Illegal Ways Of Stopping The Meter With A Magnet Is Punishable. How To Detect That The Counter Was Stopped By A Neodymium Magnet?

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 22:24

Stop counters and consequences
Legislative and moral part
Do I need to use a magnet? - Strongly NO!
Penalties for using magnets on metering devices
Counter stop detection
Water meter "Aqua-1"
Application of neodymium magnets
Residual magnetization

For the first time, the property of neodymium magnets was discovered in Japan. At that time, it was invented and manufactured for industrial purposes. Because of its good demagnetization resistance, the neodymium magnet has been an indispensable element in computer and transformer systems.

The store sells neodymium magnets of different types and sizes, which are used for different purposes. Search magnets and toy balls for puzzles are very popular. But even harmless toys can break the control anti-magnetic seal.

Now such magnets are widely used in everyday life and construction as aids for repairs. And after the moment this magnet became generally available, they began to manufacture and sell it on a large scale and openly. And craftsmen used a magnet to stop the mechanism of a water or gas meter. Of course, such an alloy is extremely unsafe for human health, but due to its nickel-copper coating, it does not pose a threat to health. In addition, the coating makes the magnet resistant to corrosion and various deformations. In everyday life, instead of its direct purpose, the neodymium magnet has found its illegal use in stopping electricity, water and gas meters.

There are many different devices that control the consumption of electricity, water or gas. The manufacturers of these devices are trying in every possible way to design such a counter, which will be impossible to stop. But the fact is that most of the old meters work due to the mechanical metal parts of the counting mechanism … Such meters are equipped with anti-magnetic seals, which react to the slightest magnetic fields and it is impossible to break the control seal.

Stop counters and consequences

We will understand the principle of operation of water and electricity meters. Almost all counters work according to the principle "mechanical counting element - readout reader - readout (display)". And if at least one element is deactivated from this chain, then the account can change. Neodymium magnets can damage a mechanical counting element, disrupt the operation of the meter, which can ultimately lead to a fine, a water or power outage and serious consequences, even if you fail.

Attention! By using strong unequal magnets, your meter can become unusable, and the use of the magnet can be detected and recorded. Do not experiment with stopping the counter with magnets or anything else, otherwise you will break the law! This article is informational and warning, and does not contain specific methods. It was written in response to numerous requests and questions from our readers, which we will consider.

If we talk about stopping the electricity meter, then the neodymium magnet … removed the information … allowing it to rotate and wind Watts. This is the case with induction meters. If the meter is electric, then the probability of stopping it is very small. In rare cases, using … information removed … dimensions - there is a possibility of slowing down the LCD meter.

Speaking about water meters, their principle of operation is that there is a device in the meter chamber that looks like a turbine. The diameter of the turbine blades coincides with the diameter of this chamber, to which the pipe is connected. Water flows through this pipe. And in the process of using water, it, passing through the turbine blades, makes them spin. The flow of water and the rate of its entry directly affects the speed of rotation of the turbine. A magnet is attached to the turbine blade, and a second magnet is installed in the meter chamber. This second magnet is magnetically coupled to the one on the blade. And when the first magnet rotates, it makes the second one rotate, which is in the counter chamber. Thanks to the rotation of the second magnet, the monitoring device can take readings and display them on the display.

… information was removed at the request of the FEDERAL SUPERVISION SERVICE IN THE SPHERE OF COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND MASS COMMUNICATIONS …

If we talk about new models of water meters, then there is a different principle of operation, and protection against the effects of neodymium magnets is installed.

Legislative and moral part

In 2017, the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services focused its activities on those who decided to save by stopping the meters. Not without punitive measures: now, having caught an attempt to save money, the offender will be fined ten times the amount by which he managed to deceive the state.

The fact is that when there is a large non-matching of the meter indicator from the whole house with the sum of the individual indicators of the tenants, everyone living in this house is billed for general house needs. Common house needs include payments for electricity, gas supply, water supply and other costs that are spent on living as comfortably as possible in an apartment building. This can be the supply of electricity to the front door to the staircase and intercom, staircases, etc.

From all this, we can conclude that a conscientious citizen, on time and completely

paying all bills, at the expense of general house needs will pay the debts of those who stopped or unscrewed the meter readings. This is a direct infringement of the rights and freedoms of bona fide residents.

