Legal standards
A water meter is a precise device that is in constant contact with water, which undoubtedly contributes to rapid wear . And if you do not comply with the deadline for checking water meters, they will quickly become unusable and will show incorrect data.
The legislation clearly states that the owner of the residential premises must take care of routine checks of water measuring instruments. Certain deadlines are also prescribed - the cold water supply meter is checked every 6 years, and the hot water supply meter after 4 years .
Meter manufacturers follow the law and set inspection deadlines in accordance with its requirements. Each metering device is equipped with special documentation, which indicates the timing of its inspection and operation in general.
ATTENTION! The period for checking the device is counted from the date of manufacture, and not from the moment of its installation.
How to recalculate water using a meter
You will not be able to remove the device yourself; for this purpose, you will have to turn to the services of a professional installer who can record the readings given by the device that is to be dismantled, as well as the readings of the device that is being installed temporarily.
Then the representative’s responsibility will be to recalculate the amount of payment for utility services, as well as send the user, within a strictly established time frame, which is intended to cover utility services during the billing period, a requirement to deposit funds for the use of utility services or notifications indicating the amount of payment for utility services. type. Amounts overpaid by the consumer must be offset against future billing periods.
How to check
Currently, there is a wide selection of companies specializing in checking meters. When contacting them, you need to make sure that you have a license that allows you to provide this type of service .
You can seek the help of your management company. As a rule, managers are referred to a company that is guaranteed to test devices and has accreditation from the Federal Service.
Checking an individual meter can be done by dismantling it and sending it to a special laboratory. In this case, a housing office employee must be present and the seal will be removed from the device .
IMPORTANT! At the time of checking the meter in laboratory conditions, you must be provided with another water meter.
Companies equipped with specialized equipment can perform an inspection at home, in which case the presence of third parties is not necessary . Using a flow meter, the meter is assessed. High-precision scales weigh the amount of water passing through the device.
If the data does not exceed the permissible error, then the technician issues a document confirming the scheduled inspection and allowing further operation of the device. If the difference in error exceeds the permissible limit, the device is considered unsuitable and must be replaced.
Overdue verification of water meters
While external damage to water meters can almost always be detected with the naked eye, internal faults can only be revealed by verification. The regularity of the procedure is due precisely to the fact that deviations in the functioning of the meter are not always noticeable to its owner. And the deadlines prescribed by the manufacturer are set according to the results of factory tests and they are different for each model of the device.
Officially, the cost of preventing water meters without removing them at home in Moscow consists of the cost of a specialist’s work and the use of professional equipment. COST OF VERIFICATION OF WATER METERS Number of devices 1 2 3 4 Price, rub. 600 1200 1800 2400 Verification of water meters in Moscow districts For more than 10 years, the State Center for Electrical and Electrical Testing has officially provided metrological services in Moscow.
Differences between a hot water meter
A frequently asked question on the Internet is how to check a hot water meter? The process is identical as in the case of cold water. The only difference is the timing of the inspection.
ATTENTION! Hot water is enriched with a large number of chemical elements, which makes the device unusable much faster.
High temperatures also promote rapid wear . Therefore, according to the law, equipment must be inspected every 4 years.
How to find out when verification is required
The countdown of the period begins from the date of the last verification performed. The primary event is carried out at the manufacturer's plant, the second one is carried out at home. Many citizens confuse dates and start counting from the production date, which is erroneous.
In order not to make a mistake with the deadlines, you can control the date of the next verification from the receipt for payment of utility services. As a rule, management companies automatically set verification dates.
Who should monitor deadlines?
After installing a water metering device, all information about its operation is sent to your management company. As a rule, they maintain special documentation that indicates the installation dates and the timing of the planned check of the meters.
Most HOAs notify owners that the deadline is approaching, but this is not a requirement.
ATTENTION! The homeowner is obliged to monitor compliance with scheduled checks, based on the technical data sheet attached to the device.
Water meter verification is overdue
The MA does not have the right to take into account the readings of an unverified meter! Therefore, what positive result can we talk about?! That is, the metering device readings are considered valid only until the end date of the inter-verification period. “Restoration” of the validity of the readings occurs AFTER the verification of metering devices from the date of installation and the new introduction of verified devices into operation and the drawing up of a report on this. Verification of metering devices is carried out in a specialized institution WITH THE REMOVATION OF SUCH DEVICES FROM THE PIPELINE!!! From the day the meter is removed from the pipeline and accrual begins based on consumption standards. According to the verification periods: for the SV-15G device for cold water supply - 5 years, for hot water supply - 4 years.
