How to install water meters yourself: installation and connection diagram of a typical meter

Have you thought about installing a water meter against the backdrop of regular tariff increases? Agree that it would be nice to use it to determine the consumption of water resources and significantly reduce the cost of paying for the use of hot and cold water. You do not want to call the master from the utility service for installation, but plan to do all the work on your own, but have never done this before?

We will tell you how to install water meters on your own, where to start and what rules should be followed when putting them into operation. The article proposes a diagram for the correct connection of water meters, considers a phased installation process with visual photos and video tips from experienced craftsmen.

We also paid attention to the legal aspect of self-installation - we told in detail which statements and other documents and which organizations should be attributed.

Installing a water meter is the first step towards rational consumption of utility resources and proper management of the family budget. Indeed, the volume indicated in the receipt will directly depend on the volume of saved cubic meters.

The widespread installation of metering devices also disciplines the workers of the water utility, not allowing them to uncontrollably write off the losses resulting from the operation of worn-out networks on the residents.

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The installation of a flow meter allows not only to significantly reduce the cost item, but also to act as a disciplining moment for the reasonable use of a natural resource

Some owners in apartment buildings with centralized water supply do not want to install metering devices specifically for hot water.

And the reason for this is that many people are close to the situation when, in the early morning or late evening, having opened a tap with hot water, they have to drain the cooled liquid for several minutes in anticipation of a hot stream.

In this case, if you install a flow meter for hot water, in addition to the time spent waiting for hot water, you will also have to overpay for cold water flowing from the tap at hot rates.

Therefore, if you are systematically faced with the need to grind off water for a long time, think about whether it is worth putting a water meter on it. Maybe it’s enough to limit ourselves to a metering device for a pipe with cold water.

It is unprofitable to install an individual metering device only if more people actually live in the apartment than prescribed

Legal aspect of self-installation

The legislation does not provide for categorical prohibitions on the manifestation of such independence. The main thing is to be guided by common sense and observe the regulatory requirements and installation rules during installation.

But in most cases, they are connected by specialized organizations that have the appropriate permit to perform this type of work.

Licensed organizations carry out the installation of metering devices, strictly observing the requirements and procedure for putting the installed metering devices into operation

If the services of specialized companies are imposed on you, know that this is illegal. You can do the insertion procedure into an equipped plumbing system on your own.

When installing equipment, it is worth considering a number of points:

1. Purchase devices only from licensed companies. The device must be accompanied by a technical data sheet.
2. Installation of equipment involves shutting off the water supply along the riser, which is quite problematic to do on your own.
3. When installing and connecting the device, it is important to follow the water meter connection diagram and strictly follow the technology. Otherwise, if the pipeline breaks, all losses will have to be reimbursed from your wallet.

In order for the readings of a self-installed water meter to be accepted when calculating utility bills, it is necessary that they be sealed and put on the balance sheet of the local branch of Vodokanal.

Registration and registration

Before you put water meters in your bathroom, you need to contact the local water utility in order to get your hands on the technical requirements for the water meter. This is done by the department for coordinating projects on water metering.

Having received permission, you can safely buy a meter. The rating of the best counters popular among users is given in.

You may also find the information about the existing types of counters discussed in our article useful:

When purchasing a product, make sure of two parameters:

1. The serial number on the water meter must match what is indicated in the passport.
2. On the seal, the device must have an imprint of the State Standard.
3. The date of the factory check must be recorded in the passport for the device.

At the time of purchase of the goods, the seller must stamp the store and indicate the date of sale.

The best option is if there is not too long an interval between the date of the factory check of the meter and its sale

The purchased device must be checked by contacting one of the organizations listed below:

• department of the ZhEK;
• water utility management;
• private licensed firm.

For verification, the device is handed over together with a technical passport. Upon completion of the procedure, the stamp of the inspection organization will be entered in the passport and all relevant fields will be filled in. In parallel with this, a date for the sealing will be set.

Keep in mind that it is forbidden to damage the KIP seal, otherwise it will simply not be accepted in the water utility. If you accidentally damaged the factory seal, then the department can still accept the device.

But, if there is no KIP seal, then the meter data is considered invalid.

For self-insertion of the water meter, the housing office will provide a drawing and the necessary technical conditions, which will certainly be required during installation

In the equipment connection plan, the sequence of installation of parts will be clearly described.

