Expiration date of water meters

The legislative framework

According to the Housing Code, GOST and a number of legislative acts, citizens of the Russian Federation undertake to maintain water meters in good condition, periodically checking them and, in case of breakdown, replacing them. The device is replaced if its expiration date has expired or it has failed earlier.

Who pays for the verification and purchase of a new water meter?

The verification is carried out at the expense of the property owners and on their initiative. In some territorial divisions, metering devices are checked free of charge. The new meter is paid in full by the owner of the premises.

Attention! If the inspector detects a malfunction of the water meter during verification, further readings taken from it will not be accepted when calculating the amount of the utility service. A failed device is unprofitable for the owner to use due to inaccurate measurements.

Operating requirements

Every citizen must:

• use only those meters that are in working condition;
• bear responsibility for any changes he makes to the design in order to reduce performance.

Procedure for replacing a water meter: timing of planned replacement, methods of replacement

For each metering device, the manufacturer provides its own service life. In addition, the rules provide for verification that they must be subjected to during operation. Often meters fail before these deadlines expire and there is a need to replace them.

1. Why replace and who can do it?
2. Timing for replacing meters
3. Responsibility for untimely change of meter
4. Legal regulation
5. Methods for replacing the device

Why carry out replacement, and who can do it.

What is included in the concept of period of use and interval between verifications?

The service life is indicated in the technical data sheet. It does not matter when the water meter was installed. After the period specified in the documents, the device must be sent for verification.

Warranty period from the manufacturer

The warranty period is indicated in the technical passport. According to GOST, it is 1.5 years from the date of issue. Manufacturers may provide a longer warranty period. If the storage and operating conditions are met, the water meter can be sent to a service center for repair if a breakdown occurs.

Standard service life of water meters

The shelf life of DHW and cold water devices is the same - 12 years. After this time, the device must be dismantled and replaced with a new one.

Attention! This rule applies only to standard vane meters. Some models of other types can last up to 20 years.

Check interval for water meters

The intervals between calibrations of hot and cold water supply meters are 4 and 6 years, respectively. If verification is not carried out during this period, the device will be officially deregistered. A device in which inaccuracies are identified during inspection must be replaced, regardless of whether its service life has expired or not.

The service life of the meters is 12 years.

Guarantee period

Each owner of meters must be aware that these devices have their own warranty period. On average, this period ranges from three to five years (depending on the manufacturer). And if during this time the meter turns out to be faulty, the manufacturer undertakes to replace the meter with a new one, or replace the failed parts (which is done less frequently).

What to do at the end of its service life

After the expiration date of water meters, payments for water consumption will begin to be made according to standards. Therefore, the flow meter must be changed.

The tenant must independently determine the end of the meter's service life. It depends on the production date and period of use, which are indicated in the flowmeter passport. To accurately determine the verification time, you should take into account not only the year, but also the month. This is why it is so important to keep technical documentation for the device.

The service life of cold and hot water meters is the same (standard - 12 years), although the latter operate in more extreme conditions. High temperature negatively affects the technical condition of the entire device. Therefore, the calibration interval of the meter for water supply in an apartment has been reduced to 4 years.

After 12 years of service, the metering device is considered out of order and should be replaced with a new one.

Steps to follow when replacing a flow meter:

• inform the nearest water utility department or your management company about your intention to dismantle the meter;
• after receiving permission to unseal, remove the old one and install a new flow meter (you can do it yourself, you can entrust this to a specialist);
• Call a water utility representative for sealing.

Reasons for failure before the end of the official service life

No water meter can work forever. Flow meters often break down before the end of the official operating period. Most inexpensive meters have to be replaced when the next verification is due. That is, after 4 years for hot water, 6 years for cold water.

The malfunction is recognized simply: the water meter stops correctly determining the volume or stops completely. In this case, the official deadlines for replacing water meters are no longer relevant. Devices will have to be repaired or replaced immediately.

Possible malfunctions:

• depressurization;
• incorrect installation;
• clogged pipeline;
• high pressure;
• illegal interference with the operation of the counting mechanism;
• heat.

Depressurization is an easily recognizable type of failure of a measuring device. It starts with slight fogging of the front glass and ends with streams of liquid gushing from the water meter in different directions. Most often, depressurization of the housing occurs when it is deformed from loads arising in the pipeline, or when it is distorted during installation.

Just as often, the flow meter gives incorrect readings due to incorrect installation. Important components may be loose or poorly tightened, or the hot and cold water inlets may be mixed up.

