Hot water meter service life. Warranty periods for water meters

Water supply meters installed in homes allow you to pay only for the amount of water actually used, without overpaying, as happened before. Today, almost every family has such a meter installed. But it must be remembered that the service life of hot and cold water limited.

Installation of meters

The purchase of appliances is made at the expense of the homeowner. After the meters have been purchased, you must submit a written application to the organization that provides services for installation and sealing of meters (plumbing can also do the installation, but the sealing and transmission of readings must be performed by an official working for a company that provides city water supply services) .

Immediately after the water meters start working, the payer will notice a pleasant difference in the values ​​of water bills before and after the meters were installed. Over time, devices wear out, prolonged operation leads to malfunctions that affect the readings, and this inaccuracy can be either greater or lesser. According to the law “On Ensuring the Uniformity of Measurements”, adopted in Moscow in 2008, the obligation to provide meters for periodic inspection is clearly stated.

Checking counters

As a general rule, counters hot water must be checked once every 4 years, and cold water meters - once every 6 years. If during this period the owner of the property does not provide devices for inspection, he may be deregistered. The amount of payments for water use will increase significantly - after deregistration, water consumption is calculated at the standard tariff, multiplied by the number of people registered in the apartment.

Warm and cold water meters are sold complete with a technical passport for the devices, which specifies their expiration dates (in most cases, 12 years) and the periods during which it is necessary to check the performance of the meters.

Do not confuse the concept of “meter validity period” and “period of checking the serviceability of meters”. The meter can be in operation for 5 or 10 years - the period does not matter, the main thing is that during each check the full serviceability of the meter is established.

It is impossible to check the meter yourself. To do this, they call in specialists from specialized commercial enterprises, who are required to have a certificate allowing them to engage in this activity.

Checking the equipment is possible in 2 ways:

• The meters are dismantled, after which the adjusters take them to production, where they check the functionality of the devices. During this time, temporary equipment is installed in the apartment. This method requires a lot of time - testing the device takes 2 weeks. In addition, removal and return of equipment is possible only upon notification of the management company;
• meters are checked on site, without dismantling. For these purposes, the adjusters have a special device with which the water supply meter will be tested within 30 minutes. This procedure is expensive - in Moscow, companies charge from 1000 rubles for each meter.

If a malfunction is detected in the meter, the homeowner urgently needs to install new equipment, otherwise he will have to significantly overpay when paying for services for using water.

Replacement water meters

If there are any malfunctions, the meters must be replaced. After testing and detection of deficiencies, the meters are deregistered, and until the owner of the apartment installs new meters, charges will be received at the standard rate, multiplied by the number of persons registered in the apartment.

Factors affecting the performance of the meter:

• water quality. Poor water quality leads to rapid wear of equipment. In some cases, the service life of the meter was 2 years;
• pressure. If the water pressure is unstable, the service life of the meters may also be reduced.

The homeowner may refuse to check the meters in favor of replacing them with new ones. When the time for inspection comes, the applicant invites adjusters to take readings from the old meter. After this, the old meter is dismantled, a new water meter is installed, and water is paid according to actual indicators.

Video: H something you need to know when replacing water meters

After installing a water meter, you need to verify it within the period established by the state. At the same time, the calibration interval for cold and hot water units is significantly different. In addition, each meter has a service life (usually 10-12 years), which is indicated by the manufacturer in the technical passport. The metering unit is replaced with a new device if, based on the verification results, the water meter is found to be faulty or if the service life of the device has expired. Thus, if you want to purchase water meters that will serve you for six years, then you need to take into account the shelf life of the metering unit and its verification.

Calibration interval

• For cold water PU this interval is 6 g.
• And for hot water metering devices, the calibration interval is 4 g.