The opinion of the Deputy Head of the Federal Department of Housing and Communal Services, Andrey Chibis, is clear and laconic: “Pay for yourself, without forcing your neighbors to do it”. Also, according to Andrei, those who are engaged in stopping and unwinding the meter readings, in fact, are engaged in theft of state resources. Therefore, in an attempt to protect the disadvantaged, the state introduces such punitive measures and tightens the very process of bringing offenders to justice for installing neodymium magnets on a water meter.

According to clause 35 of the Rules for the provision of utilities, owners and users of premises in apartment buildings and residential buildings, the consumer does not have the right to arbitrarily break the seals on metering devices and at their connection (fastening) points, dismantle metering devices and carry out unauthorized interference in the work of these metering devices.

The installation of various devices that stop utility metering devices, the opening and inconspicuous removal of seals from metering devices and the subsequent failure to pay for the used water, heat energy, electrical energy is an unlawful act, for which, among other things, administrative or criminal liability may occur under Article 7.27 Administrative Code or Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, respectively.

Do I need to use a magnet? - Strongly NO

As soon as you get the idea of using magnets, be aware of the serious consequences:

Output from the working state of the counter.
They will put on a special record as a violator in a utility company.
Imposing impressive penalties on you.
Installation of a new metering device.
Possible interruption of water or electricity supply.

Stopping the meters is considered as the theft of energy resources, as a result of which the punishment is very significant. Once the magnet is installed, water or electricity consumption is reduced. This fact will raise suspicions from the supplying organization, and the controller may visit you.

As soon as the controller finds the magnetic device, after that he will compulsorily draw up a protocol and write out a fine. If the use of neodymium magnets damaged the meter, in addition to the fine, you need to go through the procedure for installing and sealing the meter again. In the private sector, it is often found that the responsibility for using magnets and refusing to pay a fine, in which case a complete cessation of the supply of water or electricity to the house is applied.

Modern meters are now equipped with a special tape that makes the magnet unsuitable. It is impossible to get rid of such a tape, since the principle of its action is like a seal. As soon as you decide to unstick it, the special word "OPEN" appears on it. If the inspector sees such an inscription, he will immediately write you a fine, it will be equal to that of removing the seal. In addition to this, employees of utilities will recalculate the consumption of water or electricity at the average.

Penalties for using magnets on metering devices

In practice, it is not often possible to prove to employees of utilities that a magnet was installed on a metering device. Nevertheless, if it was possible to find a magnet, then an act of administrative offense is drawn up. According to the new law, which came into force on 01.01.2016, the liability for the use of magnets has increased.

In this case, the fine is calculated according to the average water consumption rate and multiplied by 10. Only the timing of the payment remained unchanged. If the check has not been carried out within the last few years, then a period of 36 months is taken for the calculation. If the controller carried out the inspection this or last year, then the recalculation will be made from the date of his visit.

Counter stop detection

In the housing office there is a specific procedure for checking residents for the fact that the meter has stopped.

Visual confirmation. The easiest way to make sure that the meter has stopped is to see the magnet on the meter. But this aspect cannot be confirmed in practice, because those who try to cheat will cheat to the end. Recalling their right to the inviolability of their homes, offenders will not let government officials into their homes. And the law, in this situation, will be on their side.
Teslameter. If the unscrupulous citizen, letting the employees into the apartment, managed to remove the magnet, the fact of stopping is easily checked with a special device. The principle of operation of the teslameter is based on the residual magnetization of the meter, the readings of which will be very different from those of the counter that has not been stopped. But this method of detecting a magnet also has its drawbacks. The first is the cost of a teslameter, which fluctuates around 30 thousand rubles. Not every housing office can afford such equipment. Second - again, the verification procedure will take place only if the inspector gets into the apartment with the consent of the resident.
Anti-magnetic sealing. If there is any suspicion, the executive authorities of public utilities can install an anti-magnetic seal on the meter. Signals about an attempt to stop the counter with a magnet, changing its color. There are, of course, ways to deceive the seal. In addition, such seals are sold in the public domain on the Internet.
Built-in radio module. Recently, meter manufacturers often make changes to the meter design by adding a sensor. Works offline. Sends warnings to the attendant as a result of an attempt to stop the meter or damage the sensor.

