1. In what cases is it necessary to replace a hot and cold water meter?
3. How much does it cost to replace a meter and can it be done for free?
4. Documents when replacing water meters
5. Procedure for replacing a water meter: step-by-step instructions
6. What to do and how to submit readings after replacing the meter
7. Is it possible to change the water meter yourself?
In what cases is it necessary to replace a hot and cold water meter?
End of service life
The validity period of hot and cold water meters is usually indicated in the technical data sheet of the device and can be either 5 or 15 years (on average 12). It is important to remember or periodically check the expiration date, because regardless of whether the device is working, the owner is obliged to replace it if the date indicated on the registration certificate has passed. This must be done within 30 days.
Device failure that cannot be repaired
Malfunctions may depend both on the build quality of the meter and on its correct or incorrect installation, that is, installation. The environment and even water quality can also have an impact: the presence of harsh chemicals or excessively high temperatures will reduce the life of the device and increase the risk of malfunctions. Among the most common breakdowns, of course, are inaccurate readings, which can cause a lack of savings. Tamara Liksukova, head of the department for organizing sales activities of the Rosvodokanal group of companies, adds that if the meter is faulty, then when the tap is turned on, the indicator may not rotate, and this is a breakdown that requires urgent replacement of the device.
Failure to verify the meter
“Current legislation establishes the subscriber’s obligation to monitor the operation and safety of water metering devices, as well as his responsibility for violating the integrity of seals and unauthorized interference in the operation of metering devices,” reports Tamara Liksukova.
In Russia, the verification procedure for water meters must be carried out:
• once every 4 years (with a hot water meter)
• once every 6 years (with a cold water meter).
This is the way to detect a breakdown or large errors – the owner must invite a specialist and pay for the service himself. If any violations are found, the device will need to be replaced.
Photo: Evgeny Odinokov/RIA Novosti
Where to go for replacement meters
“We recommend working with trusted contractors. Contacting the management company or resource supply organization (vodokanal) guarantees the quality of the installation and will help reduce the time for getting the device into operation,” Rosvodokanal clarifies. The company also advises paying attention to “the organization’s experience and qualifications in this matter,” that is, to clarify how long the organization has been providing services for replacing devices on the market.
• Management company. If a breakdown is detected or before the meter expires, you can call the management company or utility supplier in your home. You will be notified two days before the technician arrives, then they will provide the service of dismantling the old device and installing a new one. The owner of the apartment pays (if the housing is municipal – the local government body). You can find out which management company is responsible for your home on the government services portal, in the MFC, on the GIS Housing and Communal Services website dom.gosuslugi.ru or on the website of the public project dom.minzhkhkh. The mos.ru portal is available to Muscovites.
• Homeowners’ association (or their contractors). It’s the same here – you contact the Homeowners Association or TSN, a technician comes to you and changes the meter.
• Accredited organizations. Sometimes it takes a long time to wait for a technician from the management company; there are also situations when the company does not have a license for this service. And this is a reason to contact a specialized organization, which can be found on the website of the Russian Accreditation Agency.
Important! After installing a new meter, any master must enter data about this into the register of the FSIS “Arshin”. If the company is not accredited, he will not be able to do this, which means you paid for the service in vain. Therefore, you need to carefully approach the choice of organization.
How much does it cost to replace a meter?
As the expert notes, not a single regulatory act regulates the cost of replacing water meters. It depends on the cost of production of work, the price of materials and the meter itself of a particular organization. The market is competitive and even in one region pricing varies.
On average in Russia, replacing a meter without taking into account the device can cost about 1.5 thousand rubles. It will not be possible to replace the meter completely free of charge: in any case, you will need to pay for the device itself and its verification after installation. But there are some procedures on which you can save:
• Dismantling the old meter and installing a new one. You can do it yourself without calling a plumber
• Sealing of the device. By law, the management company must do this for free, but you may have to wait (sometimes even about a month). Without this procedure, the meter will not be considered put into operation
Documents when replacing water meters
• Technical data sheet, which contains basic information about the device
• Agreement for the purchase and installation of a meter, if the device is purchased independently (you can ask a master to purchase a meter from the management company, for example)
• Certificate of commissioning of the device
• Certificate of acceptance of work on installing a water meter and setting it up
• Meter maintenance agreement – concluded at the request of the owner
Procedure for replacing a water meter: step-by-step instructions
Photo: Vladimir Smirnov/TASS
Call the management company
You must report a breakdown or expiration of the device. Next, a representative of the organization will come to you to dismantle the old device, checking the integrity of the seal on it and taking readings from it. After such a visit, you must have an order from the company, on the basis of which the technician will install a new meter for you.
Buy a counter
You can either purchase the device yourself, or, for example, ask a private technician who was called to replace the meter. Usually the specialist brings a receipt from the store, and you pay for the device along with the service.
Alexandra Chikhrinova, an expert at the online hypermarket “VseInstruments.ru”, gives the following average prices:
• Mechanical meters: from 1,000 to 3,000 rubles
• Electronic meters with remote reading function: from 3,000 to 10,000 rubles
• Multi-tariff models: from 4,000 to 8,000 rubles
The expert notes that the price of the meter is mainly influenced by:
• type of device,
• its purpose (a device for metering hot water consumption is usually more expensive),
• manufacturer (European and Japanese models are more expensive than Russian ones),
• the presence of various additional functions, for example the ability to integrate into a smart home system.
Wait for the master
The specialist will install a new meter, having first turned off the water in the apartment. A private master can arrive on the same day, while you can wait for a plumber from a management company within a week from the moment you submit your application. Taking into account various installation conditions: the location of the device, the state of the water supply system, and the experience of the technician, the procedure can take about 30-60 minutes.
Will set the seal
If you invited a private technician to install a new device, after replacing the meter you will need to call the management company again, because only an organization that has a license can seal the device. The service is usually free, but you may have to wait.
Photo: Kirill Kukhmar/TASS
Get documents
After sealing, you must have a certificate of commissioning of the device and a certificate of acceptance of work on installing the water meter and setting it up.
As for the new device itself, as Alexandra Chikhrinova notes, when purchasing it you must have the following documents:
• Passport of the metering device, which indicates the unique serial number, technical characteristics, year of manufacture, date of initial verification of the meter.
• Certificate of Conformity is a document confirming that the device complies with legal requirements.
• Operating instructions, which include installation and maintenance recommendations and warranty conditions.
• Warranty card – warranty period and conditions of its validity.
• Receipt or invoice as proof of purchase.
What to do and how to submit readings after replacing the meter
After receiving the documents, you need to contact the Unified Settlement Center to register water meters. This is easy to do online: create a personal account on the website or log into an existing one (registration occurs via email and personal account). The documents you will need will be the certificate of replacement of the meter and (if it does not indicate the date of the next verification) the technical passport of the new meter. Then all that remains is to submit an application and wait for its approval. From the moment of registration, you will receive readings from new meters.
By law, an application for replacement of devices must be made within 30 calendar days from the day following the day of the procedure.
Photo: Anton Vergun/TASS
Is it possible to replace the meter yourself?
You can replace water meters yourself, observing these conditions:
• Notify the management company and wait for its representative to take readings from the old meter
• Receive a meter replacement certificate from the same specialist
• Before replacing the device, turn off the water
• After replacing the meter, check whether water is leaking at the location where the meter is installed, and again invite a representative of the management company
That is, you need to carry out all the same actions as if the meter was installed by a private master or a master from the management company, only the installation service itself will be free for you.
Source: rg.ru
