How to replace the water meter in the apartment?

Cold and hot water meters, which are installed in apartments at the inlet of water pipes, have a certain service life. After its completion, the question arises of checking the device or replacing it. A check is carried out by representatives of the housing and communal services. As a rule, they themselves remind the owners of the apartment of the upcoming inspection. It is not necessary to disassemble the pipes, since the procedure itself takes only a couple of minutes. When replacing the device on the shoulders of the owners lies the purchase of a new device. But many are interested in how to replace a water meter in an apartment without the help of specialists, whether it can be done at all, and a similar question arises for various reasons. This we will understand in this article.

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Reasons for replacing water meters

The manufacturer sets a specific life for each individual metering device manufactured by him, this also applies to water meters. The fact is that only during this time it can guarantee the technical health of the apparatus and the accuracy of measurements.

This period is indicated in the technical passport for the device, it is:

• 4 years if installed on a pipe supplying hot water.
• 6 years when operating on cold water supply lines.

Important! In the first case, this period is reduced due to the fact that hot water has a temperature of at least 60 degrees. The temperature of this level negatively affects the quality of water, it becomes chemically aggressive. That is why wear is significantly increased and corrosion of all parts of the meter is enhanced.

As soon as these deadlines expire, an appropriate check is required, which consists in laboratory control of the accuracy of measurements and the health of the device. But this procedure is often delayed due to the heavy workload of the laboratory and payment, which is why in most cases it is easier to change the water meters in the apartment to new ones rather than wait for the old ones to be checked.

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Can I replace the counter myself?

Suppose a person decided to radically solve a problem. A logical question arises: is it possible to change the meter for water yourself? In any case, it will be necessary to coordinate the installation, because often, to install a new device, shutdown of the water supply riser is required. Naturally, this is done only with the permission of the organization involved in the operation of the equipment and the entire house. Therefore, before removing the counter, you must call a specialist.

Important! If the management of a housing and communal institution refuses you, insists that only their representative carry out all the work, then it is useless to argue in such a situation. But it must be taken into account that current legislation does not prohibit the installation of meters on their own.

If you have already prepared a place for the device in advance, then it is not difficult to fix it on the water supply line. An ordinary person who knows how to use a sealant and an adjustable wrench can do this job. But after the installation is completed, you still have to call the representative of the housing department to inspect the meter, put a mark in the data sheet, seal it. On this, the replacement procedure can be considered complete, calmly record and transmit testimonies, and make payment on them.

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Self-replacement of water meter

Replacing the water meter with your own hands is quite simple, for this you need to prepare a new device, an adjustable wrench, FUM tape or linen, gaskets.

Next, follow this instruction:

• Shut off the water. In many modern apartments, to turn off the water, just turn the tap on the inlet pipe. Check after overlapping for water entering the apartment. If in your house such a device is not provided, then call the representative of the housing department.
• Loosen the nuts on both sides of the appliance. Unscrew them counterclockwise. If the old device was installed for a long time, then it will take a lot of time, which often causes problems.

Important! If the nut does not lend itself, try warming it up with a lighter and repeat the procedure.

• Clear the union of a deposit of corrosion and the remains of old laying. If you can’t remove the rust with your hand, wipe it with a cloth pre-soaked with a special anti-corrosion compound. After thirty minutes, rinse off the residue and wipe dry.
• Clean the coarse strainer that is installed to protect all of your counter mechanisms from large joints and rust flakes.
• Replace gaskets with new ones. As a rule, the choice is between silicone, paronite and rubber gaskets, but the first ones are considered the most practical. Other materials lose their elasticity over time, due to which leakage can occur.

Important! In the case of using silicone gaskets with undamaged threads, it makes no sense to use linen or tape, since leakage is excluded by itself. But in order not to worry once again, it is better to wrap the thread with elastic tape.

• The hot water meter is different in design from the cold water meter. Therefore, carefully consider this, determine clearly which option you are going to install. It is also important not to accidentally confuse the sides of the water inlet and outlet. For convenience, the arrow indicates the direction of water flow directly on the counter.
• Tighten the nuts as much as possible after installing the device using an adjustable wrench. Turn on the water, check for smudges at the junction of the pipe and the device.

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Stock footage

Your device is in place, now you know how to change the water meters yourself, it remains only to call the representative of the housing department to check, seal and put down special marks in the technical passport. By the way, keep in mind that this is a paid procedure that is charged in accordance with the rates of the organization itself.