How to install a water meter correctly. Do-it-yourself water meter installation

The scheme for installing a water meter in an apartment is determined in the instructions for this water meter itself. The purpose of installing these devices is to reduce the cost of paying for utilities for the delivery of cold and hot water to the apartment and the removal of sewage from the apartment.

Does it make sense to install a water meter

As you know, the decision to install or not a water meter is made by the owner. However, every year the cost of a unit of consumed water according to the standards increases. In this regard, citizens are increasingly beginning to think about the need to deviate from the standards by introducing water meters into apartments. Owners or tenants paying public utilities, now you will need to get used to the fact that you will need to pay not only for the arrival of water, but also for its departure. Moreover, water disposal in our country is equal to income, the costs of cooking, the fact that part of the water remains on the body when taking bath procedures, on the floor when cleaning, etc. are not taken into account. In addition, the installation of a meter contributes to a lower consumption of this resource by management companies, since it becomes impossible to uncontrollably write off the result of the operation of worn-out networks to the owners.

Preparing a water meter for tie-in

How to install a water meter in an apartment? To do this, you must first attach a filter to this device, as a rule, coarse cleaning in order to protect against large debris and increase service life. In addition to it, a check valve is mounted, without which the meter may not be accepted for operation.

When installing a water meter (aka water meter), you need to carefully examine the completeness. American women should go with him, who protect the elements of the water supply and drainage system from damage if it is necessary to remove water meters.

They must be tightly connected to the filter and check valve, for which they use tow or FUM tape.

On the meter, the manufacturer shows the direction of the water with an arrow, so it is necessary to strictly adhere to it during installation.

Counter installation

It must be carried out strictly according to the scheme for installing a water meter in an apartment. It is more comfortable to install the meter in metal-plastic or polypropylene pipes. The elements of the latter are connected using a compact soldering iron.

How to install a water meter in an apartment? This is easy to do by following the instructions below.

• We cut the pipe, connect the water meter to the shut-off water tap and seal it. We carry out measurements and find where you need to install a reciprocal thread.
• We remove the excess parts of the pipe, put the fitting or cut the thread.
• A non-return valve is disconnected from the counter, which is screwed onto a previously prepared thread.
• Tightly screw the American.
• To check the tightness of the threaded connections that were made during the installation process, open a tap that cuts off the water supply system from the riser.
• If there are no leaks, we call the inspector of the city water canal or the sealer from the management company.
• How to install a water meter in an apartment if the pipes are metal? Only using a metal saw and a threading machine.

Rules and procedure for installing water meters

The requirements for the installation of a water meter are determined by the current national standards of the P 50193 family, primarily 1 and 2. Here, general rules installation and control of water meters. Full set requirements for the installation of meters are determined by management companies, which determine the method of sealing the water meter, the composition of the equipment and the requirements for it as a whole and its individual components.

In any case, the water consumption meter is mounted at the beginning of the water supply system suitable for the apartment. The presence of a ball valve and a coarse filter is a mandatory requirement.

The water meter must be located so as to provide:

• access to it in order to take readings and check the performance;
• watch face view;
• exclusion of ingress of various pollutants on the body;
• the possibility of its sealing and verification;
• the possibility of removing it if necessary.

The best thing this device placed in a vertical or horizontal position immediately before entering the apartment at a height of more than half a meter.

Do-it-yourself installation

Russian legislation does not prohibit the owner from installing the water meter himself. How is a do-it-yourself water meter installed? First of all, it must be taken into account that installation will require shutting off the water in the riser. When purchasing a meter, you need to check the availability of a technical passport. In the event that any malfunction occurs, the one who decided to act independently will be responsible.

After purchase, the meter is checked by the managing organization or another company that has the appropriate license. To do this, it is provided there with a technical passport, in which everyone will fill out and put a mark on the seal. The water meter is preferred to be mounted in the toilet or in the bathroom. If your kitchen is far from these places, then you will have to put an additional counter there.

Before starting installation, you need to arrange the parts in order - from left to right: stopcock, coarse filter, water meter, valve. When installing yourself, look especially carefully at the arrows on the counter, otherwise all your efforts may go to waste.

We connect the parts to determine the required number of turns. We wind the seal on the filter. If tow is used, then it must be rolled into a cord no more than 1 mm thick. After winding on the thread, we apply sanitary paste and turn on the tap.

For a cold counter, rubber gaskets are needed, and for a hot counter, paronite gaskets are needed. We wind the American on the filter with tow, we join the second branch pipe with the valve. We attach this design to the counter. As a result, the nozzle should be directed downwards, the sump on the filter, the stopcock switch and the meter dial should be directed upwards.

We cut the connected elements into the line, measure the length and the same length from the connection point on the pipe and cut off the necessary part.

We attach the resulting design to the eyeliner.

At the end of the work, we check the system.

Appeal to specialists

Experts will help to draw up a competent scheme for installing a water meter in an apartment. However, they must be licensed to this species activities, preference should be given to those who give a guarantee for the installation of the meter. In addition, before installation, a contract is concluded, and after acceptance of work, an act is signed.

