How to remove a seal from a gas meter without damaging it?

Enterprises that supply gas, water and electricity to the population use sealing devices to prevent theft. The population, in turn, is trying to circumvent such protection, trying to open the product “unnoticed” for inspection organizations. The fact that the seal cannot be opened is wrong. The material from which it is made is not so durable. In fact, this is not a lock, but a hacking indicator. This article is by no means a guide to action, how to remove a seal from a gas meter without damaging it, but rather an overview of the "pitfalls" that await an unlucky cracker. An experienced professional will be able to detect damage to the seal if not visually, then tactilely. The method of opening the seal depends on the material of its manufacture. Let's consider the possible options.

Important! If you still want to try your luck when removing the seal, first remember how the sealing product was installed. Even better is to photograph the seal from several angles. After the work is done, it is important to create the effect that the counters have not been touched for a long time (for example, dust can be dusted for greater reliability).

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Plastic

The seal is made in the form of an 8-10 mm disc with a thickness of 4 mm. The product is mounted on a copper wire or fishing line, and then squeezed with a seal. This is done so that the seal cannot be shifted along the line and, thus, provide access to the meter.

Important! Today, plastic devices are mainly used for sealing electricity and water meters. For people who want to try their luck, this is just a godsend.

Removing the plastic seal and then restoring or replacing it is relatively easy:

• Lubricate the wire or fishing line with machine oil, and carefully remove the plastic product.
• If the seal turned out to be unstable, lower it for a minute in hot water.
• It is also possible to return the seal to its place without difficulty, since holes for wire or fishing line remain in the plastic. If there are problems with sealing, pass the thinnest guitar string through the holes, string a seal on it and “drive” it. The hole will expand a little

Important! If the plastic seal is suspended on the threads and it is difficult to thread it through the holes, grease the ends of the threads with PVA glue, let it dry and proceed. You can also use special devices for threading the needle into the eye.

• In order to re-seal, it is advisable to use a new wire or fishing line. Now it remains to pass them through the holes of the plastic product, fix the seal on both sides with plastic or metal plates and squeeze it with pliers. It is important not to overdo it, so as not to damage fragile material.

Important! Do not use uneven plates for crimping, since a relief pattern remains on the seal.

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Lead disk

The shape and dimensions of a lead seal resembles a plastic one. But all the complexity lies in the material of manufacture. Lead “clings” to a fishing line or wire is much stronger than plastic.

How to remove or disassemble a seal with numbers from a gas meter without damaging it?

1. To get started, try just moving a piece of lead. Sometimes such an attempt is successful.
2. If it is not possible, then cut off the seal so that pieces of wire or fishing line are not noticeable.
3. Clamp the seal in a vice (so that there are no traces left, first wrap it in several layers of fabric).
4. Drill new holes. There should not be any special problems with this, since lead is a soft metal.
5. If the resulting hole is too narrow for the wire, you can expand it with a guitar string, as described in the previous paragraph.
6. After the lead is worn on a thread or wire, squeeze it, but not so that the seal can be removed again, without subsequent reaming.

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Holographic sticker (hologram)

Such fillings are widespread. To accurately seal the meter, you can do the following:

1. Take the usual three-liter jar. Wrap it in an old towel or jacket to provide thermal insulation.
2. Make two holes in the lid, located at the maximum distance from each other. Insert two hoses with a diameter of 1.5 cm, meter length, into the holes. In this case, the hoses should end approximately one centimeter under the cap.
3. Fill the cylinder with boiling water on ¾. The jar must be filled slowly so that the glass does not burst.
4. Close the jar with a lid and go to the seal.
5. Cover the seal with cellophane. Place one tube on the cellophane, and the other - start blowing intensively. You can use a car pump or a device for inflating swimming means (boats, mattresses, etc.).

Important! The essence of the method is that the adhesive layer softens under such an effect, and removing the seal will not be difficult. It will not be difficult to return it to its place, since the adhesive properties of the substance are preserved very well.

Some “craftsmen” are even simpler: just wash off the sticker with hot water and detergent. So to speak, they made repairs, dirty the counter, and then overdid it with washing. Just like all ingenious, but risky enough. Which inspector you run into.

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Seals in the form of number and non-number stickers

Removing stickers is exactly the same as the method just described. You can act even easier. The fact is that the sticker is a piece of plain paper with the seal of the relevant organization and the signature of the inspector glued with ordinary PVA glue.

We act in this order:

1. Remove paper with utmost care.
2. Stick it on another sheet.
3. Scan and print on a color printer (naturally, with maximum print quality).
4. Before sticking a printed and cut leaf, sprinkle it with water from the spray bottle to “age” the paper.

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Plasticine

It’s easy to remove such a seal. You can simply remove the plasticine, and then stick it back, after a little melting.

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How to make a seal on the counter?

1. For greater accuracy, to fake a seal, pre-make a plaster cast.
2. To prevent plaster from leaving marks, sprinkle it with hairspray.

If you didn’t guess to do something like that, then it’s not a problem. In an extreme case, we can say that the seal deteriorated from heat or strong heating of the electrical panel. Maybe it will. Or maybe not.

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Stock footage

As you can see, nothing is impossible for the craftsman, and the question of how to remove the water meter without damaging the seal has a positive answer. However, do not forget about liability for such acts. And think many times: do you need it?