration of cold and hot input meters on the campaign website or find out by calling the indicated numbers. Highly qualified specialists, masters of their craft will competently and in detail explain to you everything related to the work performed, recommend you what to do before the master comes and calculate all the costs of installing meters.

In order to protect yourself from problems in the future, it is worth considering some of the problems that may arise during the operation of the water meter:

• If there is a need to clean the filter, then this should be reported to specialists. They are obliged to carry out all relevant work free of charge. Under no circumstances should the seal be torn off.
• If the seal was still torn off, then you need to submit an application to the water utility. You will have to pay for re-filling. But, this is better than paying a fine.
• If necessary, the consumer can conduct an unscheduled inspection of the product. This is done in cases where there is a suspicion that the counting is incorrect. The check is free of charge.

Given such features and observing some rules, you can save yourself from various kinds of problems. As for the process of installing a water meter itself, you can do it yourself without any help. The main thing is to choose the right product and prepare the tools. Details about the water supply system.

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