Documents for the owner after installation

The act of acceptance and transfer of the meter, where their serial numbers, installation date, water consumer are indicated. It is signed by all parties. There must also be a technical passport indicating the primary flow rate, installation date and date of commissioning, in addition, a verification certificate must be available indicating the date of the next one.

Finally

When deciding to install a meter, you need to clearly define the scheme for installing a water meter in an apartment. It can be installed by yourself or with the help of specialists. After installation, it is necessary to issue the required documents and undergo periodic verification.

According to the adopted law, all homeowners must install water meters in their homes. Deadlines are constantly shifting, but sooner or later it will be necessary to put them. There are a decent number of organizations that can do this for you. For a fee, of course. Some operational campaigns offer to do this for free and are even ready to provide a counter. But the bills for these water meters are cosmic - the figures are too high. Therefore, installing water meters with your own hands is the best way out if you do not want to pay the company for services.

Beneficial or not

You don’t have to think about whether you need a water meter or not - a law has been passed according to which everyone is required to install it. But many are wondering how profitable it is. If the apartment is home to as many people as registered or less, installing a meter is beneficial. It is also beneficial if, say, someone moves to a dacha for the summer or spends a vacation there. If the situation is diametrically opposite - fewer people are registered than live, it is not profitable for you to put a counter. But there is no getting away from this.

How big will the savings be permanent residence depends on the calculation method adopted in your management campaign and how intensively you use water. At a minimum, you will save about 30%, but there were cases when payments after installation decreased significantly. This may be if the house is general appliance accounting. In this case, according to the results of the month, the consumption of those residents who have meters installed is deducted from the total readings, and the remainder is divided among the remaining apartments according to the number of registered people. Usually, counters are not set by those who actually have more people living than prescribed. In this case, the monthly consumption per person can be 8-10 cubic meters of cold and about the same amount of hot water. In fact, even if you do not save much, it turns out about 3 cubes of cold and 2 hot. So it really does make sense.

Install on your own or through a company?

Under current legislation, the installation of water meters is at the expense of the homeowner. That is, you must buy a meter, install it at your own expense. The installed water meters are sealed by representatives of the water utility or the DEZ free of charge.

Self-installation procedure

Self-installation of water meters is possible. Nobody should object. You just have to do everything with your own hands - and install the meter, and call the representative of the Housing Office to seal it. What you need:

All paperwork is reviewed and completed. standard contract, you sign it, on this it is considered that you pay for water according to the meter.

How to hire a good firm and what they should do

There are two ways to find a company that installs water meters: take a list in the DEZ or find it on the Internet yourself. The list will already include firms that have licenses, but obviously not all that work in this area. On the Internet, it is necessary to check the availability of a license. A copy of it must be posted on the site.

Then, in any case, you should read the standard contract that the company will conclude with you. It should contain a complete list of services. The conditions can be different - someone provides their counter, someone puts yours, someone comes with their spare parts, someone works with what the owner has. By combining the list of services provided and make a choice.

Previously, there was a clause in the agreement after-sales service and without it, firms did not want to install meters. Today, this item is recognized as illegal, since it is not necessary to actually service the meter, and it should not be in the clause, and if it is, you have the right to refuse these services and not pay for them.

Preparing for installation

If you have chosen a different campaign, you must leave them an application. There are two options - some firms accept applications on their website and may even offer a discount for this, while others prefer to see you in the office and sign an agreement.

In any case, first a campaign representative arrives (you agree on the date and time of arrival), inspects the “field of activity”, assesses the condition of the pipes, takes measurements, and often takes photos of communications. All this is necessary in order to be able to develop a meter connection diagram and quickly assemble it. Then you should call and clarify the date and time of installation of the water meter. In this conversation, you need to find out who is negotiating the shutdown of the risers with the operational campaign. Normal firms take it upon themselves.

Installation of water meters by campaign representatives

At the appointed time, a campaign representative (sometimes two) arrives and does the work. In theory, they should agree with you what and how to put, but this does not always happen. At the end of the work (usually takes about 2 hours), they give you a certificate of completion and a special paper on which the factory numbers of the metering devices are written. After that, you must call a representative of the govodokanal or DEZ to seal the meter (in different regions they are doing it different organizations). The sealing of counters is a free service, you will only need to agree on the time.

In the act that you were given during installation, the initial readings of the meter must be affixed (they are different from zero, since the device is verified at the factory). With this act, a photocopy of the organization's license and your water meter's passport, you go to the DEZ, sign a standard contract.

How to transfer data

You will need to submit monthly actual consumption data. In different regions, the procedure is implemented in different ways, but basically there are several ways:

• leaflets torn off and filled out from the subscriber book are lowered into special boxes;
• leave data in personal account on the website of the water supply organization;
• send emails with testimony to a special address of the organization.

There may be other ways - each water utility or DEZ develops them on its own. If there are several ways, you choose the one that is easier for you.

