Reasons why the hot or cold water meter does not turn
The malfunction of the water meter, expressed in the stop of the dial indicator, can be due to a number of reasons:
- the counting mechanism has failed, as a result of which the sensor does not reflect water consumption;
- the rotor broke;
- due to low water quality, the coarse filter became clogged, followed by the flow element (read about water quality standards here);
- connection errors: a meter designed for installation on a cold water supply pipe is mounted in a hot water pipe or vice versa;
- increased hot water temperature (over 90 °C), which negatively affects the operation of the meter;
- outside interference in the operation of the mechanism with the intention of saving on water costs (installation of needles, magnets, etc.).
Rotation of the meter in the opposite direction may be caused by problems in the water meter itself or in the plumbing system:
- When installing a water meter, the direction of water flow was mixed up;
- The device kit does not include such an important element as a check valve;
- a significant difference in pipeline pressure, namely in the pressure of individual and common pipes (read more about pressure standards in pipes here);
- incorrect installation of the boiler, leading to water overflowing from one pipe to another, for example, from cold to hot;
- wear of the mechanism due to long service life.
Important! Rotation of the meter disproportionate to the water flow may indicate the formation of a blockage in the flow element or physical wear of the meter.
What are the reasons for a water meter malfunction?
Reason #1. Depressurization of the water meter
In this case, you may notice that the glass of the water meter is fogged up or water is leaking. In this case, it is worth turning off the water (at least for 1 hour) and recording the meter readings. After an hour, you should compare the water meter readings with the existing ones. If there are discrepancies, you should make sure that the taps are tight. In most cases, a faulty stopcock can be the cause of a leak. In this case, you should tighten the couplings, and if the water pipes are leaking, you will have to call a plumber to fix the leaks.
What to do if the meter stops spinning?
If a malfunction of the meter is detected, you should not try to carry out repairs on your own, since the seals installed by the management company will be broken. The only action that can be taken is to gently tap in order to eliminate possible accumulation of foreign particles or rust in the flow element.
If the device was installed recently and is still under warranty, you can try contacting the store where it was purchased.
It is possible that the cause of the problem is a manufacturing defect. When filing a claim with the seller, you must have a cash receipt or other document confirming the purchase. If the meter was purchased not by the owner of the apartment, but by a specialist performing the installation, you need to contact the company whose representative he is.
If a manufacturing defect is detected in the metering device, it will take a certain amount of time to carry out an examination and return the goods, so accrual during this period will be made according to the standards accepted in a particular region.
Where to contact?
Initially, you should draw up an application to the management company with the relevant information and a request to take readings from the water meter (Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 05/06/2011 No. 354, clause 81(13) (as amended on 07/13/2019).
It is recommended to write the application in 2 copies so that you can keep one of them (with the signature of the person who accepted the document and the date of submission). In this case, it is not at all necessary to know and indicate the reason for the breakdown of the meter.
Based on the application, an inspector will come to the user, take the last readings from the meter and draw up a breakdown report. They will also remove the seal from the device, which will allow for repairs. As a rule, in such situations the meter is replaced with a new one, since its restoration is not always effective and requires a significant amount of time.
After repairing or replacing the device, you must contact the management company again for sealing (clauses 81-81(9) of these Rules).
Required documents
To repair water meters, you need to obtain from an expert a report and an opinion drawn up by him on the causes of the breakdown and methods of elimination. Often, a malfunction in the operation of a metering device is detected as a result of its verification . In this situation, the inspector immediately draws up a report in which he indicates the date and nature of the detected breakdown, and also makes a conclusion.
In this case, replacing the water meter is carried out as soon as possible, which makes it possible not to make recalculations in payment and thereby save the owner’s money. You can find out what recalculation is after checking the meters and how the procedure is carried out here.
Usually, after installing the meter, the management company requires a work certificate , so it is best not to carry out this procedure yourself, but to contact any company that specializes in such services and has the appropriate license. You can also make an application to the Criminal Code with a request to send a locksmith.
After all the work has been completed, including sealing, photocopies of the following documents must be provided to the management company:
- technical passport of the metering device;
- certificate of completion.
The user needs to keep the originals in case any claims are made by the management company.
Important! If the seal is damaged as a result of careless handling, you must immediately call a specialist to reseal it.
If you purchase a new water meter, you need to inspect it for external damage and defects, and also ask the store for a passport for the product, which must contain the date of purchase and the personal signature of the seller.
If the water meter was replaced independently, the owner needs to submit an application to a specialized company, after which a day for the inspector’s visit will be agreed upon. At the appointed time, the specialist will check the correct installation of the meter and the availability of the necessary documentation.
