The water meter does not spin: what to do, reasons and how to fix them

Installing a meter on a water supply system is a fairly financially beneficial solution. Most owners of residential and public premises resort to it. During the operation of such devices, many people encounter a problem in which the hot water meter does not spin. What to do in such a situation? How to avoid unnecessary expenses for water? There are several reasons for the meter to fail and options for eliminating the problem. All of them are described in detail in this article.

The average lifespan of a conventional water meter is 12 years. To avoid problems during this time, the owner of the premises must invite specialists to carry out a qualified inspection of the equipment every 3-5 years.

If the hot water meter fails, if it stops spinning, you need to determine the causes of the failure and take simple steps to fix the problem. So, what reasons can lead to equipment failure and what operations can be carried out to eliminate the failure?

The first reason is depressurization

If the meter is depressurized, this can be seen by possible leaks. To fix this problem, you will need to turn off the taps and record the readings of the device. You need to wait about an hour and check the readings again. If they have changed, it is worth reviewing all the pipes installed in the room and carefully checking the tightness of the taps.

Quite often, the cause of depressurization is a failed shut-off valve, which, due to breakdown, is not able to completely shut off the pressure supply. In this case, you will need to tighten all couplings firmly. If the inspection shows that the installed water pipes are leaking, you will need to call a plumber who will carry out the required repair work.

If the meter needle does not rotate, and the glass is very foggy, the water meter will need to be replaced.

External signs of damage

All devices and mechanisms may stop working for some reason. Even unpretentious and reliable ones, such as a water meter, sometimes stop giving correct readings. Even if its needle rotates, there may be clear external signs of a device malfunction. The sooner the owner or tenant of the residential premises pays attention to them, the sooner it will be possible to find a way out of the situation. So, the hot water meter is broken. What to do?

Make sure your conclusions are correct. It is necessary to repair or replace the device when it is discovered that:

during the accounting period, water consumption indicators unreasonably increased or decreased sharply;
the behavior of the dial indicator when the taps are opened looks clearly abnormal - it either rotates with noticeable delay, or in the wrong direction, or does not move at all;
The indicator glass is cracked or fogged up. This means that something caused the depressurization, as a result of which the obtained indicators cannot be trusted. You will have to find and fix the breakdown.

Metering devices should be inspected externally more often. Sometimes a simple external inspection can help identify a malfunction at an early stage, when the device has not completely failed.

Reason two - illiterate installation of the meter

The reason for device failure is often incorrect installation of the equipment. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the standard designations on the body - SVH and SVG, that is, devices for cold and hot water.

If a meter designed for cold water is installed for hot water, it will fail in a relatively short time. In this case, water leakage and incorrect readings may occur when removed.

Procedure for replacing meters

The issue of broken equipment is resolved in the following sequence:

The owner contacts the management company.
At a predetermined time, an employee of the management company comes, records the fact of the breakdown, and removes the seals.
The user purchases a new device, installs it (either independently or with the assistance of a professional) and registers it with the Criminal Code.
The called master puts the fillings.

Important! If the previous water meter was under warranty, then it is possible to shift your costs for the new acquisition to the company.

But an examination will be required to show that the product was handled correctly.

Reason three - clogged pipes

Clogging is another fairly common factor that leads to a broken hot water meter. If there is a large volume of various mechanical impurities in the liquid, the flow element of the device will become clogged after some time and will need to be replaced. The factor of pipe clogging is easy to determine. This is immediately apparent from the significant increase in impeller rotation speed.

To maximize the service life of the meter, you will need to first insert a special filter into the pipe and clean it from time to time.

The coarse filter is a small flask with a stainless metal mesh built inside. Two pipes are connected to the top of such a flask. To perform cleaning, you will need to perform several sequential steps:

The pressure in the system is relieved.
Special hexagonal slots are unscrewed. To do this you need to use a spanner wrench.
After removing the device, the mesh is removed from it.
The element is thoroughly washed under the pressure of clean water.
All disassembled elements are dried.