Water meter readings can be uploaded to the campaign website, to their email address or tear-off vouchers put in a special box

Water meter installation diagram

It doesn’t matter if you install the meter through a company or do it yourself, you need to know how it should look like correct scheme- It is very desirable to control the process.

Where and how to put: choosing a place for a water meter

They put meters immediately after the riser on a straight section to the first branch on plumbing fixtures. There are water meters, the installation of which is possible only in horizontal position, there are models with the possibility vertical installation. Just keep in mind that in a horizontal position, the accuracy of the device is higher than in a vertical one and it is not a fact that it will count less. So it is highly desirable to find a way to put it "lying".

What and why should be in the scheme

The standard scheme for installing a water meter looks like this:

Now more about what each element is needed for.

A ball shut-off valve is needed to turn off the water if necessary - fix the mixer, clean the filter, change the meter, etc. Therefore, its presence is mandatory. It must be placed so that it is convenient to turn the valve.

The coarse filter captures the largest particles that are in the water supply. It must be placed so that the outlet is directed downwards. Otherwise, it will clog up quickly.

All these elements most often have an internal thread. So that they can be connected to each other, use connecting elements, which are often referred to as "spurs". They are on both sides external thread and small plot a flat pipe (in some cases, only a few millimeters at all). With their help, everything is connected to each other.

Optional Schema Elements

Often a check valve is placed after the counter. It is required so that in the absence of analysis, the water does not go in the opposite direction. It also eliminates the increase in reading in the presence of unstable pressure.

He also cuts off two more unpleasant situations: and does not allow cold water to flow from one pipeline to another. This happens if someone on the riser has hygienic shower(on the toilet or bidet), shower with cheap faucets. They do not have non-return valves and such overflow is possible.

Scheme with check valve

If the pressure cold water higher than hot water, then cold water reduces DHW temperature, and in the opposite situation, hot water can come out of the cold water tap. Therefore, the installation of a check valve for both cold and hot water is highly desirable, but not required.

Sometimes after the check valve it is recommended to put another one shut-off valve. It is needed so that when removing the meter or when cleaning the same filter, water from the pipes in the apartment does not drain to the floor. In principle, you can substitute a container, but this is not always possible. Water is in the pipes ordinary apartment about 6 liters, collecting from the floor is not the most pleasant experience. But this strapping element is placed or not at the request of the owner.

There is another device that can be installed - a pressure reducer. It stabilizes the pressure in the system, extending the "life" of the entire household appliances and faucets/faucets. Placed after the coarse filter. Not the cheapest thing, but very useful.

Some subtleties and nuances

When buying a meter, you need to make sure that the number in the passport matches the number stamped on the water meter. The device must also bear a sign that it has been certified. The passport must have a stamp with the date of factory verification. The "fresher" the date, the better - the more likely it is that you will not be forced to verify it before installation. Another one required part- a store record of the sale with a seal. In the event of a meter malfunction, you will be issued an act with which you can demand its replacement.

It is also very desirable that the factory verification date be “fresher” - you will not have to carry the device for verification longer.

Mounting Features

When installing water meters, all threaded connections it is necessary to seal - the pressure in the lines is serious. For this, linen winding or fum tape is used. If you use winding, winding it on the thread, it is advisable to lubricate it with packing paste - it will be easier to work. Fum tape does not need lubrication, it is elastic itself.

One important point: When tightening the connections, do not use excessive force - microcracks may appear, which will then lead to leakage of the connection.

If you go from the outlet of the riser steel pipes, you will need welding or a grinder to cut off a piece now unnecessary. You will also need to cut the thread at the end of the pipe (if not) - this is the only way to connect the stopcock. With reverse side the same situation - either a transitional fitting or threading is required.

Flow direction

When assembling all parts, please note that there is an arrow on the body of each. It may not be except on a ball valve, since it does not matter to him in which direction to pass water. Although, if installed incorrectly, you will have to turn the knob in the other direction, but this is not fatal. For other devices - a meter, a filter, a check valve and a reducer - the direction of flow is critical. Therefore, when assembling, set them so that the flow of water goes in the direction of the arrow. This is really important.

If there is no arrow on the body of the listed parts, most likely you have the cheapest and possibly low-quality part. If possible, it is better to replace it with a normal one, if not, find out the direction of the flow yourself, having examined the structure, you can understand where the flow should go.

As you can see, installing water meters with your own hands is real, but there are a fairly large number of features. And one more thing: when you agree on turning off the risers, ask not for two hours, but rather for four. And pre-assemble everything without winding, measure the length, figure out where and how to place everything, draw where you cut, weld, put retaining clips (if the pipeline is from), etc. In general, spend the maximum preparation. In this case self-installation water meters will be held with a minimum of hassle.

Related videos

The owner of an apartment or house independently decides whether the installation of water meters will be done by oneself, or whether it is worth using the services of professionals. There is no legal ban on installing appliances yourself. Only a preliminary verification of the device and its sealing after installation are mandatory. Otherwise, the performance of the device will not be taken into account.

