// 11.10.2017
At the current stage of legal support for the existence of a resource metering system in the country, there are still people who do not even have water meters installed in their apartments. Who still agrees that they are charged money for using the resource at inflated tariffs by housing and communal services companies.
Think for yourself, there is a document on the unity of measurements on the territory of the country. At the beginning of the fifteenth year, a new federal legal act came into force, which obligated Russian citizens to install water meters. This year, President Putin already signed a document on saving resources.
Despite such a rich legislative framework, which often duplicates itself at different times, many do not even try to install or update meters that have failed. Convincing our people to act in accordance with the legislative code is a big state problem. The country has good laws, but they are not implemented.
The city accounting center is one of the structures that today is part of the structure of organizations that serve as one of the mechanisms for bringing these initiatives to life. We carry out the entire cycle of work on meters that control water consumption. In addition, we carry out explanatory work on the basics of legal support for activities regarding the maintenance periods of measuring equipment.
In order for laws to work, there are by-laws. These are considered decrees of governments of different levels of subordination. Back in the early 2000s, the Moscow government issued a decree that laid the foundation for verification of water meters.
It indicated the timing of the calibration intervals of water meters for metering hot and cold water. They were based on existing standards that were established by the country's metrological services. According to them, organizations accredited for such activities, such as the State Center for Energy and Energy, carried out verification of hot and cold water meters.
The established order existed for a dozen years until a federal government decree appeared that established other directions. The new rules stated that the periods of instrument diagnostics should be set by the manufacturer himself. Manufacturers also approved inspection periods for hot water - four years and for cold water - six years.
The results of such examinations of the performance of instrumentation equipment decided whether the meters needed to be updated or continued to function. If all maintenance deadlines were met, then the meter owners continued to pay for resource consumption according to the water IPU readings, and not to the inflated tariffs of management companies. There were also certain rules for replacing water meters .
Are you planning to replace meters? Choose the right company!
Read more about replacing water meters in Moscow
How often to change?
There are three deadlines associated with water meters. This is the time of their service, guarantees for them and their verification. The service life of flow meters is set by their manufacturers.
Technical documentation determines that the average service time is 12 years.
This period is indicated in the meter’s passport and applies to vane devices. Other types of water meters may have a longer service life.
Manufacturers also set a warranty period for devices. It is also recorded in the water meter passport. The warranty is 30 months. The moment of its counting is the day the flow meter is put into operation.
Important! The maximum warranty for water meters does not exceed 36 months, starting from the date of their initial verification.
This condition is also stated in the device passport. The technical documentation establishes another time period associated with the operation of water meters. This is the calibration interval. It is the same for cold and hot water meters. Their verification should be carried out every 6 years.
Electronic certificate
From September 24, 2021, the record of verification of water meters has become electronic. The metrologist inspector makes a note about verification on the website of the Federal Information Foundation for Ensuring the Uniformity of Measurements. It will be possible to track it online on the Arshin website and through the State Services portal at any time.
It was assumed that digital recording would simplify the procedure and free the consumer from the obligation to transfer documents to utility companies. The management company itself will take the data from the Arshina website. But the way this is implemented, to put it mildly, raises questions. The system has not yet been debugged. Not all management companies received access to the data.
According to the rules, a metrologist has the right to enter data into the register not immediately, but within two months.
And so that the consumer does not face sanctions during this time, the owners still have to receive a paper document and personally deliver it to the resource supplier.
The interval for changing the device according to the law
Clause 81(10) of the Government Decree dated May 6, 2011, number 354, states that the operating conditions and reinstallation of water meters are fixed in the technical documentation .
The same paragraph of the Resolution states that verification of metering devices is carried out on the basis of the Law of June 26, 2008 under number 102-FZ.
These acts contain only general information about the operation and verification of flow meters.
Specific time periods regarding the use of water meters, guarantees for them and their verification are established by technical documentation.
More often, instead of a time limit for reinstalling flow meters, a period of their mandatory verification is implied. Consumers need to ensure compliance with the calibration interval.
However, there is no set deadline for reinstalling the accounting device. It needs to be changed only in cases where it has not passed the verification procedure or has failed for a number of reasons.
Who should carry out the work?
Legislative and regulatory acts do not stipulate who specifically has the right to replace a faulty water control device. Owners can involve any legal entity or individual who has the necessary equipment to perform this service.
The organization (or individual entrepreneur) must undergo accreditation and also provide a license confirming the right to carry out such work. A prerequisite is the conclusion of a performance contract. After installation, the organization must provide a certificate of commissioning.
More detailed information on the issue here.
Legality of independent change
Since there is no direct prohibition in the legislation, the user has the right to replace a faulty meter with his own hands.
The only obstacle may be a clause about the inadmissibility of independently carrying out such work in the contract with the management company (or with the service provider, if the contract is directly with them).
Therefore, it is necessary to carefully study the agreement with the management company, if there is one, and also be sure to notify it.
Before starting work, you will need to agree to turn off the riser , as well as stock up on a set of tools and insulating materials.
The consequences of incorrect installation are not limited to a damaged device: in the worst case, independent actions can lead to flooding of your own and neighboring apartments.
Keep in mind: You need to be confident in your own skills and weigh the pros and cons of hiring professionals. Another disadvantage of manual installation is the lack of warranty.
Read about the legality of replacing the meter yourself in this article.
At whose expense is the equipment updated?
According to Federal Law No. 261 (Article 13), payment for the replacement of water consumption meters is borne by the owner of the property. If the apartment is municipal, then the municipality pays.
The following can count on a free change:
- citizens with disabilities of the first and second groups;
- the poor;
- citizens raising children with disabilities;
- WWII participants.
Other categories of citizens pay for the replacement of water pumps themselves, unless local authorities provide otherwise.
