Hot water meter service life. Warranty periods for water meters

Water supply meters installed in houses make it possible to pay only for the amount of water actually used, without overpaying, as was the case before. Today, almost every family has such a counter. But it must be remembered that the service life of hot and cold water limited.

Installation of counters

The purchase of appliances is made at the expense of the homeowner. After the meters are purchased, it is necessary to apply with a written application to the organization providing services for installing and sealing the meters (plumbers can also be involved in the installation, but the sealing and transmission of readings should be carried out by an official working for an enterprise that is engaged in the city's water supply service) .

Immediately after the start of the water meters, the payer will notice a pleasant difference in the values ​​​​of water bills before and after the meters were installed. Over time, the instruments wear out, prolonged operation leads to a malfunction that affects the readings, and this inaccuracy can be either up or down. According to the law "On Ensuring the Uniformity of Measurements", adopted in Moscow in 2008, the obligation to provide meters for periodic verification is clearly spelled out.

Checking counters

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

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

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

It is impossible to check the counter yourself. For this, specialists from specialized commercial enterprises are called in, who are required to have a certificate allowing them to engage in this activity.

Hardware check is possible in 2 ways:

• the meters are dismantled, after which the adjusters take them to production, where they check the operability of the devices. Temporary equipment is being installed in the apartment at this time. This method requires a lot of time - testing the device is carried out for 2 weeks. In addition, the removal and return of the 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 malfunctions are found in the meter, the homeowner must urgently install new equipment, otherwise he will have to significantly overpay when paying for services for using water.

Replacement water meters

In the presence of malfunctions, the meters are subject to mandatory replacement. After testing and detection of shortcomings, the meters are deregistered, and until the owner of the apartment installs new meters, accruals will come at the standard rate multiplied by the number of persons registered in the apartment.

Factors affecting the performance of the counter:

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

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

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

After installing the water meter, you need to carry out its verification within the period established by the state. At the same time, for units of cold and hot water, the calibration interval differs significantly. In addition, each meter has a service life (usually 10-12 years), which is indicated by the manufacturer in the data sheet. The metering unit is replaced with a new device if, according to the results of verification, the water meter is found to be faulty or if 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 expiration dates of the metering unit and its verification.

Calibration interval

• For PU cold water, 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 account for the volume of cold water supply. And a hot water appliance can work for you without verification for only four years. If the verification shows the serviceability of the water meter, it can be operated 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 PU for cold water can work for a maximum of two calibration intervals of 6 years, and the water meter for hot water - three intervals of 4 years.

In this case, the calibration interval is counted not from the moment the water meter was installed in your home, but from the date of its production. That is, in order for the 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 can lose its technical and operational characteristics and fail faster. Thus, the longer the water meter has been gathering dust on the shelf in the store, the more likely it is that it can break down more quickly during operation.

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

As a rule, the verification of the meter must be carried out within the prescribed period. Thanks to this, deviations in the operation of the cold and hot water meter can be detected in time. 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 exactly when the verification period ends. As a result, a malfunction and incorrect calculation of readings can be identified and eliminated in a timely manner by repairing or replacing the water meter.

Attention: owners cannot calibrate water meters on their own. To do this, you need to contact the appropriate services of the water utility or the management office.

If verification is not performed within the established calibration interval, then the readings of the control room are considered invalid and cannot be used when calculating payment for public water supply services. From this moment on, payment will be calculated according to the average water consumption rates per person registered in the apartment. Since these rates 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 indicated by the manufacturer.

So, most modern domestic 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 is not on the 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 good condition, the next verification period will be counted from the date of the first verification, in accordance with the verification interval established by law.

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

As for the shelf life of 10-12 liters, it will allow you to use the water meter 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 have to check once every 6 years. If it turns out to be serviceable, then the prior will work for you for another six years, provided that the service life is 12 years. After that, 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 calibration the device will have to be changed after 4 years.
• Regarding PU hot water, then, subject to serviceability, it will survive two calibration intervals of four years, after which it will have to be changed after another 4 years, since the expiration date will expire. But this is subject to the manufacturer's declared service life of 12 years. If this period is equal to 10 years, then after two calibrations the device will have to be changed after 2 years.

Guarantee period

Do not confuse the manufacturer's warranty with the life of the water meter. Usually, for wing-type water meters installed in our apartments, the manufacturer gives a guarantee for 1.5 years. In this case, the warranty period begins to be counted 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 warranty obligations manufacturer, you can demand a free replacement of the device or its repair at the expense of the manufacturer. However, at the same time, you must have a registration certificate for your counter with you, where there is a store stamp and the date of sale is indicated.

The correct operation of the meter and the duration of its service 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 in it, 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, the meters become clogged with rust and debris that enters the water from the pipes.
3. The consumer himself can quickly disable the device if he uses magnets or tries by any means to stop the rotation of the impeller or rewind the readings of the water meter. In addition to harm to the counter, such actions are considered illegal and entail a penalty in the form of a fine.

Verification or replacement ahead of time

It happens that the verification or replacement of the water meter has to be done earlier. This may be required in the following situations:

• The owner of the PU can, at his discretion, replace the water meter with a new device of better quality, in his opinion. No services have 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 stopped with open taps or by overestimated indicators on the scoreboard, provided that normal volumes of water were used.
• Sometimes even a new PU has to be changed. The reason for this may be a manufacturing defect or a breakdown due to improper storage and transportation conditions. It is possible to identify such a breakdown at the time of installation. In this case, you have the right to change 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 good condition and obtain permission for its further operation.

A water meter is an important water meter that helps you save money every month. Before you buy a water meter, be sure to 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 it makes no sense to install such devices. Let's see how this opinion corresponds to reality.

What do manufacturers say?

The main part of the water meter manufacturers claims 8-10 years of the meter at medium loads, while the time between failures is at least 100-105 thousand hours. This period will be valid provided that the device is checked every 5 years in the relevant laboratories. These periods of operation are really possible if the meter undergoes regular verification. in most cases lower than accounting systems. This is due to higher pollution and water temperature.

The need for regular checks

Why is it necessary to check water meters? Over time, structural elements wear out, so no one can guarantee the correct accounting of consumed water. Including its owner. Experts say that after 5-6 years, the metering device is contaminated due to worn out pipes. Also, the hardness of the water affects the service life. With the accumulation of mineral formations 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 counter's reading turntable.

How to extend the service life?

If you install a coarse water filter, you can significantly extend the life of the water meter and maintain the mobility of the impeller. Do not forget to blow through the filter every 3-4 months to remove accumulated particles.

Pay attention to the color of the water when filling the tub in the morning. If the water is slightly yellowish, this may indicate deterioration of 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 going to repair the counter ...

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