What is verification and why is it needed?
If the device does not pass the official test on time, its readings are considered invalid.
The procedure is a metrological process for determining the characteristics of the meter and its accuracy meeting technical requirements. If the device has successfully passed the test, a special holographic sticker is affixed to it - a verification certificate with an expiration date. And it can be used further. Or a conclusion about unsuitability is given.
Water meters are subject to two types of examinations:
- the next one, carried out after the expiration of the certificate and the verification interval of water meters;
- extraordinary, which is assigned if there is a suspicion of a malfunction or incorrect operation of water metering devices, if the seal is broken.
To verify this, the owner of a meter installed in an apartment or private house must write an application to the management company or to the service provider organization.
The procedure is performed in one of two ways. The first involves conducting a full test in a certified laboratory and is carried out in several stages:
- An authorized installer comes to the house, removes the meter and installs in its place a piece of pipe prepared in advance according to dimensions - an insert;
- the water meter is delivered to the metrology laboratory, repaired, cleaned and verified;
- the verified device is installed at the insertion site.
This method is used primarily for conducting extraordinary inspections. The owner must be at home for a specialist to have access to the installation site of the water meter.
The second option is used when the verification period is approaching the end. Monitoring the timeliness of regular verification and accounting of water meters is carried out by the metrological service of the management company or the supplier. Verification of a water meter[/anchor] is the responsibility of its owner, the consumer must independently initiate it. If the tenant refuses to do this, payment for water is charged according to the standards for each person registered at the address.
What does the law say?
Legislatively, the state places responsibility for the correctness of water accounting data on homeowners.
Federal Law No. 102-FZ “On Ensuring the Uniformity of Measurements” directly states that verification must be carried out according to the manufacturer’s deadlines, and all costs and responsibility for monitoring these deadlines lie on the shoulders of the owners of the residential premises .
The calibration interval and the total service life of the metering device are indicated in the technical data sheet of the product. There is no direct instruction in the law about whether to replace the meter or carry out verification; residents themselves choose which method suits them best.
Replacement or verification?
When the time comes to check water meters, many residents decide not to check, but to change the device.
To replace a water meter, you need to buy a new meter and call a specialist from an organization that has a state license to carry out verifications. The technician will record the readings, remove the seal, and remove the old water meter. You must have documents with you confirming payment of utility bills. Otherwise, the change will be denied.
The fact of installation is recorded in a special journal. To legitimize the installation, a housing and communal services employee must seal the new device and enter data about it into the register. After this, you can pay for services according to the water meter readings.
How often the water meter needs to be changed depends on the intensity and conditions of its use - contamination of the water supply, level of chlorination. The standard service life is about 12 years. The number of water meter checks for cold water during this time will be no more than three, and for hot water – a maximum of two. While the water meter is in the metrology laboratory, fees are charged according to water consumption standards established by law.
There is no need to wait for the verification result. According to statistics, 90% of water meters are faulty and cannot be used. Experts believe that the poor quality of tap water is to blame.
How to verify?
How are water meters verified? The validity period of the results of the previous inspection should be valid - this is desirable to avoid possible discrepancies in consumption data with the utility provider.
The consumer must, first of all, carry out the correct dismantling of functioning devices. This can be done by contacting specialists at the HOA or management company. Sometimes it is necessary to coordinate this procedure with the actual utility provider 2 business days before it takes place. Before the meter is removed, its readings should be recorded and handed over to the water supplier.
How often do you check the meter?
The verification period for cold and hot water meters is set by Rosstandart. The standard calibration interval for cold water meters is six years. There is a separate device for hot. By law, the hot water meter must be checked at least once every four years. The shorter period is due to two factors:
- influence of high temperatures;
- the content of suspended solids in hot water that negatively affects the operation of the device.
Sometimes the calibration interval for water meters of a particular model is less than the usual 4 and 6 years (this data is in the product passport). No manufacturer can establish an extended interval for water meters, since the frequency of verification is fixed by law. It is impossible to change it upward under any circumstances.
