Each property owner sooner or later has to be interested in how to replace an electric meter in an apartment. Not always the main reason lies in the technical malfunctions of the device. There can be a lot of prerequisites. However, the procedure for paperwork and installation works is the same.
Which device can be installed instead of the old?
Before replacing an electric meter in an apartment, it is necessary to choose the best option for specific operating conditions. The modern market offers a large number of models that differ in basic parameters and sizes.
First, you should determine the type of device according to the principle of action.
- The induction counter functions due to the generated magnetic field, which affects the rotating element. Usually, a special drive is installed inside the product.
- An electronic meter takes measurements by converting analog signals of electric current into a special pulse or code. Instead of the usual disk, a light indicator is installed.
Next, you need to determine the number of tariffs. With the active use of electrical energy at night, you can think about acquiring instruments that have the ability to measure at different times of the day. When choosing, you can not ignore the option of connecting to an electrical network, which can have one or three phases. Do not forget about the functionality.
Legal Review
Before starting work, it is necessary to understand who has the right to replace the electric meter in the apartment, who will have to pay for verification and other activities related to removing the old device and installing a new one. Ignorance of the legal aspects can lead to unnecessary problems with the law.
The Civil Code states that the owner of a dwelling shall bear all financial expenses for servicing devices independently. According to regulatory documents, the owner of the property is required to pay for the following operations:
- directly installing the device for metering electrical energy ;
- product replacement associated with the end of the operational period or other possible reasons;
- service consisting of verification and calibration.
All listed items are relevant only for privatized territories of residence. However, many people do not understand who is required to replace the electric meter in the municipal apartment, although the answer lies on the surface. For such events must pay the city or rural government, as real estate is their property.
The dismantling of the old meter and the installation of a new one should be carried out with the permission of the energy supply company. In any region of the Russian Federation, replacing devices without notifying such an organization is considered a violation of the contract, therefore it can lead to a fine in the form of a serious sum of money.
Which meters require a mandatory replacement?
Knowing who is obliged to replace the electric meter in the apartment, it is necessary to understand in which cases it is necessary to do this. Quite often, this is due to the fact that the devices are simply out of date. For example, currently there have been changes that do not allow the use of products with an error in measurements of more than 2 percent. The accuracy class of a particular model can be found in the technical data sheet.
Devices must also be replaced in the following situations:
- with incorrect functioning of the counting mechanism;
- in the presence of serious deformation changes on the body;
- in case of leakage or defects in the inspection window.
Operation of metering devices with damage usually leads to an increase in measurement error. Not only network organizations, but also consumers may suffer financial losses.
Standard documentation
Before changing the electricity meter in the apartment yourself, you must submit an application from the owner of the property directly to the company that provides energy supply to the house in the region. She is obliged to accept it and explain all the rules of such an event.
The application must indicate the contact details of the customer and the address of the facility where the replacement will be carried out. Mandatory reflected details of the contract for energy supply. You must have documents proving ownership. If the organization does not contact the owner himself, but his representative, then a power of attorney should be provided.
Qualifications and tools for work
Before replacing the electric meter in the apartment, you should familiarize yourself with the qualification requirements that apply to the masters of energy companies, and the necessary tools for carrying out the work. Workers' organizations must have a third group or higher clearance.
Despite the required level of qualification, the law does not prohibit independent work. Replacing the device without the involvement of specialists is quite possible. However, to carry out such an operation, a certain set of tools will be required, which includes:
- digital multimeter;
- screwdrivers (flat and cross);
- nippers;
- pliers.
A marker is useful for marking. An insulating tape will be needed to hide bare contacts.
General installation rules
The question of whether it is possible to replace the electric meter in the apartment yourself is no longer asked, since the answer is yes. However, work cannot be carried out without knowledge of the general principles of the installation. They will be especially useful when moving the meter to another location.
- The device is installed in a convenient place for taking readings, maintenance and technical inspection.
- The room in which the new meter will be located must be dry with a temperature regime of more than 0 degrees.
- Installation of the device may be carried out on shields made of metal, plastic or wood.
- The optimal height of the device ranges from 150 to 170 cm.
Usually, together with the installation of the product, the installation of circuit breakers is carried out . Their selection must be made taking into account the load characteristics of the electric line.
How to replace an electric meter in an apartment: sequence of actions
If the seal has already been removed, then you can start work on dismantling the old device and installing a new one. In this case, you should adhere to a certain sequence of actions.
- First, the underwater circuit breaker trips. It may not be available in the electric networks of the old model, but according to the rules of the installation of electrical installations, its presence is a prerequisite.
- Next, the retaining screws are unscrewed, and the cover is also removed. Using a measuring device, the voltage at the terminals of the electrical device is checked.
- Now the wires are disconnected directly from the meter. If there is no color marking, it is recommended to take a felt-tip pen and make special marks.
