Installing hot and cold water meters - one of the main steps towards energy efficiency. Thanks to the accounting devices, each family can keep statistics, how many all its members consume a valuable resource. Thanks to the counters, the population appears motivation to save water, reducing the load on the environment. If apartments and houses in new buildings are provided by default, all the necessary metering devices are supplied, then with Soviet buildings is much worse. In some homes there are water meters on the whole house, and all the consumed volume of water is distributed between all apartments in proportion to registered residents. In order not to pay extra funds for someone's wastefulness, it is better to put individual counters. In this case, it will be paid only for the actually consumed volume of hot or cold water.
Content
Installation and replacement of water meters takes a small amount of time, depending on the state of the pipeline. Such work can be done independently, significantly saving on plumbing services. It does not need special knowledge for it, and there are practically the necessary tool for everyone. How to carry out the installation and installation of water meters on your own - Next.
Types and modifications of meters
Today the market sells many models of hot and cold water counters. It can be divided into several types of them.
According to the principle of action there are:
- Mechanical (tachometric) counters. The principle of action of such models is pretty simple. Water, passing through the counter, falls outside the turbine, in which the blades are located. Due to the pressure of the water, the latter leads to rotation of the turbine shaft, which in turn, with the help of a gear, move the drums of the meter with numbers. Mechanical models are the easiest in operation and cost much lower than electronic.
- Electromagnetic. The principle of operation of such meters is based on the interaction of the magnetic field of the device with a fluid flow. In this case, the flow rate is measured and the amount of water is calculated.
- Ultrasound counters. Water consumption is calculated using the analysis of the acoustic effect when passing through the fluid flow of ultrasonic oscillations.
- Vortex. The amount of fluid is calculated by the number of vortices around the body immersed in the fluid flow of a certain form.
For household consumers mainly use the first type of counters. They have a simple structure and do not require special maintenance.
In terms of water consumption, devices are industrial and domestic ones. For the apartment there is enough counter with a diameter of 15-20 mm. Industrial flow meters can reach a diameter of 50 m.
Also, counters are divided into cold and hot water meters. They differ in the ranges of operating temperatures. Cold water meters work at temperatures up to + 40 ° C, hot - up to + 135 ° C. If the second can work to measure cold water (although due to the difference in value it is not entirely effective), then on the contrary, it will not be easy.
Purchase counters. What to pay attention to
Any meter that is installed in the apartment must have a certificate of conformity. Without it, the device will not be recorded and not seal. Before buying, it is advisable to visit the Water-Breeding Company and find out which counters are allowed to install so that there are no problems with its registration.
When buying the device itself, you must pay attention to its completeness and the absence of any mechanical damage. Even a small crack on the glass or shell on a brake flange can cause refusal to register.
The appliance as a rule includes:
- Counter itself.
- Mechanical strainer.
- Check valve. Installed after the meter so that the user does not have the opportunity to wind it back.
- Couplings with cape nuts (American). Serve to ensure that the device can be removed for calibration. Although at present, some organizations are conducted by checking counters without their removal.
- Passport. Its presence is required. In the passport there must be a marker of the manufacturer's OSP on the passage of control with the mandatory date of the first calibration. It also indicates the serial number (must coincide with the device to be applied to the device). A copy of the passport will need to be submitted to the organization that provides water supply services. During operation in this document will be affixed about further verification.
Complete set of water metering may vary depending on the manufacturer (it is better to verify it with documentation). However, at the time of installation, all of the above components must be available. Therefore, if the device is not equipped with them, you will have to buy them separately.
Installation of the water meter do it yourself
When all materials are prepared, you can start installation work. In addition to the above parts of the system, a specific tool will be needed to carry out this operation:
- A set of horn keys (as an option you can use one adjustable key).
- Bulgarian (needed if in the apartment metal pipes).
- Mandrels for metal-plastic pipes.
- Truck for pipe thread.
- Sealer. As the latter, you can use the pass, or rubberized tape (FMU).
To carry out these works, it is necessary to clearly follow the rules for the installation of water meters. The device is installed at the point of entering cold or hot water in the apartment. All watershed points should be at the meter, it is very important. Otherwise, it will not register it. The instrument of accounting should have free access, both for monthly records of readings and for inspections by controlling authorities. Therefore, it is not worth hiding it under the bathroom or for the toilet. It is also worth considering that the meter system has several connections that can leak. Therefore, it is not worth hiding it for plasterboard common.
In front of the accounting device, a mechanical water purification filter is mandatory. Periodically, it is necessary to clean it, therefore it must be free access.
If there is no desire to put off all communications, you can sew their false panel, handling the revision window.
If you plan to install two counters: cold and hot water, and the distance between the pipes is minimal, they must be at a distance of each other.
When the installation location is selected, you can start the installation process:
- First, it is necessary to collect the entire system into a single integer, including the shut-off valve, and measure its position on the pipe.
- After that, you need to overlap the flow of water to riser. As a rule, the cut-off valve on the riser is in the basement. It is desirable to turn off the water to the neighbors so that this is not an unpleasant surprise for them.
- Then you need to cut a piece of the pipe, the meter system will be installed in the place. If the pipe is metallic, it uses a burgrage with cutting circle for its cutting. After that, from the place of the render remove the scale and remove the chamfer using a file. It is done on both sides.
- The next step using the dice of the corresponding diameter is cut pipe thread. Now there are electrical dies on sale that quickly cope with the task. Threads are cut on both sides.
- Next, the floppy crane is screwed into the thread. To seal a threaded connection, a packle or a fma is used. If you are using a packle, you can pre-lubricate it with solidol. After the crane is installed, you can turn on the water. For this operation, most likely, you will need an assistant, which by phone will inform if there is a flow after connecting the riser. If it is not, water can no longer overlap.
- After the crane, a mechanical filter is installed. Next, the coupling is set - "American", to which the counter temporarily connects. From his second part, the same coupling is put to which the check valve is connected.
- As a seal on couplings that are connected to the instrument of accounting, gaskets of the corresponding diameter are used. They are made of rubber, silicone and paronit. It is better not to use the rubber, as such gaskets are short-lived, but to remove the separated meter to replace them - the pleasure is below average. For cold water it is better to use silicone, and for hot - paronite.
- When installing water meters, it is necessary to pay attention to the correctness of actions. On each part of the arrow indicates the direction of movement of the flow of water. It is such a part that needs to establish individual elements of the system. Especially, this concerns the counter. Otherwise, it will rotate in the opposite direction.
- When the entire system is collected, the shut-off crane opens, and checks for the presence of leaks. Do it very just with a piece of toilet paper. Even the smallest drops of water are noticeable on it. If there are leaks, the connection must be supplied, in the absence of the result, everyone will have to disassemble and collect anew. Therefore, work is better to perform qualitatively from the first time.
Installation of hot water meter is performed in the same order.
After the end of the work, the accounting device operates in normal mode, however, before its sealing and registration of its testimony is not accepted. After installation, the controller must come, check the correctness of the assembly of the system, the instrument passport, the correspondence of the counter passport. After that, the specialist seals the counter, makes the appropriate records in the journal, and makes up the act of removing the first testimony. It is from now on that the fee for hot and cold water will be charged according to the indications of the established meter.