If the filter has a removable cartridge installed instead of a strainer, during the process of cleaning the system you simply need to replace it with a new one. After the processes have been completed, the filter is assembled and mounted in its original place.

What caused the breakdown

When a water meter breaks down, what the specialist who arrives on call immediately does is try to find out why the unpretentious and reliable meter stopped working.

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A malfunction of the control and measuring device can manifest itself in different ways, indicating the reasons why it stopped working properly. These manifestations can be reduced to three types:

The needle's rotation slowed down.
It spins, but in the opposite direction.
Stopped responding to taps opening at all.

If the rotation of the dial indicator is clearly slow, the reason should be sought in:

possible use of a magnet or other means. This happens when you move into an apartment where other people previously lived who illegally saved on paying for water supply services;
physical wear and tear and expiration of the period allotted by the manufacturer for the service of the device;
foreign particles entering the flow element.

Reverse rotation of the dial indicator is caused by:

physical wear and tear has reached its maximum level;
the boiler was installed incorrectly, which led to the overflow of water from the cold water supply system into the pipes intended for hot water;
The meter was installed incorrectly. This happens when installation is performed unprofessionally and the direction of water flow is mistakenly taken into account;
The check valve was not installed. It is not always included in the package of the device that measures water consumption, but it must be installed;
An excessive difference in pressure level has occurred.

The indicator needle or digital roller of the device will stop rotating if:

it was installed incorrectly;
the pressure of the liquid has increased or decreased excessively;
the water supply system is clogged;
one of the elements or the device as a whole has worn out;
there was unauthorized intervention from outside in order to reduce the readings;
the product has become depressurized due to temperature fluctuations;
overheated water was supplied.

It is worth dwelling in more detail on the reasons for stopping rotation.

The device is not installed correctly

It happens that after a short time the water meter does not spin. It almost immediately stopped working for a trivial reason - an inattentive technician connected it to the wrong pipe. Often, cold water supply meters (SWM) become broken prematurely because the owner of the apartment saved on the purchase and installed it instead of a hot water supply meter (SWM). It is no coincidence that the abbreviation on the device body is indicated.

An incorrectly installed storage unit will not work for a long time because it is not designed for more extreme operating conditions. It is worth being more careful and not being like a stingy person, so as not to pay twice because of your own greed.

Water is supplied under too much/weak pressure

To prevent the cold water meter from breaking down prematurely, it is advisable to understand the situation with pressure in the water supply system before installation. Correct selection of the diameter of pipes inside a living space helps correct possible problems arising due to too low or too high values of this indicator.

A decrease in pressure in the system is often caused by clogging. Everything may be fine with the water meter, the needle will just rotate slower. It is easy to check the serviceability by opening the tap all the way.

Under excessively increased pressure, the impeller quickly breaks down, which will manifest itself in the stop of the dial indicator or digital rollers.

The pipeline is clogged

Often the device does not work because the impeller is faulty. This happens because mechanical impurities enter the water flow. The flow element became clogged, and as a result, the water meter stopped. At first, the flow rotating the impeller will speed up its rotation, but soon it will slow down and stop altogether.

Filters can help prevent this problem from occurring. The coarse filter will need to be inserted first so that it gets in the way of mechanical particles and protects the meter from damage.

Cleaning the device in the form of a small flask with two pipes in the upper part and a built-in stainless mesh or removable cartridge is performed in the following order:

Relieve pressure in the system.
Unscrew the slots with a spanner wrench.
Remove and wash the mesh or replace the cartridge.
Dry the removed parts.
Assemble and mount.

Installing a filter that performs coarse cleaning has double benefits:

the characteristics of consumed water will improve;
Devices that take into account water consumption will last longer.

It is not difficult to disassemble and clean a clogged device, but the right to do such repairs belongs to specialists, because they will have to break the seal. And, later, call the controller, who will seal the device again.

The elements of the device have exhausted their service life

When the water meter stops responding to the fact that the tap is opened, and the movement of the water flow does not cause a response from the control and measuring device, then the reason is in a faulty rotor or individual elements of the mechanism that have expired. It must be determined by professionals sent by the management company.