After sealing, the home owner is given an acceptance certificate for the metering device. This document contains the date of work, contact details of the organization and the name of the inspector. It also indicates the water meter readings, passport data and the date of the next verification.
Time frame within which repairs must be made
After a claim related to a malfunction of the meter has been submitted to the management company, repair or replacement of the device must be carried out within 30 days. The service company is obliged to notify the owner 2 days before its representatives arrive to carry out the work. The period in which water consumption was not recorded will be paid according to the standards (average water consumption in the last 6 months). You can find out what the monthly consumption is according to standards and the reasons for exceeding it here.
What to do if there is no reaction?
If after submitting the application there is no reaction from the management company, it is necessary to duplicate the document. Also, if the management company does not respond to such an appeal, it can be held accountable . This service bears full responsibility for compliance with the agreement concluded with the property owners, which stipulates the quality and completeness of the services provided.
Who pays for the repairs?
The individual device used to record water consumption is the property of the apartment owner. In this regard, if it malfunctions, the owner will have to pay for repairs or replacement.
There are often situations when completely new devices, which have not yet expired, fail. In this case, the manufacturer is obliged to provide a new meter completely free of charge.
In addition to installing and repairing an individual meter in the event of a malfunction, the owner is obliged to ensure timely verification, the frequency of which is established by the meter manufacturer. Such information can be found in the technical data sheet of the product.
If the owner of the apartment missed the scheduled verification, the meter readings will be considered invalid, and payment for consumed water will be made according to the standards adopted in a particular region. Read more about standards for water consumption without metering in our article.
Find out more information in the materials on our website about water supply and possible problems with it. Read about why water outages may occur, who is responsible for the risers and their replacement, as well as the nuances of operating meters and the timing of inspection, service and replacement of metering devices.
Will I have to pay for water?
If the owner does not correct the malfunction of the meter, then before installing a new one and registering with the regulatory authorities, he will pay for water supply services according to the tariff schedule with an increasing factor .
As a rule, cash costs for water in this case increase 2-3 times.
Therefore, the owner himself is personally interested in the performance of the devices and the quick replacement of failed water meters.
A malfunctioning water meter is an unpleasant breakdown that anyone can encounter. In such a situation, you almost always have to change the device, but this should be done only after written notification to the management company.
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It is quite natural that a water meter installed in an apartment/private house makes it possible to significantly save the family budget. A water meter can break down, like any other device. At the same time, if the operation of the water meter is disrupted, then the accounting is carried out according to inflated standards, and, as a result, you will have to pay more for cubic meters than for those actually consumed.
Consumers need to know what to do if the water meter does not turn and where to go to troubleshoot problems. On average, the service life of a hot and cold water meter is 12 years. In order for the device to function properly throughout this entire period, the owner needs to check the device (every 5 years of service life).
External signs of damage
External signs of breakdown
All devices and mechanisms may stop working for some reason. Even unpretentious and reliable ones, such as a water meter, sometimes stop giving correct readings. Even if its needle rotates, there may be clear external signs of a device malfunction. The sooner the owner or tenant of the residential premises pays attention to them, the sooner it will be possible to find a way out of the situation. So, the hot water meter is broken. What to do?
Make sure your conclusions are correct. It is necessary to repair or replace the device when it is discovered that:
- during the accounting period, water consumption indicators unreasonably increased or decreased sharply;
- the behavior of the dial indicator when the taps are opened looks clearly abnormal - it either rotates with noticeable delay, or in the wrong direction, or does not move at all;
- The indicator glass is cracked or fogged up. This means that something caused the depressurization, as a result of which the obtained indicators cannot be trusted. You will have to find and fix the breakdown.
Metering devices should be inspected externally more often. Sometimes a simple external inspection can help identify a malfunction at an early stage, when the device has not completely failed.
How to extend the life of a water meter?
To extend the service life, it is necessary to follow the manufacturer's recommendations specified in the passport. This way you can protect the meter as much as possible in order to reduce or eliminate the negative factors mentioned above.
First of all, perform the installation correctly. Pay attention to the position in which it is permissible to install the device (vertically, horizontally, obliquely). How should the dial be rotated? It is advisable to choose a room that is dry and heated.
Help! A hot water meter can be installed instead of a cold one. The opposite is not possible. This is determined by the manufacturer and indicated in the passport. Cold water meters use materials designed for water temperatures up to 40 degrees. There are universal counters.
It is recommended to clean the filter twice a year. When cleaning and washing the oblique filter, pay attention to the condition of the filter mesh; with prolonged use, holes may form in it. This mesh needs to be replaced.
