Service life of cold and hot water meters

In theory, at the very beginning of 2013, almost every residential building whose residents use the water supply service should be equipped with devices to measure how much cold and hot liquid was consumed in a month.

In reality, most subscribers still prefer to use utilities without installed metering devices.

The periods for carrying out the verification work are established by the state authorities and usually range from four to five years. The period of the operational process of a water meter designed to determine the flow of water (hot, cold) is usually prescribed in the official documentation (in the technical passport), and such rules are usually set by the manufacturer of the device itself.

How these rules are regulated by law

The period between inspections, which is established by the Federal Law, can usually be:

• Up to five years, if a person uses a cold water meter;
• Up to four years old, a person uses a cold water meter.

Verification operations are regulated by various kinds of standards and legislative acts. Among them are:

1. Federal Law number one hundred and two, which came into force in 2008 for the first time:
2. Government decree, which entered into force in 2004, regarding the improvement of the system for determining the volume of fluid consumed;
3. Government decree that came into force in 2006.

The importance of carrying out the verification procedure cannot be questioned. It is necessary in order to identify any deviations from the established norm that can lead to incorrect establishment of consumption volumes, as well as the total cost of all services that are provided to a specific subscriber.

The consumer is not allowed to check independently according to the law of the Russian Federation. If such a procedure was not carried out within the time prescribed in advance, then this is accepted as a violation of the legislation of the Russian Federation by the subscriber. The maximum service life of the device must be set by the manufacturer itself, without exception. Specifically, the operating period for different models of water meters (cold or hot water) is completely different. When performing installation work, this item should be paid attention first of all.

For what reason, individual metering of water consumption has a limited operational period

As the statistics show us, standard-type vane water meters, most often installed inside apartment buildings, become unusable, usually due to the completion of the intervals between verification work, which are indicated in an official document. In this case, usually a water meter for accounting for hot water consumption can lose its own technical characteristics most quickly due to the impact of a large number of high temperature conditions.

The breakdown of the PU does not happen so often, however, less than half of such devices suffer from such a misfortune. Other meters may break down only after six to seven years of use. A counter-question arises here: do you need to replace the old model with a new one or conduct a thorough check of the device you are already using?

As practice shows, it will be most rational to replace the accounting device. In addition, the installation of an updated device can be many times cheaper than the provision of services for checking and repairing the meter.

The design of the device can be damaged due to the following set of reasons:

1. The liquid does not meet the standards that were established in the official document: the presence of various harmful and undesirable impurities, particles of a high degree of hardness, capable of mechanically deforming the internal structure of the meter;
2. The entire water supply system in old-style buildings can lead to those unpleasant consequences that are usually associated with clogging of the filter, which is very rarely cleaned on an annual basis;
3. Deactivation of the hot water supply service for homes during the summer season can usually lead to the following situation: some parts of the device begin to dry out, requiring future replacement;
4. Various manipulations of residents, carried out in order to reduce the real readings of the meter, can cause enormous damage to the PU of the water resource. The installation of a magnet can become such a "misfortune" for an ordinary water meter.

The subscriber will not be able to independently figure out whether the accounting device performs its functions in a normal way. Specifically for this purpose, it becomes necessary to calibrate water meters after a certain time period. Calibration work is usually carried out by certified specialists, who always issue an opinion regarding the compliance with the meter's standards.

The period of service of accounting systems according to GOST

The period of operation of a vane-type PU in accordance with GOST is about twelve years, but different models of PU for hot water and cold water may have different shelf life. Also, the service warranty period can be about one and a half years from the moment the user began to operate with a device diameter from eight to fifty, as well as a maximum liquid volume of several thousand cubic meters.

A similar period may also depend on the standard of what quality the water has. If its compliance with the requirements of GOST is observed, then the device will function completely in normal mode. In a situation where a complete or partial inconsistency with the prescribed burrows is found, a strong decrease in the term occurs. An operational period of twelve years does not eliminate the need to carry out calibration work every four or five years.

For a cold liquid PU, the most expedient solution is to replace it at the end of 2 periods of service at once every five years, in case a premature failure of the system occurs. Cold PU liquid is theoretically capable of serving the user for 3 periods every four years, subject to two mandatory checks that occur in a specific time interval.

What to do if the measuring system has expired

When the product reaches the end of its useful life, the user must replace it with a newer one.

In order for this issue to be resolved, you will have to take the following procedure:

1. It is necessary to replace the expired device with an updated model. All this is done in a completely independent way. You can also apply for this service to a private specialist or make a request to the Management Company or an organization that supplies the necessary resources. Replacing the metering device on an independent basis can bring a lot of trouble to the user only because it requires compliance with various nuances regarding the area where the device will be installed, as well as the installation methods.
2. The sealing procedure is usually carried out at the initiative of the building management company. As the decree under number eight hundred and twenty-four states, the installation work is carried out entirely at the expense of the company. The subscriber will only have to fill out a special application, and then provide all the necessary documentation for non-residential premises.

The purchase of a water meter is carried out at the expense of the tenant who uses this resource.