You can often find a list of situations in which the installation of water meters is beneficial or, on the contrary, not economically feasible. In particular, the following data is given: if the same number of people live in an apartment as registered, the savings in paying for water supply after installing meters will be about 20-30%.

The disadvantages are living more people than registered, as well as an unsuccessful water supply scheme. When entering separate flows into the apartment into the kitchen and into the bathroom, it will be necessary to install four meters (two for hot water pipelines and two for cold pipes). With a separate supply of liquid to the toilet (this is also found in houses of the old layout), five counters will be needed.

By and large, all these arguments are not so significant, since their installation is mandatory, which means that this will have to be done anyway.

Counter selection

There are several options for water meters on the market. The rules for installing water meters in an apartment with your own hands do not include an exact indication of the type of devices, so the choice is up to the homeowner.

Regardless of the design and principle of operation, it is imperative to take into account the following features appliances:

• recommended location of the meter (there are models for vertical and horizontal pipelines, as well as universal products that can be mounted in any position),
• the diameter of the connecting pipes, which must correspond to the diameter of the pipeline (the most common models are DN15),
• permissible ambient temperature (theoretically, hot water meters can be installed on cold pipelines, the main thing is that the water temperature does not exceed permissible value, that is, with special care it is necessary to choose models for hot water pipes.

All water meters can be divided into two categories: non-volatile and requiring a network connection. The first include the simplest and most reliable mechanical products with an impeller. When the flow passes, the blades rotate, the number of revolutions is counted.

Volatile meters can be the following types depending on the principle of operation:

• vortex (the device counts the vortices formed when the flow passes through special element installed inside),
• electromagnetic for flow detection act on the flow electromagnetic waves(models are highly sensitive to the composition of water),
• ultrasonics use vibrations to determine flow.

If the counting mechanism is isolated from the water flow by a special partition, such models are called "dry".

Products with non-isolated counting mechanisms are “wet”.

The procedure for installing water meters in an apartment is the same for all models.

The counter must be bought in a store, not on the market, and when purchasing, not only pay attention to the presence of a passport, but also carefully compare the number indicated in the document with the number on the counter itself. This check will allow you to make sure that you are purchasing a usable, certified instrument.

Choice of mounting location

Before you put water meters in an apartment, you need to know that the following requirements are imposed on the installation site of the meters, which are common for both private houses and apartments:

• temperature above 5°C,
• the presence of lighting (natural or with the help of lighting fixtures),
• accessibility for inspection, maintenance and repair.

In any case, the meter should be installed as close as possible to the entry point, however, for apartments, the rules are somewhat more loyal. Usually the meter is placed in the toilet, and if the communications are inconvenient (under the floor), installation in the bathroom is allowed.

Installation of a water meter in a private house is required no further than 20 cm from the input. If a well is arranged, its cover is equipped with locks and sealed after the meter is sealed. Opening is allowed only in exceptional cases - in case of fire or accident.

Preparing for installation

Experts who know how to install water meters in an apartment recommend first of all check the complete set of the purchased device and prepare necessary materials and tools. First of all, the craftsmen advise purchasing gaskets (rubber for cold pipelines, paronite for hot pipelines). Plumbing tow and special sealing pastes may also be required. Alternatively, synthetic filaments already lubricated with silicone can be used.

Kit necessary tools largely depends on the type of pipes available. Please note that you will have to cut a certain area, so you will need a hacksaw for metal or an appropriate tool for plastic.

• If the pipes are metal, to install the assembled unit (meter with additional devices), it is necessary to cut the thread (stock up on the necessary tools).
• If communications are made of plastic (polypropylene) - purchase connecting fittings, scissors for cutting plastic pipes and a special soldering iron.

To tighten the connections, you can use adjustable or box wrenches of the appropriate diameter, it is only important not to be overly zealous and not to “tighten” the threaded connections.

Checking the completeness of the counter, you can decompose all the elements into flat surface in the direction of water flow:

Important: When laying out the elements of the future meter block, pay attention to the arrows indicating the direction of the water. They should all point in the same direction.

Before starting installation, you will need to turn off the water supply. AT high-rise building you will have to turn off the entire riser, which can only be done by the forces of public utilities.

Sequence of work

1. Do-it-yourself water meter installation begins with the so-called dry assembly. When assembling the “draft” circuit, the turns are counted and it is noted on which of the turns the element of the circuit takes the necessary position. After that, all connections are disassembled and reassembled using winding, plumbing grease and gaskets. At this time, it is important to ensure the necessary position for each element.

When this “chain” is placed horizontally, they “look” up:

• faucet or valve handle,
• dial (numerical panel) of the counter.

Downward turn:

• impeller,
• filter sump (in this position it is easy to clean).

2. The second stage is cutting out a section of the pipeline for the installation of the system. The scheme for installing a water meter in an apartment requires an exact match of the parameters, therefore it is important to measure the length of the assembled sequence with a minimum error and mark the corresponding distance on the existing communications. Before cutting a section of the pipeline, a basin or pan should be placed to drain the liquid remaining in the system.