High hardness and increased salt content in the flowing liquid contribute to the formation of sludge build-up both in the pipeline and on the walls of the water meter itself. Vodokanal cannot always provide satisfactory water quality in water supply systems. Many indicators are within the limit values, and some may exceed them, which significantly reduces the service life.

High pressure in the water supply system is one of the possible causes of depressurization; it affects the housing and impeller.

Some residents who want to save money on housing and communal services interfere with the operation of the counting mechanism using illegal means. Magnets, pins, etc. are used to stop or slow down the water meter. External influence on the counting mechanism leads to its breakdown or leaves noticeable marks. Any interference is punishable by a fine and the purchase of a new device.

• High temperatures (more than 90°C) lead to deformation of the plastic parts of the water meter, followed by their replacement or the purchase of a new water meter.
• These circumstances determine how often water meters need to be replaced.

Repair or replacement of a water meter

This question comes up quite often. He's logical. If, for example, diagnostics show that the device is inoperative, then the first thought that appears to its owner is that it needs repair. Let's try to figure it out using the same logic.

A water meter is a mechanism that is affected by a liquid medium. Hot water is more aggressive. During its production, many technological processes are taken into account. Maintaining tightness and measurement accuracy, exposure to external and internal pressure. That is, it is a rather complex mechanism.

The cost of repairing it will be comparable to the cost of replacing the water meter. The process will take much longer than if you decide to change the IPU. The conclusion is quite definite. The repair process is not worth it.

What factors influence the shelf life of devices?

Factors contributing to water meter failure are listed in the table:

In what cases should you contact the company that installed the metering devices?

It is necessary to report a malfunction of the water meter if it:

• began to spin slower or, conversely, faster;
• constantly rewinds the readings, preventing the correct indication of water consumption data.

The owner of the apartment will be able to accurately determine the cause of the malfunction only with the help of a specialist.

What to do after the meter is declared faulty?

In this case, you should notify the housing office about the breakdown and call a repairman. The cost of the work will vary depending on whether an inspection or complete replacement of the equipment is required.

"National Economy" found out how homeowners who forgot to check their water meters are punished

Your time is up. How homeowners who forget to check their water meters are punished. Details a little later, first about the warranty periods of individual metering devices.

16 years of service. Of all the home meters, electric meters can work longer than others without failure. Without requiring verification - this is what control over the accuracy of readings is called. 16 years here, however, is the maximum term. Depending on the filling, and the consumed kilowatts are counted by induction and electronic devices, the calibration interval can be reduced to 6 years. And when buying a new meter, you need to look at when it was manufactured. Information in the technical passport. It is from this period, and not from the date of purchase, not from the date of installation, that the suitability of the device is considered. If it is the property of the homeowner, it is his direct responsibility to monitor the verification deadlines. But many electricity meters are still managed by resource organizations. Unlike the water ones. Here the entire responsibility is on us. Once every 6 years, at least, you need to call specialists to check the cold water meter. Once every 4 years - hot.

“Because our hot water is supplied with overheating, the use of the materials that exist, and everything also depends on the purification of the water and the gradients that are used. Therefore, such an interval was established. It was installed naturally through the endurance tests that were carried out, and with the capabilities that exist. Of course, for the most part, everything depends on the purity of the water,” says Deputy General Director of the Federal Budgetary Institution “Rostest Moscow”.

And even if the water passed through the meter without serious consequences for it, only specialists can confirm this. Violating verification deadlines is more expensive for yourself. Employees of management companies have a better memory than many apartment owners - they have a record of when your meter turned on. And if the device is overdue, water bills immediately begin to rise.

“Then we received a fine for not completing this inspection on time. The fine is five thousand rubles,” says Ekaterina Kovalchuk.

Ekaterina Kovalchuk learned about penalties for failure to timely check cold and hot water meters from the management company when she asked for clarification as to why her utility bills suddenly tripled.

“I don’t understand where they get such huge numbers. I searched on the Internet for what they could charge such a fine. I haven't found a single reason for this. I believe they have no right to collect this fine from us,” says Ekaterina Kovalchuk.

In fact, explains lawyer Igor Zverev, the bill issued is not a fine at all. Moreover, the law does not provide for penalties at all for failure to verify metering devices. However, management companies are inventive. And if the meters are overdue, they enter their readings in the water consumption column.

“In fact, they charge other volumes of water that are inflated. They are deceiving the consumer. But they hide behind this simply by the abstract word fine. They cannot fine,” warns Igor Zverev, a lawyer at the Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights.

In the absence of verification, water volumes, as practice shows, can really be anything. In the case of a receipt from one of the residents of Moscow, the volume of consumption was overestimated by 20 times. The residents of this apartment consumed an average of one and a half thousand liters of hot water per month. And they were given 30 thousand.

