How to install a water meter in an apartment

According to the adopted law, all homeowners must install water metering devices. Deadlines are constantly shifting, but sooner or later they will have to be set. 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 willing to provide a counter. But the accounts for these water meters come from space - the indicators 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.

What can happen to the water meter

Is it profitable or not

It is no longer necessary to ponder whether a water meter is needed or not - a law has been passed according to which everyone is obliged to install it. But many are wondering how beneficial it is. If the number of people living in the apartment is as many as prescribed or less, the installation of the meter is beneficial. It is also beneficial if, say, someone moves to a summer cottage for the summer or spends a vacation there. If the situation is diametrically opposite - fewer people are registered than they live, it is not profitable for you to install a meter. But there is no getting away from this.

You only pay for what you use

How large the savings will be for permanent residence depends on the calculation method adopted in your management company and how much water you use. At least you will save about 30%, but there were cases when payments after installation decreased significantly. This can be if there is a common metering device on the house. In this case, according to the results of the month, the consumption of those tenants who have meters installed is deducted from the total readings, and the remainder is divided between the remaining apartments according to the number of registered people. Usually, those who actually have more people than it is prescribed do not put meters. In this case, the consumption per month 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 particularly economize, you get about 3 cubes of cold and 2 hot cubes. So there really is a sense.

Should you install it yourself or through a firm?

According to the current legislation, the installation of water meters is at the expense of the home owner. That is, you have to buy a meter, install it at your own expense. The installed water meters are sealed by representatives of the water utility or 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 put the meter, and call the representative of the housing office to seal it. What you need:

• purchase a meter and all the necessary parts;
• agree and pay for the disconnection of the cold / hot water riser (contact the operational campaign, set the date and time);
• install a meter, turn on the water;
• call a representative of a water utility or DEZ (in different regions in different ways) to seal it, get an act of commissioning;
• go with an act and a passport of the meter (there should be a serial number, a store stamp, a date of factory verification) to the DEZ and register the water meter.
  

  Self-installation of water meters is not prohibited

All papers are considered, a standard contract is filled out, you sign it, it is considered that you pay for water by the meter.

How to choose a water meter read here.

How to hire a good firm and what they should do

There are two ways to find a company that is engaged in the installation of water meters: take the list in the DEZ or find it on the Internet yourself. The list will already have licensed firms, but obviously not all of them that work in this area. On the Internet, you must definitely check for a license. A copy of it should 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 full list of services. Conditions may be different - someone provides their own meter, 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.

Without much hassle, but for decent money

Previously, the contract included a clause on service maintenance, and without it the companies did not want to install meters. Today this item is recognized as illegal, since there is no need to maintain the meter, and it should not be in the agreement, and if there is, you have the right to refuse these services and not pay for them.

How to choose polypropylene pipes read here.

Preparing for installation

If you have chosen not a certain campaign, you must leave them a request. There are two options - some companies 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.

First, company representatives inspect the installation site

In any case, first a representative of the campaign comes (you agree on the date and time of arrival), inspects the "field of activity", assesses the condition of the pipes, makes 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 risers with an operational campaign. Normal firms take it upon themselves.

Installation of water meters by campaign representatives

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

Under the normal condition of the pipes, the installation of water meters for professionals takes about 2 hours

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

How to transfer data

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

• the leaves torn off and filled in from the subscription book are lowered into special boxes;
• leave data in the personal account on the website of the water supplying organization;
• send e-mails with testimonies to a special address of the organization.

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

Water meter readings can be transferred to the campaign website, dropped into a special box on their email address or tear-off vouchers

Water meter installation diagram

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

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

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

Installation of water meters is desirable in a horizontal direction

What and why should be in the scheme

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

• a ball valve is screwed onto the branch pipe coming from the riser,
• a coarse filter is installed,
• counter;
• further wiring.
  

  Installation of water meters with a minimum number of elements

Now more about what each element is needed for.

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

The coarse filter captures the largest particles in the water supply. It must be installed so that the branch is directed downward. Otherwise, it will quickly clog.

All these elements most often have an internal thread. So that they can be connected to each other, they use connecting elements, which are often called "sgons". They have external threads on both sides and a small section of a flat pipe (in some versions, only a few millimeters in general). with their help, everything is connected to each other.

What are the filters for water and how to get clean water read here.

Optional schematic elements

Often a check valve is installed after the meter. It is required so that, in the absence of parsing, the water does not go in the opposite direction. It also excludes an increase in the reading in the presence of unstable pressure.

It cuts off two more unpleasant situations: and does not allow cold water to flow from one pipeline to another. This happens if someone has a hygienic shower (on a toilet or bidet) installed on the riser, a shower cabin with cheap mixers. They are not provided with check valves and such overflow is possible.

Check valve circuit

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

Installation diagram of a water meter with shut-off valves on both sides

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

Pressure reducer diagram

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

How to choose a filter for a sink to get drinking water read here.

Some subtleties and nuances

When buying a meter, you need to make sure that the number in your passport matches the number stamped on the water meter. The device must also bear a mark that it has passed the certification. The passport must contain a stamp with the date of factory calibration. The fresher the date, the better - the more likely you will not be forced to check it before installing.Another necessary detail is the store's sales record with a stamp. In the event of a meter malfunction, you will be given an act with which you can demand its replacement.

EU and Russian certification marks

It is also highly desirable that the date of the factory calibration was "fresher" - you do not have to carry the device longer for verification.

Installation features

When installing meters on water, all threaded connections must be sealed - the pressure in the lines is serious. For this, linen or fum tape is used. If you use a winding, wound on the thread, it is desirable 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 - micro cracks may appear, which then lead to a leakage of the connection.

If you have steel pipes from the outlet of the riser, you will need welding or a grinder to cut off a piece that is now unnecessary. You will also need to cut the threads at the end of the pipe (if not present) - this is the only way to connect the shut-off valve. On the reverse side, the same situation - either a transition fitting or threading is required.

Flow direction

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

If there is no arrow on the case of the listed parts, most likely you are in front of 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 move.

Observe the direction of the flow and make a mark beforehand

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 to turn off the risers, ask not for two hours, but rather four. And pre-assemble everything without reeling, measure the length, figure out where and how everything will fit, draw where to cut off, weld, put retaining clips (if the pipeline is from polypropylene) etc. In general, do as much preparation as possible. In this case, self-installation of water meters will take place with a minimum of hassle.

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