3. Installation of the assembled block on a metal pipeline will require threading at the cut points. Easier to work with plastic pipes- in this case, it is enough to use special fittings.

An overview of water filters can be found at this address. And reviews of the owners can help with the choice.

Installation quality check

To check the quality of the installation of the meter, it is necessary to connect the general water supply, then smoothly turn the faucet handle or valve and carefully inspect the assembled unit for leaks.

If everything works flawlessly, you can call a representative of the public utility or water utility to inspect, check and seal the meter. Only after he makes the appropriate marks in the passport of the device and issues a document confirming the commissioning of the meter, you will be able to pay for water supply in accordance with the testimony received.

In the whole process, the difficulty, in fact, is not how exactly to put the meters on the water in the apartment, but the process of obtaining permits and registration documents, coordinating the shutdown of water supply and other organizational chores. However, by carrying out an independent installation of water meters in an apartment, the cost of savings can be approximately 1500-2500 rubles for the installation of each measuring device.

At the end of 2009, a law on energy saving was adopted in our country, obliging all owners of buildings, structures, residential buildings, as well as individual apartments and premises in apartment buildings to ensure the accounting of water coming from water supply networks.

The feasibility of installing water meters

The installation of water meters requires funds, nothing is being done for free now, but the law does not provide for funding these activities from the budget. The costs required to install water meters are borne by the building owners. The Russian government considered that the savings gained from the installation of metering devices would cover the costs of their installation.

To date, the deadlines for the installation of metering devices have expired, despite the fact that they have been repeatedly postponed. Nevertheless, the equipment of apartments, and especially individual houses, remains at a low level. The reasons for this situation are obvious:

1. Lack of production capacity for the manufacture of a sufficient number of metering devices at the time of the adoption of the law;
2. The complexity of installation and commissioning (at the initial stage, only organizations engaged in construction activities had the ability to install water meters);
3. No punishment for citizens who do not follow the law.

Payback counter - Photo 03

By itself, the installation of a meter is not a measure to save water. It’s just that with him we stop mindlessly pouring water, forgetting to turn off the tap, or not repairing a leaking toilet flush tank for months. Thus, the overall consumption of drinking water is reduced, and utility bills are reduced. The cost of installing water meters pays off for a long time, but, given the reduction in payment for water disposal, it is not difficult to save 20-30 rubles per person per month.

The payback of the hot water meter is even faster due to high cost thermal energy. And the installation of individual metering devices on credit for up to 5 years at the Central Bank refinancing rate, which is the responsibility of the energy supply organization, actually becomes free.

Legal regulations affecting the process of installing metering devices

For owners who do not want to equip their premises with metering devices, the law provides for sanctions in the form of forced installation of water meters by an energy supply organization. But this provision of the law does not work yet, since the mass installation of metering devices has led to a decrease in the income of organizations supplying water to settlements, since the state limits the growth of tariffs.

Laws are constantly being improved, for example, since 2011, self-installation of water meters for individual houses and apartments has been allowed. Since 2015, changes have come into force in the Rules for Setting Standards for Utilities, hitting negligent owners with a ruble. In most regions of the country, there are already increased standards for water consumed without meters.

The cost of water supply and sanitation for owners who ignore the law will increase every 6 months and, in addition to inflationary price increases, will increase by 1.6 times over 2 years.

Rules for installing water meters

It is quite easy to install water meters in your apartment. If the installation of a common house meter requires an organization that carries out this type of activity, and a special project that is carried out in accordance with building codes and rules, then individual device water metering is set on the basis of the instructions prescribed in the device passport. The rules for installing water meters in an apartment have not yet been developed by anyone and, most likely, they will never appear, but in normative documents There are certain points that must be observed.

• Do not install water meters in hard-to-reach places and the reading scale should be visible to the naked eye.
• It is necessary to observe the lengths of straight sections of pipes after the device and before it, indicated in the passport.
• In the kit of some devices there are connecting pipes, the installation of which eliminates the issue of straight sections.

Water meter installation diagram

The simplest scheme for installing a water meter in an apartment looks like this:

To provide water during the repair or verification of the meter, a bypass with a locking device can be provided in the circuit. It is much cheaper to make a pipe of the appropriate length and insert it in place of the meter. Sometimes a check valve is placed after the meter, but such a device is necessary when there is a reserve capacity in the apartment. On some models of meters, a strainer is installed by the manufacturer. Then the filter (No. 2) can be excluded from the scheme. AT wiring diagram shown as disconnecting devices Ball Valves. The use of valves instead of them, of course, is allowed, but less resistance and the absence of rubber gaskets increase the pressure of the water flowing from the tap and simplify operation.

Features of the selection, verification and replacement of water meters

The choice of a water meter is made based on its consumption, and the size of the connecting pipes of the device is most often smaller than the cross section of the pipes into which it cuts, but a water meter is usually installed in the apartment in accordance with the diameter of the water supply. Now on sale are water meters from various manufacturers.