There is nothing difficult in this. Traditionally, the “garland” looks like this: the shut-off valve comes first, after it is a collapsible filter, followed by the water meter itself and the check valve completes the “chain”.

Installing a water meter yourself

In advance, on the day when the water meter is supposed to be inserted, it is necessary to write a statement to the organization serving your home in order to call a plumber to temporarily shut off the water supply in the riser.

Stage # 1 - choosing a place for accommodation

When choosing a place for installation, it is necessary to assess the current condition of the pipelines and determine whether there is wiring from the risers.

Metering devices can be placed both in a horizontal and vertical position..

The task of the master is to provide free access to inspect the device.

The counter is placed as close as possible to the place where the line enters the bathroom. For private houses, this parameter is 20 cm from the exit point of the pipeline.

In most cases, meters are mounted on pipes that drain water from a common riser, trying to place them immediately after the shut-off valves

Most often, the device is placed near the toilet or under the sink. The distance of the straight section, which must be set aside before inserting the device, is written in the meter's data sheet.

According to the requirements for the installation of metering devices, if the valves are old, they must be replaced with more reliable ones without fail.

For cold water and hot water pipelines, ball valves of various markings are used: for hot water - DN25, and for cold - DN15.

The ball valve is equipped with an internal thread on one side and an external thread on the other; it is used for screwing on a coarse filter

For installation, it is better to use high-quality valves from trusted manufacturers that are able to withstand operating temperatures reaching 100 ° C and above and high operating pressures.

Stage # 2 - purchase of necessary components

The number of water meters is calculated based on the number of risers located in the apartment.

To simplify the task of inserting a meter according to the scheme, you should clearly understand the purpose of each node of the system:

1. Stopcock- "advanced" intra-apartment pipeline. To block polypropylene pipes, plastic taps are inserted, for metal and metal-plastic - brass models.
2. Purifying filter- protects the equipment from large suspensions and therefore needs periodic flushing. Available in two versions: straight and oblique.
3. check valve- prevents the device from rewinding back in case of a sudden stop of water supply.

The ball valve can only be in two positions: open / closed.

The half-open position of the ball valve, regardless of the type of its execution, is the right way to a quick failure of the locking mechanism

The presence of a check valve immediately after the meter is a prerequisite for connecting a water meter.

The placement of this device immediately after the meter prevents the possibility of starting an air flow against the movement of water, which is often used by some unscrupulous "craftsmen" when unwinding the device.

Water utility inspectors always check the presence of this valve and without it they never allow the device to be put into operation.

From the tools for the work you will need:

• Bulgarian (UShM);
• soldering iron;
• scissors or hacksaw;
• gas and adjustable wrench;
• FUM tape or tow;
• corners and sgons;
• couplings (for changing to another size).

Spurs and corners will be needed to connect the device to the water pipe. If desired, they can be replaced with flexible hoses made of rubber or rubber, the outer walls of which are covered with an aluminum or nylon braid.

Complete with a flow meter should be "American" and sealing rings.

"American" is a connecting fitting equipped with a union nut, the main purpose of which is to remove the device without harm to the elements of the plumbing system

When planning to embed a hot water meter, you will additionally need to purchase paranitic gaskets, and if the water meter is for cold water, rubber seals. Tow and FUM tape will help to ensure the tightness of the American connections with the check valve.

Stage # 3 - installation and connection of the water meter

The easiest way to install a water meter is made of metal-plastic or polypropylene pipes. The polymer is easily cut with special scissors, the upper part of which is equipped with a sharp knife, and the lower part is equipped with a pipe holder.

You may also be interested in information about and the rules for its implementation, set out in our article.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Video tips of the wizard to install the device:

Video option for installing a water meter in an apartment building:

Self-installation of the counter is a simple procedure. Its main problem is only bureaucratic ups and downs: filing applications, obtaining and approving permits.

But in the future, it is only necessary to hand over the meter for verification every four years and enjoy the benefits of civilization without overpaying significant amounts.

Have you installed water meters? Tell us what difficulties you had to overcome in doing so.

Perhaps you encountered problems when registering the device with a water supply organization? Your experience will be of interest to many users who are just thinking about buying meters. Leave comments in the block under this article.