Thus, it turns out that for six years you can only install a meter to record the volume of cold water supply. But your hot water appliance can only work for four years without testing. If the verification shows that the water meter is in good working order, it can be used for another verification interval, that is, another 4 years. Since the service life of the meters, set by the manufacturer, is 10-12 years, the cold water meter can operate for a maximum of two verification intervals of 6 years, and the hot water water meter can operate for three intervals of 4 years.

In this case, the verification interval is counted not from the moment the water meter is installed in your home, but from the date of its production. That is, in order for a cold water metering unit to work for you for six years without verification, you must buy it immediately after manufacture. This requirement is based on the fact that sometimes, under improper storage conditions, the device may lose its technical and operational characteristics and fail faster. Thus, the longer the water meter gathers dust on a shelf in a store, the greater the likelihood that it will break down during operation.

Important: if you do not know when you need to check the water meter after its installation, then, knowing the deadlines established by law, and having in your hands a technical passport with the date of manufacture of the device, you can independently calculate the verification period for your device. Typically, water utility services or the management office indicate these deadlines in the technical passport during installation or send notifications by mail about the upcoming verification.

As a rule, the meter must be verified within the prescribed period. Thanks to this, it is possible to detect deviations in the operation of the cold and hot water meter in a timely manner. At the same time, the calibration interval for hot water metering units is shorter due to the negative impact on the meter high temperatures. As observations have shown, many devices fail precisely when the verification period ends. As a result, malfunctioning and incorrect calculation of readings can be identified in a timely manner and eliminated by repairing or replacing the water meter.

Attention: owners cannot independently check water meters. To do this, you need to contact the appropriate water utility services or management office.

If the verification is not completed within the established verification interval, then the PU readings are considered invalid and cannot be used when calculating payments for water supply utilities. From this moment on, payments will be calculated according to the average water consumption standards per person registered in the apartment. Since these standards are too high, you will have to pay much more.

Service life

As we said above, if you want to buy a water meter that will work for you for six years, then you need to pay attention not only to the calibration interval, but also to the service life of the unit specified by the manufacturer.

Thus, most modern domestically manufactured meters have a service life of 10 to 12 years, according to GOST. And the service life of imported water meters can reach up to 15 years. However, even if you buy a water meter with a service life of 10-12 liters, this does not guarantee that the first verification after its installation will be performed after 4-6 liters.

The thing is that the first verification period is counted not from the date of installation, but from the date of manufacture. Thus, having bought a device that has been stale on a store shelf, you may be faced with the need to perform verification in 1-3 years. After this first verification, if the device is in working order, the next verification period will be counted from the date of the first verification, in accordance with the verification interval established by law.

Advice: if you don’t know which water meter to buy so that it will work for a long time before the first verification (6 years), then look at the date of manufacture. It is better to buy water meters manufactured in the current year.

As for the shelf life of 10-12 liters, it will allow you to use the water meter for as long as possible, provided that all verifications show its full serviceability. For example, you can buy a Betar hot and cold water meter with a service life of 10-12 liters. As a result, it turns out that:

• PU cold water you will have to check once after 6 years. If it turns out to be in good order, then the Prior will work for you for another six years, provided that the service life is 12 years. After this, the water meter will have to be changed in any case. If the service life declared by the manufacturer is 10 years, then after the first verification the device will have to be changed after 4 years.
• Regarding PU hot water, then, provided that it is in good working order, it will survive two verification intervals of four years, after which after another 4 years it will have to be changed, since the expiration date will expire. But this is subject to the manufacturer’s stated service life of 12 years. If this period is 10 years, then after two verifications the device will have to be changed after 2 years.

Guarantee period

Do not confuse the manufacturer's warranty with the service life of the water meter. Typically, the manufacturer provides a 1.5-year warranty on vane-type water meters installed in our apartments. In this case, the warranty period begins to count from the date of sale of the water meter, and not from the date of its production or installation.

If your PU fails before the expiration date warranty obligations manufacturer, then you can demand a free replacement of the device or its repair at the manufacturer’s expense. However, you must have a registration certificate for your meter with you, which has a store stamp and the date of sale.