The question immediately arises - what to install water meters? Choosing the cheapest, you can miscalculate. The warranty period and operating time, the duration of the calibration interval, ease of installation - that's additional criteria that need to be taken into account. The manufacturing time of the counter is also important, because the longer it lies on the store counter, the sooner you will have to carry out the next verification.

The calibration interval for cold water meters is usually 6 years. Water meters for hot water metering serve 4 years until the next verification. But there are manufacturers who produce water meters with other calibration intervals.

Unfortunately, re-checking meters rarely gives positive results. Having paid a considerable amount for verification, you may be refused in its further operation. You can check the error of the device yourself. Opening all the taps in the apartment at the same time and filling the containers with water, carefully calculate the volume that has poured out and compare it with the readings of your meter. If the error is higher than 2%, then the meter will most likely not pass verification, and it is better to buy and install a new one.

Choosing a place and technology for installing water meters with your own hands

The place of installation of the water meter in an individual residential building must be agreed with the supplier. Installing a water meter in an apartment does not require such approval. Usually it is placed immediately after the shut-off device on the riser (in the diagram, this is a tap in front of the filter). The technology for installing water meters is quite simple. When buying a meter, purchase taps, a filter, shackles, couplings, lock nuts, threaded pipe sections required sizes. Putting it all together using FUM tape or linen is not difficult for a man.

Do-it-yourself installation of water meters is even easier when using metal-plastic pipes and fittings. But in a polypropylene water pipe, embed a meter without welding machine fail.

Please note that the valve on the riser is a common house property, you have already paid for its repair and maintenance according to a monthly receipt from the management company. If the closed valve allows water to pass through, then it is not necessary to turn off the common faucet on the riser. It is enough to make a request to the service organization about the need for repair.

Putting the meter into operation and sealing it

To register a water meter, you must submit an application to the management company, attach a water meter installation diagram to it (a drawing on a piece of paper is enough) and a photocopy of the device passport. Coordinate the arrival time of the master, who will check the correct installation and install seals on the meter and locking device bypass (if available). Breaking the seals automatically deprives you of the right to use the water meter to account for its consumption.

The signed act of commissioning a water meter imposes some obligations on you. Monthly it is necessary to transfer the readings of the meter to the operating organization. The timing of data transfer is strict, but in the absence of evidence, there will be no problems for 3 months. During this period, invoices will be presented at the average monthly expense. Then the calculation will go according to the standard.

In addition, it will be necessary to allow employees of the management company to check the meter. Such checks are carried out no more than once every 6 months, but refusing them can lead to the loss of the ability to pay for your water consumption by the meter, and Management Company will receive the right to charge you water consumption according to the standard.

Some cases from the practice of using

Particular attention to the points of the rules should be paid to cunning people who make tie-ins into the water supply in addition to the metering device. The water supplier, in case of detection of illegal withdrawal, has the right to make a calculation based on the calculation of the maximum water flow through such a pipe. The time taken into account in the calculation does not exceed 6 months, but the amount of the fine, even through a pipe with a diameter of 15 mm, can be 100 thousand rubles or more.

The use of metering devices does not solve the problem of water leaks into the sewer through faulty toilet valves or torn faucet gaskets. The fact is that water meters have a sensitivity threshold of 1% of the nominal flow. An apartment water meter DN 15 mm can pass through itself up to 15 liters of water per hour, and the meter dial will be stationary. There are many cases when a lonely pensioner, who spends 5-6 m³ of water per month on a meter, drains 10-11 m³ through a leaking toilet into the sewer every month.

Currently, management companies have the right only to inspect the condition of the equipment inside the apartments, and they cannot fine negligent owners or force them to repair faulty sanitary appliances. The difference between a common house meter and the amount apartment meters that occurs when in large numbers management companies are forced to cover small leaks from their income. This difference in some houses reaches 35-40% of the total consumption. The Government of the Russian Federation urgently needs to make changes to the "Rules ...", allowing management organizations to activate apartment leaks and collect the appropriate amounts from apartment owners.

Tariffs for water supply and housing and communal services differ in different regions, but they are growing rapidly everywhere.

If earlier everyone, without hesitation, paid “on average” and was satisfied with it, now more and more often they decide to save and pay only for the used water. To do this, you will need to install a water meter with your own hands on the supply lines of hot and cold water, which must be sealed by an employee of the managing organization, otherwise you simply will not accept payment according to their testimony.

Many do not know how to install a water meter. In this article, we will deal with this.

How to choose a water meter

Varieties of water meters

Today there are four types of measuring instruments for water:

• impulse (electronic and electromagnetic);
• ultrasonic;
• vortex;
• mechanical.

According to their purpose, water meters are divided into three types:

• for cold water;
• for hot water;
• universal varieties.

In Russia, electronic and mechanical accounting mechanisms are considered affordable and the most popular. The cost of a mechanical water meter is from 400 to 600 Russian rubles. Service life - up to twelve years. All these factors, as well as a very low measurement error and also easy installation water meters attract buyers.