It is possible that the service life specified by the manufacturer has come to an end. According to Russian GOST R 50601-93, a vane meter is supposed to serve for twelve years.

If the water supply metering device has not expired the current warranty period of one and a half years, then you will not have to pay for repairs or replacement of the device. This responsibility is assigned by law to the device manufacturer, who will have to contact you with the corresponding requirement. You should know that for water metering devices, the warranty period starts from the date of manufacture, followed by verification, and not from the date of sale or installation. Therefore, you should not purchase devices that have been lying on the store shelf.

An attempt to slow down the counter caused problems.

Often the service life of the meter is sharply reduced due to the fact that either the homeowner himself or a home-grown craftsman invited by him is trying to influence its operation in a “reliable” way. In order for the device to stop winding cubic meters at an unsatisfactory speed, would-be masters use a lot of ideas, such as magnetization, connecting needles, etc.

The results of such intervention appear quickly, so there is no need to be surprised if the hot water meter that the unfortunate craftsman conjured over breaks down. A called specialist will have to deal with the consequences of the manipulations, and the owner will have to pay.

Depressurization occurred due to temperature changes

When the water meter does not spin, and you can’t see anything through the foggy glass, you will have to change the meter. Likewise, when water drips, the problem lies in depressurization.

Leaks can be detected by turning off the taps while simultaneously recording the meter readings. If after a certain time they increase, you have to look for where the leak is, checking:

pipes with taps;
shut-off valve, which most likely requires tightening of the couplings.

In other cases, to get the device to work as expected, you will have to contact a plumber.

Temperature standards for hot water were exceeded

Premature stoppage of the device measuring hot water consumption is sometimes caused by exceeding the set temperature of the liquid. The upper limit for water is 90°C. Even a slight excess is sometimes enough for the indicator needle to freeze.

Therefore, it is worth monitoring the temperature regime in the hot water supply system, avoiding an excessive increase in indicators and the control device going to waste.

Reason four - change in pressure

Quite often, the readings on the meter directly depend on the water pressure. The flow rate is directly affected by the diameter of the installed flow pipes. If this parameter is the same everywhere, then with a sufficiently strong pressure, water will be consumed much faster. As a result, the meter needle will rotate much faster.

Due to this, the situation can be completely opposite. If the pressure decreases, the needle may stop spinning altogether. This must be taken into account when troubleshooting problems with the meter.

The meter breakdown was discovered by utility workers

Authorized employees of the relevant authorities have the right to apply sanctions to users, in accordance with the Rules for the provision of utility services to individuals, in cases where these standards are violated. If a breakdown of the meter is detected, representatives of utility organizations can issue the subscriber a fairly significant fine (for water received but not paid for). The amount of the fine will be determined in accordance with established standards and the number of residents registered in the apartment/house (the more registered, the more money you will need to pay). In this case, the fact of residence itself is not taken into account, but only the number of registered ones. Exception: persons on a long business trip, in a boarding school or in hospital treatment (supporting documents confirming these facts must be provided).

Payment in this case will be calculated after the date of the last inspection: no less than 3 months and no more than 6 months before the breakdown is detected.

To eliminate the possibility of unpleasant incidents associated with a breakdown of the water meter, you should periodically check the meter yourself.

Reason five - failure of the counter mechanism

Users often encounter a situation where water passes through the device quite freely, but the arrow does not move. In this case, you can suspect a simple mechanical failure of the device. Both the built-in counting mechanism and the rotor can fail. The problem can only be solved by carrying out special repair work.

Regardless of which element has failed, the meter must be repaired by a specialized company. This requires professional qualifications.

Common malfunctions and methods for eliminating them

Most faults cannot be eliminated without dismantling the meter and disassembling the housing. To remove mounting seals, you must contact the Criminal Code .

If the factory seal is removed from the case, the device is subject to verification at a certified organization with subsequent sealing.

What to do if the indicator does not spin?