The proper operation of the meter and its service life depend on several factors:

1. First of all, the quality of the water passing through the unit has a significant impact. The more solid impurities there are, the faster the mechanical parts of the water meter will wear out and it will fail. That is why, when installing meters, a coarse filter must be installed in front of them.
2. An equally important factor is the condition of the plumbing system. In old, worn-out mains, meters become clogged with rust and debris that gets into the water from the pipes.
3. The consumer himself can quickly damage the device if he uses magnets or tries by any means to stop the rotation of the impeller or rewind the water meter readings. In addition to harm to the meter, such actions are considered illegal and are punishable by a fine.

Verification or replacement ahead of schedule

It happens that the water meter must be verified or replaced earlier. This may be required in the following situations:

• The owner of the control unit can, at his discretion, replace the water meter with a new device that, in his opinion, is of better quality. No service has the right to prohibit you from making such a replacement.
• Premature failure of the device, which is visible visually, requires early verification to make sure that the unit is really faulty. As a result, the product can be repaired or replaced with a new PU. Typically, such a breakdown is noticeable by the impeller stopping when the taps are open or by inflated readings on the display, provided that normal volumes of water were used.
• Sometimes even a new control unit has to be replaced. The reason for this may be a manufacturing defect or breakdown due to improper storage and transportation conditions. Such damage can be detected at the time of installation. In this case, you have the right to replace the device under warranty free of charge.
• If the seal is broken or the technical passport for the water meter is lost, then you will have to do an early verification to make sure that the unit is in working order and obtain permission for its further operation.

A water meter is an important water metering device that helps you save money every month. Before purchasing a water meter, you should definitely pay attention to its service life. Today, many people are interested in the service life of water meters. There is an opinion that all water measuring devices fail after a few years, so there is no point in installing such devices. Let's see how this opinion corresponds to reality.

What do the manufacturers say?

The majority of water meter manufacturing plants claim that the meter will last 8-10 years at average loads, while the mean time between failures is at least 100-105 thousand hours. This period will be valid provided that the device is tested every 5 years in the appropriate laboratories. These service life periods are actually possible if the meter undergoes regular verification. in most cases lower than accounting systems. This is due to higher pollution and water temperatures.

On the need for regular inspections

Why is it necessary to check water meters? Over time, structural elements wear out, so no one can guarantee the correct accounting of water consumed. Including its owner. Experts say that after 5-6 years the meter becomes dirty due to worn-out pipes. The service life is also affected by water hardness. When mineral formations accumulate on the walls of the pipes and the impeller, the pressure in the pipe and the device itself begins to increase, which affects the speed of rotation of the meter's reading turntable.

How to extend service life?

If you install a coarse water filter, you can significantly extend the service life of the water meter and maintain the mobility of the impeller. Don’t forget to blow out the filter every 3-4 months to remove accumulated particles.

Pay attention to the color of the water when filling the bath in the morning. If the water is slightly yellowish, this may indicate wear on the pipeline system, the presence of abundant formations on the walls of the pipes. Of course, in such a situation it is advisable to change the pipes throughout the house.

It is advisable to buy meters from well-known manufacturers, for example, Meter, Valtec. Such companies use really high-quality elements in the manufacture of devices.

If you are planning to repair the meter...

Water meters have a special design that is practically not subject to major repairs. Therefore, spare parts for the devices cannot be found on sale. The reasonable cost of a high-quality and reliable water meter allows you to purchase a new device rather than engage in useless repairs of old equipment. Therefore, verification often occurs through replacement, and not by analyzing the performance of the water meter. Plumber experts say that sometimes it is better to purchase a new water meter than to diagnose the old one. Since in the latter case it is necessary to pay for the laboratory service and there is a probability of approximately 30% that the device will still have to be changed, that is, you will have to pay for further replacement.