The disadvantage of such devices is their strong sensitivity to general composition water and magnetic fields. Electronic counters better, however, are many times more expensive - from 800 to 2000 Russian rubles.

Thus, the best way today it is turbine mechanical.

Meters for hot and cold water require different design. This can be seen upon purchase: they are marked with special belts of red and blue flowers respectively.

In case on cold pipe put a "hot" meter, there will be no problems, just a "hot" one costs a little more. Well, guessing what will happen if you put a water meter for cold water on hot water is essentially pointless, since such an option will not be allowed to be used.

You need to purchase ordinary water meters for an apartment, without chasing something exceptional. Water meters are subject to official certification. If it is on sale, it means that it has been certified. After such verification and sealing, you are no longer responsible for it.

When purchasing the device, make sure that it is complete. The kit must certainly include a special strainer, a check valve, two connectors with nipples, gaskets and union nuts.

Unscrupulous sellers often disassemble devices and sell components separately. In this regard, it is advisable to buy counters in specialized stores.

Another important nuance when buying a water meter - its technical passport. It must certainly be printed in a special typographical way and sealed with a factory stamp. Serial numbers on the product and in the passport must match. A device with a photocopied piece of paper will be accepted, but with a surcharge.

Stopcocks

The water meter is usually also equipped with a shut-off valve. His main feature: an eyelet with a small hole on the outgoing branch pipe for sealing. Without this, the tap can be shut off, the pipe can be easily disconnected, a whole tank of water can be filled, then the pipe can be connected again, and the water meter will show zero flow.

If the pipeline is made of plastic at welded joints, then it is allowed to install a valve without further sealing.

However, the inspector of the city water utility decides whether it is possible or not. Further, of course, no explanation is required.

If the crane is complete, then make sure that it does not turn out to be silumin. Such taps are subject to rapid destruction from corrosion, and the nearest point where it will be possible to shut off the water flowing into the apartment will, at best, be in the basement, or even in a special well on a completely different street. The shut-off valve made of metal-plastic is quite suitable for use.

In addition, it is recommended to immediately buy a second, simple, stopcock. It is mounted immediately after the outlet to the flush tank. If you start to make repairs in the kitchen or in the bathroom, then you can use the toilet as always.

Legal aspect

In the current legislation of the Russian Federation there are no prohibitions on installing water meters with your own hands. However, there are some important points here:

1. Meters must be purchased from licensed companies. With the device, you must definitely get a technical passport.
2. Self-installation of the device requires a temporary shutdown of the water supply in the entire riser, and this is unlikely to be done on your own.

If you installed a water meter, then any malfunction will be only on your conscience.

Instrument registration

How to register a water meter

Before installing water meters in your bathroom, you should contact the regional water utility to get everything technical requirements to the device. Does it special department approval of water accounting projects. Having received official permission, you can buy a water meter.

When buying a device, make sure of the following parameters:

• The serial number on the product must correspond to the one indicated in the data sheet.
• On the seal, the water meter must have an imprint of the State Standard.
• The technical passport for the product must contain the date of the official factory check.

At the time of purchase of the goods, the seller must put the official stamp of the store, as well as indicate the date of sale.

A new device should be checked by one of the following organizations:

• water utility management.
• private and licensed company.

To perform the check, the device is handed over together with the registration certificate. At the end of the procedure, the official stamp of the inspection company will be entered into the technical passport, and the corresponding fields will be filled in. Along with this, the date of sealing will also be set.

The nuances of registering a water meter

Keep in mind that damaging the KIP seal is strictly prohibited, otherwise it will not be accepted at the water utility. If you suddenly damaged the factory seal, the organization can still accept the water meter. However, if there is no instrument seal, then all instrument data will be invalid.

The equipment installation scheme describes in detail the sequence of installation of elements. There is nothing complicated here.

Usually the "garland" looks like this: first comes stopcock, then a special collapsible filter, followed by a water meter and completes this "chain" check valve.

Self-installation of a water meter

In advance, on the day when the tie-in of the water meter is planned, an official application should be written to the name of the organization serving the selected house in order to call a specialist to temporarily shut off the supply in the water riser.

Location selection

When choosing a place for installation, it is necessary to assess the condition of the pipelines, and also to determine whether there is a wiring from the risers.

Water meters can be placed in any position. The task of the specialist is to provide free access to inspect the device.

The water meter is placed as close as possible to the place where the main line enters the bathroom. For modern private houses, this parameter is 20 cm from the outlet of the pipeline.

Typically, the device is placed under the sink or near the toilet. The distance of the straight section, which is allotted before the tie-in of the water meter, is written in the technical data sheet of the device.

According to the special requirements for the installation of water meters, if the valves are old, then they must be replaced with newer and more reliable ball valves. For hot water pipelines, ball valves marking DN25 are used, and for cold water - DN15.