- Dismantling is completed by unscrewing the fasteners. The new device is installed in the reverse order. If it is transferred to another place, then new holes will be required to fix it.
- The wires are being connected. With four outputs, the phase output is connected first, and then the zero output.
- At the final stage, the installed device is tested. To do this, just turn on household appliances or lighting. The disc should spin to the right.
The work is not very complicated, so many property owners already know how to replace the electric meter in the apartment. In Moscow, for such a procedure will have to pay a considerable amount. Self-installation of the device will save money.
If the mains cannot be disconnected
There are places where it is not possible to turn off the power supply, so some people think about how to change the electricity meter in the apartment itself when it is energized. Despite the potential threat of electric shock, this option is acceptable. In this case, you do not have to disconnect other consumers directly from the network.
The safety option implies the use of terminal test boxes, which are a base of non-combustible material with a cover. They have bolt clamps and special contact pads. When carrying out the replacement, it is necessary to remove the voltage from the installed device and short-circuit the secondary windings.
The locking plug is made in the form of a simple screw equipped with an insulated holder for safe use. Using screwdrivers with special handles, the contact plates rise up. After performing this action, the current metering circuit will be closed through a common plate, and not through a counter. It remains to replace the device according to the standard procedure.
Actions after installing a new device
The above description of the replacement process allows you to understand how to replace the electricity meter in the apartment yourself. However, after installing a new device, the process cannot be considered completed. Installed meters must be checked and sealed by employees of regional energy supply companies. Usually, after the appeal, they send an inspector from the department, which is included in the service area of the residential area.
Additional information must be attached to the application:
- technical passport of the installed product;
- readings taken from a dismantled device;
- documents allowing to establish the owner of the home;
- in some cases, a seal that has been removed from the old device is required.
After it was possible to replace the electric meter in the apartment, the act of the replacement is made directly. It is signed by two parties at once. The following information is noted in the document: address of the residential building and installation location, characteristics of the new device with a description of the model and year of manufacture, as well as the installation date and details of the organization.
Benefits and controversial issues
According to the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation, metering devices located in privatized apartments do not belong to common property. They do not fall under the jurisdiction of service organizations. Therefore, the replacement, installation, dismantling, sealing, verification and other activities are carried out at the expense of the property owner.
However, individuals may think about how to replace the electricity meter in the apartment for free. This category of population includes:
- large families;
- veterans and participants of the Second World War;
- pensioners with small payouts.
A certain ambiguity exists with metering devices that are not inside the apartment. Employees of management companies interpret the legislation in their favor, since the common property of the building includes equipment that serves several apartments, and not one.
As for lawyers, they are considering the law from a different angle. If metering devices are located in the entrance, then they should be equated to the common property of a residential building. To avoid difficulties, it is recommended to study the contract concluded with the management company more carefully.
Validation of accounting
I managed to find out whether it is possible to replace the electric meter in the apartment myself, but is there a way to make sure that the metering is correct? This is necessary if, after the replacement, the amount of payment for electricity has increased significantly over time. There are special testing methods to verify the accuracy of the instrument readings.
The easiest option is to completely disconnect the home from the mains. The counter must be energized. After disconnecting, time should be noted and followed by the disc of the induction product or the indicator of the electronic analogue. In the first of them, the disk must not make more than one revolution within 15 minutes. As for the electronic device, only one pulse is permissible.
A more complex option involves determining the error with which the counter is operating at a given time. To do this, you will also have to turn off all devices and lighting completely. A device with a light bulb, whose power is 100 watts, can act as a reference. It is connected to the network, after which the time of a perfect impulse or revolution is calculated using a stopwatch.
When calculating the error, the formula shown in the table is used.
E = (P * t * n / 3600-1) * 100% |
P | Power of the used standard |
t | Turnaround or Impulse Time |
n | Gear ratio (available per device) |
If, after the calculations, a negative number is obtained, then the installed device operates in advance mode. A positive error indicates that the product slows down. For convincing calculations are carried out with standards of different power. An error of not more than 10 percent may be considered normal.
Maintenance work
Persons who have a third group of access to electrical installations or higher are allowed to perform maintenance work on the device. They must undergo a complete safety training. The primary task of specialists is to check the reliability of connecting the power and interface circuits of the device.
To do this, remove the seal from the protective cover, and then remove the dust directly from the terminal block. Then carefully tighten the screws securing the power and interface cables. After checking and tensioning the fasteners, it is required to install the cover back, fixing it with special latches, and seal it.
In conclusion
From the above information, it was possible to find out whether it is possible to independently replace the electric meter in the apartment without inviting the master. The process of dismantling and installing the device is not difficult, so in most cases it does not lead to negative results, especially if safety precautions are strictly followed.