For example , in St. Petersburg, pensioners are exempt from paying the cost of work.
You can find more information about the cost of replacing appliances in this article.
The moment from which the countdown begins
The warranty always starts from the date the flow meter is put into service. This is indicated both in GOST R 50601-93 (clause 11.2) and in the technical data sheet of the device.
If the technical documentation does not contain the date when the device was put into operation, then the warranty for it starts from the moment of its initial verification .
The period of operation of the water meter begins from the day it was released. This is confirmed by its initial verification. It is from this moment that the verification interval begins. The date of initial verification must be indicated on the device data sheet.
What to do next?
After the reinstallation is completed and the necessary documents have been received, you need to register a new PU.
Otherwise, the meter readings will not be taken into account when calculating utilities.
The payment amount will be calculated in the traditional way based on the residents.
The documents listed earlier in the article (acts for reinstallation and proper quality of the device, registration certificate and payment receipt) are sent to the DEZ, and from there to the EIRC, where the water meter is registered.
Where to put the dismantled equipment?
Mechanical meters do not pose any danger in terms of toxicity. A broken PU or water meter can simply be thrown away after its service life has expired. But it's better to recycle it.
The meter contains non-ferrous metals, and therefore they are in demand on the recyclables market. There are advertisements online about the acceptance of dismantled devices for a fee: you can also make money from an obsolete control panel.
Verification
After commissioning, the new meter does not need to be verified, since the manufacturer checks the product before sale. The next verification date must be noted by the manufacturer in the data sheet.
An exception is the installation of a device that has been in storage for too long. This can be avoided by carefully studying the production date of the PU before purchasing.
Is filling required?
After commissioning, the metering device must be sealed by a representative of the Management Company or Vodokanal.
The procedure is mandatory and free. To obtain it, you need to fill out an application for sealing, or call a specialist by phone.
Recommended frequency of replacement of cold and hot water meters
The specific moment when an old water meter needs to be replaced with a new one is not defined.
It all depends on the quality of the device and the water that will pass through it.
DHW meters need to be replaced more frequently than cold water meters. Hot water destroys them faster, and they cannot always last 12 years.
Cold water meters can last more than 12 years, provided the water quality is good and they are used correctly. Therefore, there is no fixed deadline for reinstalling devices . It all depends on a number of factors.
Note! It is important to promptly invite a specialist to check the devices. It is recommended to monitor the operation of DHW meters more often. It is necessary to be more guided by the guarantee and the verification period.
Sequence of actions during organization
General rules for organizing the verification process are provided.
These include:
Preparation of an application to evaluate the operation of the device, containing the following information: full name, address, contact phone number of the consumer; name and model of the metering device, information about the manufacturer. A photocopy of the technical passport for the device must be attached to the application.- Submitting a prepared application to the management company, municipal or commercial service selected for verification of meters.
- Drawing up a contract with this organization for the performance of work and specifying the time of arrival of the specialist (if the verification is carried out at home).
- Before performing an inspection, you should check the specialist’s documents confirming his authority to perform them.
- Receiving from the inspection employee all the necessary documents for presentation to the Criminal Code after the inspection.
Attention! An application for verification work should be submitted in advance, before the verification period specified in the technical passport expires.
If you contact a commercial company, you can make a request by phone. It can be found on the company's website.
Early failure of devices
It is necessary to reinstall the old flow meter with a new one earlier than the warranty and calibration interval in the following cases:
- improper installation of the device;
- improper operation;
- violation of the integrity of the flow meter body;
- poor water quality;
- fixing the meter to a clogged pipeline;
- carrying out welding work on the pipe where the device was previously fixed;
- lack of a flow filter in front of the flow meter;
- increased pressure and temperature of water in pipes.
Often the reason for early replacement of water meters is their improper transportation. also negatively affects the service life of devices .
Possible consequences of failure to meet deadlines
If the consumer does not replace the meter due to its breakdown, then the main consequence for him will be a subsequent increase in payments for water.
Clause 81(13) of the Resolution number 354 states that the consumer must immediately notify the management company of the need to reinstall the metering device . At the same time, he is obliged to transmit readings from the flow meter as of the date of its breakdown.
Important! The water meter must be replaced within 30 days from the moment the device fails. The water meter must be replaced by a specialist from the management company himself or in his presence.
According to the requirements of paragraph 59 of Resolution No. 354, for the period of unaccounted resource consumption, the fee is charged to the consumer based on the average consumption value . It is calculated from the moment when the water meter fails, and if this moment cannot be established, then from the date when the billing period began.
The consumer will pay for water according to the average volume of consumption over 3 months. Upon completion, payments for the resource will begin to accrue according to consumption standards. In this case, the increasing coefficient will be additionally taken into account. This is indicated in paragraph 42 of the Resolution under number 354.
As a result, the consumer may accumulate large amounts of debt . If they replace the water meter, the billing center will recalculate for the entire period of unaccounted resource consumption. The consequence of this will be the formation of a debt that the consumer will be obliged to pay.
Who performs the procedure?
The accuracy of meter readings is checked only by organizations that are accredited in this area. This can be done by both public and private companies.
State companies usually have their own laboratory , which allows for a comprehensive check of metering devices after they are removed.
Private firms work primarily in residents' homes. The owners themselves must decide on the choice of organization and who exactly will carry out the verification.
Reference! The Criminal Code has lists of accredited companies that cooperate with it on the issue of servicing water meters. For example, in the North-Western Administrative District of Moscow, their inspection is carried out by Housing and Communal Services - Service, and other organizations.
You can apply for verification directly to the selected organization or company, or you can also make an application through the management company or MFC , geographically located nearby.
A list of accredited meter verification organizations can be found here.
