Why do you need to know how to install water meters? In accordance with applicable law, all homeowners must install metering devices. The service can be ordered from a specialized organization, but it will be additional financial costs. It is quite possible to do this on your own, knowing the basic techniques for working with plumbing and the nuances relating to water meters. Let's try to understand this in more detail.
Information for consideration
The population has no particular choice about installation. Sooner or later, each person using the central water supply will have to do this. A cold water meter will allow a family that does not live permanently in the house or in the country to save significantly. Things are a little different if fewer people are registered in the apartment than they live. However, you only pay for the amount of water you used.
The amount of real savings depends on the calculation method practiced by the management company responsible for the water supply of your block or street. Typically, savings of up to 30 percent. And if the house is registered in the general category, this figure can reach 100%.
In this option, a deduction from the joint consumption indications of those residents who use metering devices is provided. The balance is divided between other objects, according to the number of people registered in housing. As a rule, counters are in no hurry to put those citizens in whose rooms fewer people are registered than they live. In this situation, the fluid flow rate can be up to 10 cubic meters. If you do not save much, on average, a person actually uses no more than three cubes per month.
To whom to entrust installation?
According to the law, the installation of water meters is carried out at the expense of the owner of the house. He acquires the metering device at his own expense and in the same way carries out the installation of the device. The filling of devices is free of charge by representatives of the water utility.
If you decide to use third-party services, there are two ways to select a company for installing accounting units. You can take a list of companies in the DEZ or find it yourself, for example, via the Internet. In the second case, you need to check the license for the relevant work, a copy of which should be posted on the site.
How much does it cost to install water meters? This indicator depends on the conditions specified in the contract. It prescribes the full list of services provided and their price. Some entrepreneurs provide their own device with its full installation, while others only perform installation work. The choice is yours!
Preparatory process
How to install water meters if you have trusted representatives of a specialized organization? Have to perform a number of preparatory procedures. First, read the contract, sign it (online or in person at the company’s office).
Then a representative of the company should come to assess the scale and cost of work in your presence. The specialist takes measurements, draws connection diagrams, takes a photo. The date and time of connection are agreed upon, after which the responsible persons and the procedure for disconnecting adjacent communications are agreed. Companies with good reputations take over these issues.
Mounting
Next, we will figure out how to install water meters will be representatives of the profile company. In the agreed period, the employees of the company arrive and carry out the task. It is advisable to coordinate with them the whole process, which does not always happen in reality. On average, installation takes no more than 2 hours. At the end of the work, the user is presented with a document stating the serial numbers of the device, an act on the performance of work and other nuances. Then this paper must be taken to the water utility, where the sealing date is agreed.
The act shall indicate the initial readings of the meter. The main documentation also includes a water meter passport, a photocopy of the license of the installation company.
Do-it-yourself installation
Many users wonder who should install water meters. According to the law, work can be implemented independently. To do this, do the following:
- Buy a water meter and additional elements.
- Agree with the representatives of the housing and communal services about disconnecting the riser (with payment and indicating the exact time and date).
- Install the meter, check its operation.
- Call a water utility representative to seal the device.
- With the received documentation, visit the DEZ to register the device.
Where to install a water meter?
Mount metering devices directly behind the riser in a straight section to the nearest plumbing branch. In cases where the indicated process cannot be performed for technical reasons, a vertical installation of the water meter is performed (corresponding models are provided for this). It is believed that the vertical counterpart has less accuracy and may have extra cubic meters.
According to the standard scheme, the installation of the device is as follows:
- A ball-type valve is screwed onto a branch pipe extending from the riser.
- The coarse filter is mounted.
- The counter is set.
- Further wiring is connected.
The purpose of the elements
Knowing how to install water meters, it is necessary to understand the purpose of all components and assemblies. So:
- The ball valve is designed to interrupt the water supply, if there is such a need (repair of plumbing, change and verification of the meter, etc.). This device must be installed in such a way that there is easy access to the valve.
- Coarse filter. It picks up large particles falling into the liquid. The outlet of this device must look down, otherwise it will quickly become clogged.
- Bends are designed for high-quality connection of the above parts that have internal threads. In addition, they serve to adjust the required distance along the length.
Recommendations
When buying a cold water meter, make sure that its number matches the same indicator in your passport. In addition, the unit must have a certification mark. This is confirmed by the factory stamp and the date of verification. The store must also provide printed paper. In the event of a malfunction of the device, you can exchange it.
When installing water meters, remember to seal all connections on the threads. For this process, a fum tape or a winding from flax is suitable. Tightening fasteners - do not overdo it. Due to excessive force, cracks and tears can appear, after which you will have to buy new elements, since they can not be repaired. If steel pipes are drawn from the riser, a welder or grinder will be required. In the second case, after cutting the necessary piece, it will be necessary to cut the thread. On the reverse side, a similar operation or a transition fitting will be required.
Nuances
Water meters installed independently require that the flow direction be observed. To do this, there is an arrow on the fixture body indicating the direction of fluid flow. There may not be such a mark on the ball edge (this is not critical). For all other devices that are installed with the meter, following the sequence is crucial.
If you did not find the arrow on the purchased device, be sure that it is a cheap or artisanal fake. It is better not to use it, or to determine exactly in which direction the flow should go, by studying the design of the device.
Additional details
Once we have decided which water meter to install in the apartment, we will examine additional elements often used in aggregation with the indicated device. They help to avoid undesirable consequences in case of emergency, and also contribute to the normalization of pressure in the system. Among them:
- Non-return valve. It is mounted after the water meter, serves to ensure that, in the absence of analysis of the water, it does not flow back. In addition, this part eliminates increased readings at unstable pressure. It also makes it possible to avoid several more unpleasant situations. Firstly, it does not allow cold water to flow from one pipeline to another section (this is possible if a hygienic shower or a shower cabin with cheap mixers that do not have a non-return valve is installed in adjacent apartments). Secondly, if the pressure of cold water exceeds a similar indicator of hot liquid, the temperature of the hot water supply decreases, which leads to the exit of hot water from the cold tap. Here, the installation of the device in question is not at all necessary, but desirable.
- Additional shut-off valve. The unit is needed to prevent drainage of water to the floor during meter removal, its prevention or filter cleaning. Alternatively, you can use a suitable container for collecting liquid, but this is not always technically possible. On average, the residual amount of water in the pipes is at least 5 liters. Collecting them manually from the floor is not very comfortable and profitable.
- Pressure reducer. This device stabilizes the pressure in the system and has a beneficial effect on the working life of all connected plumbing and household appliances. The element is mounted after the coarse filter. Its price is quite high, but the benefit is no less.
Testimony
From time to time, the appropriate testimony of the water meter should be transmitted to the appropriate authorities, as well as monthly expenses incurred. Depending on the region, the procedure is organized differently. The main ways:
- Filled in separate sheets of the subscriber book are lowered into special boxes.
- Data is left in the personal account of the organization that supplies water in your area.
- Electronic messages are sent with evidence to the address of the water utility.
From the mass of developed methods, choose the one that is more convenient for you.
Conclusion
Is it mandatory to install water meters? As follows from the information above, this procedure is for all users (under the law). With the right approach, the money spent on the purchase and installation of the device quickly pays for itself. There are no special difficulties with the installation and maintenance of the calculation of readings. To save money, the installation of the water meter can be carried out independently, knowing certain nuances and carefully studying the above recommendations.