Gas meter warranty period: service life and features of replacement of gas meters
Depending on the purpose of the gas appliance - for individual or industrial use, as well as its model and brand, the warranty period of the gas meter may vary. Dismantling and replacement after a breakdown or expiration date is carried out exclusively by gas service employees authorized to carry out this procedure.
Next, we will tell you in what cases it is necessary to replace a gas meter, and when it will be enough to carry out a routine verification of the equipment, and we will also dwell on the legislative aspects.
The content of the article:
Types of gas meters
When purchasing a gas meter for personal use, you need to understand its operating principle. Meters designed for household use, differ in the method of fixing the volume of gas.
Rotary — gas is measured by the number of revolutions of the built-in rotor. It makes 1 rotation after filling a special measuring chamber, which holds 1 unit of gas volume, after which it returns to its initial position. Thus, it constantly produces the same amount of gas, which is reflected on the digital unit.
Membrane - take into account the portion of the incoming gas by moving the membranes; they change their position when the device chamber is filled with the required amount of the gas mixture.
Electronic — are the most accurate and silent devices, as well as the largest in size. They can independently transfer readings to electronic media, which makes life much easier for the owner of such a device.
Sequence of actions when replacing the device
A gas meter, intended for domestic use, is a device for measuring the amount of gas that passes through the gas pipeline of an apartment or house. These structures are similar in their functional significance and do not depend on the type of housing in which they are used.
The requirements for the placement of gas meters are the same for everyone. They cannot be located at a distance closer than 80 cm from other gas equipment and must be raised from the floor to a distance of at least 120 cm.
To change a gas flow meter, you need to take the following simple steps:
- Leave a request with the management company, if necessary, provide documents for the gas meter and its installation.
- Wait for a visit or call from a specialist who will set the time for replacing the meter and the date of the visit to assess the technical condition of the residential gas network.
- Purchase the device yourself, or negotiate with the management company to install their equipment.
- After replacement, it is necessary to check the functionality of the device, its installation, and then sign a certificate confirming the completion of the work.
- The final action of the replacement employee is to seal the meter, during which the owner must be present. Without this action, the device readings will not be taken into account.
Before dismantling the old meter, it is necessary that the employee of the management company who will replace it record the latest readings.
List of required documents
When submitting an application to the management company, the homeowner who wants to replace the gas meter must provide the necessary list of documents:
- identification document (military ID, passport, etc.);
- certificate of registration of ownership of residential premises;
- passport for the meter that needs to be replaced and a certificate for it;
- a receipt or other document containing the readings of the meter at its last verification;
- installation project for gas equipment, if installed for the first time, indicating places of gas consumption.
For the sealing procedure, if this is done without the participation of the management company, and the start of the new warranty period for the gas meter, you must provide the following list of documents: a document confirming the identity of the owner of the premises; owner contact details (telephone, email, etc.) and address where the work was carried out.
You will also need to provide the date of expected start of use of the new device, technical characteristics of the meter - its registration number, model and details of the company that installed or replaced the meter.
According to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354 of 05/06/2011, which regulates the rules for the provision of utility services for owners and tenants of residential premises, the period for replacing meters cannot exceed 30 days after the expiration of the control date of operation of the previous device.
After replacement, within 3 days from the moment the new device is sealed, the management company must contact the owner and recalculate according to the new readings.
Device replacement cost
The legislation of the Russian Federation provides for the replacement of a gas meter at the expense of the owner of the premises. This is due to the fact that the equipment is located indoors, which means it is also the property of the owner. This norm applies not only to private houses, but also to all apartment-type premises.
The total amount that will be spent on replacing the meter consists of the following items:
- cost of a new device;
- work of a gas service employee to remove the old meter and install a jumper pipe;
- verification of the removed device and its repair;
- installation of a new or repaired meter.
The exact cost is calculated by an invited specialist, and possible additional costs are taken into account: installation of additional gas equipment, number of metering devices, installation of pipes for meter output.
Depending on the region of residence of the owner, the cost of the meter itself starts from 3.5 thousand rubles, and the cost of its installation starts from 5 thousand rubles.
These calculations apply only to those residential premises that are owned by residents.If the apartment is on the balance sheet of a municipality, then all expenses for it are borne by local authorities.
Features of using a meter in a private home
The owner of the property in which gas equipment and the meter are located must resolve all issues related to them independently. Only constant monitoring of service life and serviceability can ensure the safe operation of the system.
If any emergency situation arises, you should not expect a scheduled verification of the devices; you must immediately call a specialist. It is prohibited to intervene independently or involve specialists who do not have the proper license to work with gas equipment.
Features of replacement in an apartment building
Unlike private housing, the gas meter of an apartment building is an industrial device capable of passing and accounting for a large volume of gas. All questions regarding its maintenance, repair and replacement fall within the competence of the management company. Accounting for service life also falls under their direct responsibilities.
Owners of residential premises in apartment buildings are not directly involved in replacing meters; they participate only in the material side of this issue. The management company sets tariffs for such work, which are adopted at a general meeting of residents. Monthly payments at these tariffs allow you to monitor and change gas meters on time.
Installing a gas meter can significantly reduce the cost of using gas.Despite the high cost, the device pays for itself within several years.
If a controversial situation arises, the management company withdraws itself or there is inadequate control over gas equipment, the owners have the right to apply to the competent authorities for an inspection.