For installation, it is better to use high-quality valves from reputable manufacturers that can withstand high operating pressure and operating temperature up to 100°C and above.

Purchase of components

The number of water meters is calculated based on total number located in housing risers. In order to simplify the task of inserting a water meter according to the scheme, it is necessary to understand the purpose of each element of the system:

• The stopcock is the "advanced" pipeline inside the apartment. For overlapping polypropylene pipes plastic taps are usually embedded, for metal-plastic and metal - brass models.
• Cleaning filter - reliably protects the equipment from large suspensions and therefore needs regular flushing. Available today in two versions: oblique and straight.
• Non-return valve - prevents the device from rewinding back when the water supply stops.
• The ball valve can only be in two positions: open or closed.

A non-return valve immediately after the water meter is a prerequisite when connecting the device. Placing a valve immediately after the water meter helps prevent start-up air flow against the movement of water, which is very often used by unscrupulous people when unwinding a water meter.

Water utility inspectors usually check the presence of this valve and without it they will not allow the device to be put into operation.

Along with the flow meter, special sealing rings and Americans must go.

If you are going to embed a device for hot water, you will need to additionally purchase paranitic gaskets.

Instruments

Of the tools to complete the work, you will need:

• Bulgarian;
• soldering iron;
• hacksaw or scissors;
• adjustable or gas key;
• FUM tape, or tow;
• sgons and corners;
• couplings.

Corners and spurs will be required to connect the water meter to water pipe. You can always replace them if you wish. flexible hoses made of rubber or rubber, the outer walls of which are covered with a nylon or aluminum braid.

Water meter installation

The rules for installing water meters in an apartment are as follows. The easiest way is to install the meter on the water supply system, which is made of polypropylene or metal-plastic pipes. The polymer is very easy to cut with special scissors.

The connection of the components of the polymer pipeline is carried out using a soldering iron, the operation technology of which is quite simple.

When dealing with a water supply system made of metal pipes, it will be problematic to embed water meters without special tools.

Thus, independent connection water meters for metal pipes usually combined with partial or complete replacement of the intra-apartment pipeline.

In order to simplify assembly, lay out the elements of the "garland" in advance in the sequence in which you will connect them. And in order to correctly calculate the number of turns, make a “dry” connection. To do this, simply screw the filter onto the tap, counting the turns at the same time. As a rule, there are no more than five of them.

When making a “dry” connection, be sure to pay attention to which of the turns the sump is in the lower position. Then spin up the connection. Wind the seal around the thread grooves of the stopcock filter.

The main thing when tightening the stopcock is not to overdo it, as the connection may burst.

When assembled, the entire system will look like this: the stopcock switch, the filter sump, as well as the dial of the device “look” up, while the impeller looks down. Having measured the length of the entire "garland", a similar distance is measured at the working section of the tie-in into the pipeline.

Overlapping the water pipe in any apartment building must be agreed in advance with the employees of the water utility.

Installation sequence

How to install a water meter correctly?

• The pipe disconnected in advance from the water pressure is cut. When cutting off a section, it is advisable to substitute a basin, since it is likely that the water remaining in the pipe will drain a little.
• A ball or valve shut-off valve with a special filter installed on it is connected to the pipeline.
• A pre-assembled meter block is connected to the shut-off valve with a filter, while not forgetting to lay a paranitic or rubber gasket required diameter.
• The arrow on the device must point away from the shut-off valve embedded in the pipeline. To the strainer from the side sharp end an arrow imprint is screwed on an American. And from the side of the tail - a check valve.
• Having connected the water meter to the tap, measure the location of the return thread.
• Cut off all excess pipe. At the end of the pipe, a special thread is made and a fitting is installed.
• The check valve is unscrewed from the assembled device, and then fixed to the mating thread.
• After the installation is completed, the connection of the American with the body of the device is restored.

When assembling the device block, follow the direction of all the arrows that are installed on each of the elements.

The marks in the form of arrows act as a special guide, indicating the direction in which water should flow through the water meter.

If, when assembling the mechanism, you mix up the direction of all the arrows on the device case, filter and check valve, then during the check, the employee of the water utility will not allow sealing the meter. After all, you can only put into use a system in which each element of the block is installed correctly.

System health check

To check the correctness of the entire installation, assembled system must be connected to the water supply. To do this, very slowly open the ball valve, which cuts off the intra-apartment water supply system from the riser. Immediately after starting the system, absolutely all threaded connections are checked for tightness, and whether there is a leak somewhere.

If everything is fine, then you just have to submit an application and wait for the official inspector of the water utility to arrive. The controller will carefully check the correctness of your connection, make a test run and see if the device works. After that, he will seal the meter with a seal, and also draw up an official act of commissioning.

Conclusion

As you can see, the installation of a water meter, in principle, does not require much effort and time. The main problem is all sorts of bureaucratic ups and downs, obtaining, as well as approving different papers, submission of applications.

We must not forget that from time to time you need to take your water meter for verification, as it may not count correctly. The device for hot water is checked every six years, and for cold - every four years.