The device has expired
The legislation provides for timely verification of meters without fail.
After the device's service life has expired, its readings are invalid. Charges for water consumption are calculated in this case based on average indicators for the six months .
If three people are registered in the apartment, and only one person lives, the calculation will be made for each registered person.
What to do when your water meter check is overdue? The first thing you need to do is contact the management company and find an organization that will carry out an inspection in the near future. You must recalculate according to average monthly standards and in the future you will have to pay at the established rate.
The law does not provide for a fine for overdue inspection. However, it is better to keep an eye on the deadlines so as not to overpay from your pocket for cubic meters of water that you did not use.
ATTENTION! It is recommended to check cold water and hot water 1.5 months before the specified date.
What to do if the water meter verification period has expired?
After the expiration of the maximum number of 3 billing periods specified in paragraph 59 of these Rules, for which the payment for utility services is determined by the average monthly volume of consumption..., the payment for utility services is then calculated based on the standards for the consumption of utility services." So feel free to show these points " to the head of the HOA” - how and when he should calculate the fee when the meter verification period has expired. Secondly, if you have the opportunity to personally contact the HOA, politely shove under the nose of the “head of the HOA” the text of paragraph 31 e) “Rules for the provision of utility services to owners and users of premises ...” (approved by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354 of May 6 2011): “…31.
Date set by the manufacturer
Many private organizations impose their services, offering to carry out a scheduled inspection. Before agreeing to this, it is worth finding out the real date set by the manufacturer . You can do this in a way convenient for you:
- During installation of the meter, the owner is required to issue a commissioning certificate, which indicates the date of the scheduled inspection. The technical data sheet of the device also contains information about the date of manufacture and subsequent checks.
- Rent receipts contain information about inspections, the number of the device used and previous readings.
- In your personal account on the Moscow government portal. Next to the field where meter readings are entered, there is a question mark “?” By clicking on it, you can learn more about mandatory checks.
Recalculation of housing and communal services using water meters
Metering devices of an approved type and verified in accordance with the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation on ensuring the uniformity of measurements are allowed for use. Information on the compliance of the metering device with the approved type, information on the date of initial verification of the metering device and the verification interval established for the metering device, as well as requirements for the operating conditions of the metering device must be indicated in the accompanying documents to the metering device.
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If, during the verification of the reliability of the information provided by the consumer about the readings of individual, common (apartment), room metering devices and (or) checking their condition, the contractor establishes that the meter is in good condition, including the seals on it are not damaged, but there are discrepancies between the readings of the metering device (distributors) being checked and the volume of the utility resource that was presented by the consumer to the contractor and used by the contractor when calculating the amount of payment for utility services for the billing period preceding the inspection, then the contractor is obliged to recalculate the amount of payment for utility services and send it to the consumer within the time limits established for payment of utilities for the billing period in which the contractor carried out an inspection, a requirement to make an additional charge for utility services provided to the consumer, or a notification of the amount of payment for utility services overcharged to the consumer. Excess amounts paid by the consumer are subject to offset when paying for future billing periods.
Grounds for unscheduled inspection of water meters
Situations arise when it is necessary to carry out an unscheduled check of water meters. The basis for this may be either a statement from the owner himself or the management company’s suspicions of the user’s dishonesty. Basically, state inspection is carried out in three cases:
- If irregularities in the operation of the equipment are noticed or a manufacturing defect is detected . Based on sudden changes in meter readings indicating an obvious breakdown, the management company may require an unscheduled inspection.
- If the integrity of the seals is broken , which indicates interference with the operation of the device. To resume use, it must be checked and resealed.
- During the inspection, the controller discovered the loss of the technical passport - the basis for stopping the acceptance of data until re-checking.
Each owner should be directly interested in the timely inspection of their devices. With the right approach to this issue, you will not have to overpay for water supply services.
Recalculation for water - if meters are installed
If the verification of the meter was missed, then after a certain period of time the owner nevertheless provided the meter for verification, and at the same time the amount for utility bills was calculated using common house metering devices, then the refusal of the management company to recalculate is illegal.
For a number of reasons, the information in the payment order may turn out to be unreliable. The amount will change upward if the citizen tried to use a number of measures, such as unauthorized cutting into a pipeline or breaking the integrity of the seals on the meter for the purpose of fraud.