We also recommend reading our other article, where we talked in detail about how calculations are carried out using a common house meter. More details - go to link.
Replacement or verification, which is better?
Verification of a gas meter is possible if there is an exact certainty that the malfunction is removable, for example, there was some kind of mechanical impact on the meter.
If the cause of the breakdown is not clear, then most premises owners prefer to replace the meter for the following reasons:
- in addition to the cost of the verification itself, you will have to additionally pay for dismantling, reinstalling and attaching the seal;
- delivery to the verification company is carried out at the expense of the owner;
- if a malfunction is identified that precludes further operation of the device, it will need to be replaced, but you will also have to pay for verification;
- The meter verification period is about 21 days, during which time gas payments will be made according to established standards.
Taking into account all these points, we can conclude that replacing an old device with a new one is more profitable than calibrating it, both in terms of the cost of the work and the time it takes to produce it.
Reasons for replacing the meter
The cost of payment for consumed natural resources is carried out based on the readings of their metering devices. Any equipment has a warranty period of use, after which it must be replaced.
This action is regulated by Government Decree No. 824 dated September 19, 2013, it establishes the warranty period of the gas meter and provides the following reasons for its replacement: the established service life has expired or during verification a malfunction was found that does not allow further operation of the device.
All operations to replace meters are paid for the owners of the premises and free for those living under a social tenancy agreement.
But the legislation provides for categories of owners who are also entitled to free installation:
- WWII veterans;
- families belonging to the category of large families;
- pensioners who received this status due to age;
- low-income families.
The service life of a gas meter depends on its technical characteristics and the manufacturer. As a rule, it is about 20 years. After installing the device, it requires regular checks to ensure serviceability, which are carried out with the participation of the management company.
The inspection schedule can be established by the company itself, but not less than once every 10 years. But most companies conduct inspections every 3-5 years.
Carrying out scheduled inspections
Installation of gas metering devices is carried out only if there are documents for it and is allowed into operation after it is sealed.The manufacturer, along with the device, sends documentation that indicates what warranty is provided by the manufacturer for the gas meter of this model.
To confirm the serviceability of the meter, the management company carries out its verification, the interval between which is called - interverification.
If a scheduled verification is not carried out for a reason depending on the owner, then after its date the readings of the device are not taken into account and payment for the use of gas is made according to general standards.
To carry out verification it is necessary:
- Call a gas equipment specialist from the management company or gas service with which you have a valid contract.
- Be present when the meter is dismantled and agree to send it to the gas service for verification.
- Get an opinion on the condition of the device. If its further operation is possible, the specialist will install the meter in place and seal it. If the device is faulty, purchase a new one and perform the same procedures.
The recognition of the meter as faulty is accompanied by the drawing up of an act on the inadmissibility of its use, of which the owner of the premises is informed. As a rule, breakdowns that make it impossible to use include: stopping the meter, breaking the tightness of the device connections, incorrect display of readings (this applies to electronic devices).
Visual verification without dismantling inspection of the meter itself, seals and other gas equipment is carried out 2 times a year.Gas service specialists are authorized to do this upon presentation of the relevant documents. They also check the period of use of the device to record readings and carry out its permanent repairs, which do not require transportation to the gas company.
If, during such a verification, it is revealed that the warranty period for the gas meter has expired, then a report is drawn up about this and, according to it, the management company recalculates the payment for gas according to the average standard from the moment when the warranty period of the meter has expired.
Given the ever-increasing gas tariffs, failure to meet the deadlines for their replacement can significantly affect the total amount of payment for utilities.
Refusal to replace the gas meter
Replacement and gas meter installation is a voluntary matter for each owner. Payment for gas upon consumption is always less than the average tariffs set by the management company.
Many owners of private houses and apartments receive notifications that the device needs to be checked and replaced, and they strive to quickly submit an application.
However, this should not be done for several reasons:
- perhaps the notice was sent not by the organization servicing the house, but by a third-party company that has nothing to do with the control of gas equipment, but simply seeks to sell its services;
- The time frame for checking or replacing the device has not yet arrived. To establish the exact date of the warranty period of the gas meter, it is necessary to check the certificate and manufacturing date of the device;
- the owner does not need to replace the meter and wants to abandon it.
The latter option sometimes also arises, despite the fact that it is cheaper to pay for gas with a meter. As a rule, such cases arise if the deadline has come, but the owner is selling his home and does not want to spend money on replacing equipment.
It is also worth refusing a replacement if the apartment is transferred from the category “with gas service” to the tariff “with stationary electric stoves”. Typically, such transitions are made in Khrushchev-type apartments, when the gas supply to the apartment is completely stopped and additional capacity for electric stoves is installed.
The owner needs to know that neither the management company, nor the HOA, nor any other organization can force him to install a gas meter in his apartment.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
How to choose a good gas meter will be discussed in the following video:
Installing a gas meter is not a cheap undertaking. The cost of the device itself, as well as its installation and commissioning, can negatively affect the family budget. But, given that its service life is on average 20 years, using simple mathematical calculations you can come to the conclusion that it will fully pay for itself in a couple of years.
Do you have any questions about the topic of this article? Or can you supplement our material with interesting information about gas meters? Please write your comments, ask questions, share your experience - the contact block is located below.