As we found out in the unified settlement center, according to the readings of the common house meter. When asked on what basis, the ERC employee referred to the rules of the contract, which is signed when installing meters. But the Management Company named a different law. City government decree number 77.

Interesting: How long to store fresh mushrooms in the refrigerator

Lawyer Dmitry Gordeev says such references are pure deceit. Moreover, general household consumption is also paid for by residents. For example, in the form of expenses for maintaining a home. But calculations for meters that have not passed verification are made differently.

“When a device has exceeded the inter-verification period, consumption standards are applied, while this consumption standard is established by a government agency and no one can come up with some kind of standard of its own, neither the managing organization nor the GUIZ with its RCC. That is, they apply the standard that was established by the state authority of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation,” says Dmitry Gordeev, leading legal adviser at the Institute of Urban Economics Foundation.

In Moscow, according to the standard, hot water consumption per month per person is almost 5 thousand liters, and for cold water - almost 7. Despite the fact that real consumption is less. But calculations according to the standards can begin only three months after the meter’s service life expires. Until this moment, according to paragraph 59 354 of the Government of the Russian Federation, all management companies in the country must use average monthly meter readings. But they thought differently - we need to demand a recalculation. And in case of refusal, contact the regional housing supervision authorities. Or to court.

And finally, a story from American Nashville. There they are vigorously discussing the robbery that took place 12 years ago. The criminal, who was never caught at one time, again reminded of himself. But now having returned what was stolen, and with interest. The other day, an unknown man handed the owner of the once damaged store an envelope and quickly disappeared. $400 and a letter of repentance were inside. The author, who did not give his name, said that under the influence of drugs he then pointed a gun at the cashier and took away $300. The current hundred from above is compensation for an unworthy act. The thief, of course, should be in prison. But this was forgiven. Moreover, the store owner regrets that he did not have time to personally thank him for the apology.

In Moscow, according to the standard, hot water consumption per month per person is almost 5 thousand liters, and for cold water - almost 7. Despite the fact that real consumption is less. But calculations according to the standards can begin only three months after the meter’s service life expires. Until this moment, according to paragraph 59 354 of the Government of the Russian Federation, all management companies in the country must use average monthly meter readings. But they thought differently - we need to demand a recalculation. And in case of refusal, contact the regional housing supervision authorities. Or to court.

What to do after the end of its service life?

Despite the full serviceability of the water meter, when the end date of its operation arrives, the device must be replaced. There are no special requirements for the model in terms of price or technical requirements - it is chosen at the discretion of the owner.

Who has the right to install new equipment?

The new device is installed:

• personally by the owner of the apartment or house;
• housing and communal services workers.

Responsibility for timely replacement of the device lies with the owner of the property. When installing new equipment, he must write a corresponding application, attaching to it copies of documents on ownership of the property and the technical passport of the device being replaced.

What needs to be done before replacing the meter?

The property owner must take the following actions:

• record and save the last readings of the old meter in advance;
• call a housing office employee to your home to inspect and confirm the integrity of the seal.

If the worker removes the old device and immediately installs the new one, he will finally put a seal on it. If you replace the device yourself, you should call a specialist to seal it, indicating a convenient date and time.

At the end of its service life, the device must be replaced.

When is an early replacement of a metering device necessary?

The water meter must be changed before the expiration of its service life if:

• it was accidentally damaged during repairs and replacement of water supply pipes;
• the meter did not pass the next verification and was declared invalid;
• The decision was made to remodel the apartment.

If a breakdown is detected during the warranty period, the device can be replaced or repaired by contacting the manufacturer.

Installation procedure for a new device

The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. The owner sends a request to the housing company.
2. An agreement is drawn up with a company that has permission to install metering devices.
3. A water meter is purchased at the company store.
4. Installation and sealing is carried out.
5. New documentation is being prepared.

Paid services

Paid services include installation of equipment by a specialist; its cost does not exceed 500 rubles. Documents for a new device are issued free of charge. Registration of the meter does not require any additional fee.

Some nuances

To avoid problems, it is recommended to purchase equipment only from specialized companies. A technical passport must be attached to the meter. It is necessary to check the production date indicated in the documents with the one printed on the product.

The need to install devices that take into account water consumption

Water meters allow you to control water consumption and pay only for the volumes consumed. In the absence of an individual metering device, the calculation is carried out according to general standards.

Features of verification

Verification is carried out after dismantling - removing the device. In this case, the specialist takes the water meter to an inspection company for examination. The check can also take place on site - at home. In the latter case, the accuracy of the analysis is not guaranteed.