The verification period for a new cold or hot water meter is indicated in the product passport, which is an official document. From it you can get all the information about the device: operating conditions, when the meter needs to be checked by law, test methods. The basis is the results of metrological tests. During manufacturing, the devices undergo testing of technical parameters.
Water meters are necessarily subjected to metrological control in the factory laboratory, and a stamp is affixed to one of the pages of the passport. How can I find out the date of the next verification? This can be done by adding the verification interval to the date indicated in the document.
Calibration intervals are counted from the date of factory testing, and not from the date of commissioning of the meter. If the passport is lost or damaged, you can find out the verification period for the device on the manufacturer’s website.
Which water meter is better to buy: main types
In apartments and private houses, owners can install a domestic or imported resource meter. Russian technology has the simplest design mechanism, and the best and most popular companies are:
- Beregun;
- HeatWater Meter;
- Pulsar;
- Meter;
- SGV (Staroruspribor);
- Gas electronics (GES).
Fig 5.
Water meters Beregun
Fig 6.
Water meters Heat Water meter
Fig 7.
Water meters Pulsar
Figure 8.
Water meters Meter
These meters are manufactured in strict accordance with state standards, so the verification period is the same: 4 years for hot water, 6 years for cold water.
Imported manufacturers offer Russian consumers electronic meters with high measurement accuracy. The most famous brands:
- Siemens;
- Zenner;
- Minomess.
Figure 9.
Water meters Meter
Figure 10.
Zinner water meters
Figure 11.
Minomess water meters
Such devices have a built-in computer chip inside, and the most durable and protected designs are used for the cases, which significantly increases their service life. On average, the calibration interval of devices can be 10-16 years. However, foreign technology also has a disadvantage: a high price, which significantly reduces the demand for such models.
Video 3.
Which water meter is better to install in an apartment?
Water meter testing algorithm
Water meters are checked in accordance with MI 1592-2015 in three ways:
- at the installation site;
- in a metrology laboratory;
- replacement.
When delivering a water meter yourself, you should consider:
- Only authorized specialists of the service provider can dismantle the device;
- an insert is temporarily installed in place of the removed water meter;
- The meter can only be checked in an accredited laboratory.
The device can also be verified at the installation site using a mobile stand. A specialist comes to your home, he should be provided with a passport for the meter, data on previous verifications.
The service is not cheap. Its advantages are as follows:
- convenience for the consumer;
- speed of execution - the process takes about 30 minutes;
- there is no need to dismantle the water meter.
Fraudsters are trying to take advantage of the popularity of the procedure. It is necessary to make sure that the specialist has an identification and certificate, and clarify information about the employee by phone.
If you miss verification
If verification is delayed, water use fees are calculated not according to the meter readings, but based on the average volumes for the last six months. Then you will have to pay according to the consumption rate in proportion to the number of registered residents.
The Federal Law on Metering Devices can be downloaded HERE.
The criteria for determining the amount of payments for overdue water meter verification differ in different regions. The average value can be taken based on the results of not six, but three months. The water consumption standards for each registered person also differ.
It is not the housing and communal services services that should keep track of when the next inspection is due, but the tenant himself.
Management companies only keep records of existing meters and register new meters. Useful article? Rate and share with friends!
Consequences of missing the water meter verification deadline
Based on clause 81 of the Rules for the provision of public utilities, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354 of 05/06/2011, commissioning, technical operation, maintenance and timely replacement of water metering devices installed in the premises must be ensured by the owner of the premises.
If for some reason you missed the date of the next water meter verification, the company providing the resource will charge you based on the average monthly consumption for the first three months
according to paragraphs.
“a” of paragraph 59 of the Rules for the provision of utility services. After this period, the calculation will begin according to the standards
established by the legislation of the Russian Federation,
using increasing coefficients
.