In conjunction with frequent attempts to deceive metering devices, various types of anti-magnetic stickers were often used.

Varieties of seal models:

Vandal-proof pad - magnetic field indicator "EnergoExpert".
Anti-vandal seal indicator "MID" or "MIV".
Anti-magnetic seal - IMP-2.
Anti-magnetic seal - IMP-2 (MIG).
Antimagnetic seal - "Magnet".

Water meter "Aqua-1"

Using the “Aqua-1” meter as an example, you can understand the principle of operation of meters with built-in radio modules.

The first, made in Russia, water meter with a built-in sensor for sending data. The convenience in using this meter lies in the fact that the procedure for taking readings and sending them to the appropriate authorities of utilities is automated and autonomous. To send readings, the "Strizh" radio module is used, which, unlike all other data transmission modules, is the most budgetary. It is for this reason that the Aqua-1 meter is considered one of the most popular among automated and easy-to-use meters. The sensor itself operates from an internal power source, the energy capacity of which is designed for a long period of time (about 10 years). The "Strizh" radio signal is capable of reaching the receiver at a distance of 10 kilometers within the city limits. If the radio module and the receiver are located from each other in an open area without any obstacles, then the range indicator can reach 50 kilometers.

The downside of comfort in use is the inability to stop the meter with a magnet. To be precise, there is a possibility to stop the “Aqua-1” with a neodymium magnet, but this attempt to save money will be recorded and sent to the duty officer. This report will record the apartment and the time of the attempt to stop the counter. Therefore, among those who like to stop the meters with a magnet and save money, this model of the water meter is absolutely not in demand. More details about the methods of stopping electricity meters and which ones lend themselves to stopping are prohibited by law.

Application of neodymium magnets

Today, neodymium magnets are often used and not for industrial purposes. An interested citizen, wishing to find any information about the possibility of stopping the meter with a magnet, can find it on the open spaces of the Internet, there is plenty of it there. Thousands of articles and discussions on forums, hundreds of videos on YouTube, about this, but not with us, you can't:-)

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We learned. There are even offices selling neodymium magnets, with their own hot lines. In order to buy a magnet, you don't even need to know which counter to stop. It is enough to call the line and answer a couple of questions, the consultant will explain which meter you are describing, and which magnet you need to purchase for this, but no one will give a guarantee that this works because the metering devices are constantly being modernized. In addition, it may not be possible to stop the counter. The most interesting thing is that after all this, the consultant will give recommendations: you need to change the meter to an older model, and buy a magnet worth 1,000 rubles, which will significantly save costs. That is, stopping electricity meters with magnets is already a whole business.

It is estimated that approximately one in ten cheats and stops the electricity meter. And about half use neodymium magnets. And if we talk about those who use magnets to stop meters, then it is worth noting that not only residents of houses and apartments use this illegal method. In a car repair service, also before energy-intensive work, some people illegally stop the meters. And when asked about the basis of this procedure, they answer that the employer requires them to fulfill this condition, as a mandatory aspect of saving money. There are more and more such dishonest users and management companies are actively fighting this evil - this is their job and direct responsibilities.

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Residual magnetization

There is a concept that when a magnet is used when trying to stop the meter, the meter gets residual magnetization. The magnitude of this remanent magnetization can be measured using an instrument such as a teslameter. And representatives of housing and communal services declare with confidence that

the detection of this residual magnetization indicates that a magnet was applied to the device in order to distort the meter readings.

But the fact is that today there are no norms established by the legislative body that would regulate the issue of remanent magnetization.

There is still no formally fixed and documented procedure for measuring this remanent magnetization. If not to talk about the fixed boundary values of permissible indicators and not permissible. That is, most of the executive bodies of public utilities, relying on their own conjectures and guesses about what value the allowable value of residual magnetization may be, write fines and penalties, in their opinion, to offenders. In any case, such offenders will be taken under special control.

The author of this article in no way calls for breaking the law and conducting experiments with magnets and a water or electricity meter. The article is for informational purposes only and does not contain direct methods and ways to stop the counter.

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