A water meter is available in almost every house and apartment. The use of metering devices has many advantages for direct citizens, because if there is evidence, they can only pay for the amount of water that was actually consumed by them for a certain period of time. Installation of the meter should only be performed by experienced professionals who make up the special act. For this, usually residents of apartments and houses turn to management companies. But additionally, sealing is required, which helps prevent interference in this technique from homeowners or unauthorized persons. Citizens should know how to seal a water meter, who is involved in this process, and also when to implement it.
When is sealing required?
Most often, sealing is performed during the installation of a new meter in the living room. But periodically it is required to carry out this procedure again. It is not allowed to engage in this process independently, since the procedure involves the analysis of equipment. Therefore, the execution of the process is allowed only by special organizations that have the necessary authority, licenses and other permits.
It is necessary to seal the cold water meter in the following situations:
- initial installation of a new meter;
- after the end of the service life of the last seal;
- failure of the device, which begins to show false information;
- breakdowns are detected in a ball valve;
- accidentally, residents of an apartment or house damaged the device through various mechanical influences;
- during the repair, water pipes or other elements of the water supply system were replaced;
- an accident has occurred in the system responsible for supplying water to the living quarters;
- Housing is being sold to a new owner who wants to check the status of all metering devices.
Citizens do not have the right to do this work on their own. Therefore, they must order the appropriate services from suitable organizations.
Who should seal the water meters in the apartment?
Installation of a new metering device is always accompanied by sealing, which involves the installation of a special seal. If it is absent, then the payment for water will be calculated on the basis of standards, and not meter indicators.
Who should seal the water meters? This process may only be carried out by companies with the right to seal. This right is confirmed by licenses and certificates. The employees of these companies must have the necessary equipment for installing the seal. At the end of the process they draw up an act of sealing.
Company Requirements
Each owner of the apartment should know who has the right to seal water meters. Therefore, you should first make sure that the selected organization meets certain significant conditions. These include:
- the presence of a license to carry out this activity, and it makes it clear that a professional who possesses the necessary knowledge and equipment is engaged in sealing;
- providing guarantees for the services provided, therefore, if the integrity of the device is violated through the fault of the employees of the selected company, then this company should reimburse the costs associated with the repair of the equipment;
- must be issued by a specialist acts on the work performed.
Before installing the seal, the specialist must make sure that the meter is installed correctly and is in working condition. After the process is completed, a special act is transmitted to the owner of the housing, confirming that the sealing was performed by a specialist.
How to seal a water meter?
Since the procedure must be carried out by special companies, the direct residents of residential real estate may not understand the rules of procedure. But if a person knows what actions should be performed by an invited specialist, then he can verify the correct implementation of the process. How to seal a water meter? The procedure is performed in the following sequence of actions:
- the property owner transfers the technical passport to the meter to the invited specialist, as well as the certificate obtained by him after the installation of this equipment;
- the specialist of the selected company must first make sure that the device is installed correctly, and also the equipment must be in working condition;
- direct sealing;
- the specialist draws up an act of work performed, moreover, the apartment owner must carefully study this document to ensure the relevance and reliability of the information entered;
- company services are paid;
- the client receives a contract and an act of work;
- the specialist makes a copy of the technical passport, after which the original is returned to the customer.
The period during which a specialist will be able to seal a hot water meter depends on various factors, and therefore may vary in different situations. For this, it is taken into account what is the model of the installed meter, how long the device was installed, and also how easy it is to access the equipment.
Cost of work
Each owner of a dwelling is interested in the question of how much it costs to seal a water meter. This service is paid only upon repeated sale. If a new meter is installed in the apartment, then the seal must be mounted free of charge on the basis of the requirements of the law.
If the owner of the apartment damaged the equipment on his own, he will have to pay a certain amount of money for installing a new seal. The cost of the service may vary significantly in different regions. For example, you can seal water meters in Moscow for about 2 thousand rubles, while in other regions the cost of such a service is within 500 rubles.
When is re-sealing needed?
Any seal is installed for a certain period of time. The specific period when you need to make a replacement is prescribed in the technical passport of the metering device. This time period depends on the model of the meter, as well as on the year of its release.
Old meters have a longer life compared to modern models. As soon as the seal expires, you need to call home a specialist who will install a new seal. The process is carried out in advance if, for various reasons, the device is inflicted any mechanical damage.
Advice to citizens
All people who own apartments or houses must understand how to seal a water meter in order to protect themselves from scammers or double payment for the services of specialists. Therefore, it is advisable to remember the following tips:
- It is recommended that you initially purchase high-quality metering devices that have a long service life;
- many companies offer immediate installation and sealing, but before contacting these organizations, you should make sure that they have a license to conduct this activity;
- if accidentally the seal is damaged, then this must be promptly reported to the management company or other organization so that the specialist arrives at the apartment within the next few days,otherwise, the citizen will have to pay a fine and pay for water on the basis of standards.
Many people are sure that it is possible to make a seal on their own, but in fact this is not true. The procedure is implemented exclusively by companies licensed for this activity. If the seal is installed with your own hands, you will still have to pay for water on the basis of regulations in force in the region where the property owner lives.
What to choose: counter verification or its replacement?
The standard shelf life of this device is about 12 years. Modern inexpensive models can be used for only 4 years. But in fact, the exact time during which this technique can be applied depends on the model, operating conditions, and the accuracy of the data provided. Hot water devices have a shorter service life due to the fact that they are exposed to aggressive influences.
Experienced users claim that it is important to replace devices after 5 years, so it is more profitable to refuse periodic paid inspections and replace the seal. It is best to immediately purchase a new counter, which will immediately be sealed for free.
The consequences of the lack of a seal
All owners of residential real estate must understand how to seal a water meter, when and by whom this process is carried out, and also what is its cost. If there is no seal on the meter, then the equipment cannot be registered. Therefore, citizens will have to pay for water according to the standards applicable in the region of residence.
If the seal was installed, but the citizens damaged it for various reasons, then this should immediately be reported to the representatives of the management company. The fact is that if, as a result of a periodic check, a broken seal is found, then this will be considered an interference with the operation of the equipment. Therefore, a citizen will have to pay a fine, and the Criminal Code will recalculate the water charge based on the standards from the moment the equipment is installed. This will lead to the fact that the property owner will have to transfer a substantial amount of funds to the management company.
Can I challenge the charging?
If during the equipment check it turns out that the seal was broken on the meter, this may become the basis for recalculating the fee for the entire period during which the apartment owner used the equipment. Often, citizens prefer to dispute this recalculation, for which they file a lawsuit in court.
Judicial practice shows that such claims are most often rejected. This is due to the fact that homeowners cannot prove that the failure of the seal was accidental, and they also do not have information about the date when the seal was broken. Therefore, if citizens themselves notice damage to the seal, then you should immediately contact the employees of the Criminal Code to re-seal the meter.
Conclusion
Sealing is considered a specific process that can only be performed by companies with licenses and permits for this activity. The procedure is implemented when a new meter is installed or repeatedly when the need arises. The first seal is free, and the second service requires the payment of a certain amount of funds.
If there is no seal on the meter, then citizens will have to pay for water on the basis of standards that can vary significantly in different regions.