If water begins to flow poorly through the meter, you should check the filter in front of it and the condition of the flow straightener grid of the meter itself, clean and rinse if necessary.

When water passes through, the pointer indicator does not work, and the axis of the counting mechanism may come off or break. It is necessary to replace the axle or replace the mechanism.

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The counting mechanism fogs up

If the seal between the housing and the counting mechanism is broken, the glass fogs up from the inside and even condensation forms. The pressure ring needs to be tightened or the rubber gasket needs to be replaced.

Actual consumption differs from readings

If dirt or a foreign object gets into the flow straightener, the readings will increase.

Inflated readings can be affected by gaskets with a narrowed cross-section on the mounting nuts. Therefore, it is necessary to use gaskets with an opening equal to or larger than the inlet and outlet openings of the meter.

When the readings become less than the actual flow rate, the reason is that the measuring cavity of the housing is clogged. The device requires disassembly, cleaning and verification.

Important! If the electronic meter wires are connected incorrectly, the pulses will not be read. Connect the wires in accordance with the diagram used.

Read in detail about the causes and methods of eliminating the breakdown in this article.

Counts consumption in the opposite direction

The direction of flow must coincide with the arrow on the body , otherwise the device will count in the opposite direction. The counter needs to be expanded.

Read a detailed article about why this happens and how to deal with the problem here.

The indicator spins when the taps are closed

Let's consider the question of why the indicator spins when the tap is closed. If this happens when the faucets are turned off, the reason is a hidden leak.

It is necessary to inspect the internal network, make sure there are no leaks, turn off the toilet, washing machine, dishwasher, water heater, and other equipment connected to the sewer network. As soon as the indicator stops rotating, the source of the leak is turned off. The cause of the leak has now been eliminated.

Reason six - intentional interference with the operation of the device

Often, the stability of the meter and its serviceability are influenced by those who want to deliberately slow down or leave the operation of the device in order to save money when paying for utilities.

Some craftsmen try to stop the devices using a variety of methods - a magnet, needles and other objects at hand. Such interference can completely disable the device, thereby causing more serious problems and causing more serious waste of money.

What to do if the water meter is damaged

If your water meter accidentally breaks, you need to take the following actions:

immediately turn off the water to prevent it from leaking;
record the latest readings;
call the emergency dispatch service of the management company or resource supply organization and report the incident;
find an organization where you can contact to call a specialist and install a new device;
Call the house maintenance company again and call the inspector. He will take readings from the broken water meter and draw up an act for installing a new one.

If the device breaks, there are no consequences for the consumer.

The only thing that will happen if you report a breakdown in time is a calculation according to the consumption standard for the period of water meter replacement.

Reason seven - very hot water

Hot water meters quite often fail precisely because of the excessively high temperature conditions of the liquid moving through the pipes. Often the overall water temperature is so high that the meters simply cannot handle it. To avoid meter failure, it is worth monitoring the water temperature from time to time. The maximum permissible temperature for standard meters is 90 degrees. At a higher mode there is a risk of the water meter failing.

If the device fails during the valid warranty period, repairs will be carried out by the manufacturer. This provision is spelled out in contracts concluded with the organization. Neglect of this provision may become grounds for going to court.

How to check the serviceability of a water meter yourself?

To independently check the serviceability of a new water meter, you need to:

Take a container of a certain volume;
Record meter readings;
Open the tap and fill the container with water;
Close the tap and record the new meter readings.

If the difference in readings corresponds to the volume of the tank, this indicates that the new water meter is working properly.

If you periodically check the operation of the water meter and carry out its verification according to the schedule, the device will work properly for a long time, and your family will not overpay for the volume of water that it did not actually use.

The need to repair the breakdown

If the hot water meter is faulty, corrective action must be taken as quickly as possible. If there is no measurement of wasted water, the user may be transferred to the general tariff schedule, that is, the need to pay the minimum wage, which is often an order of magnitude more expensive. To avoid this after detecting a malfunction in the meter, you need to take the following measures:

You need to contact the management company.
At the appointed time, an employee of the management company will arrive on call to attest to the fact of the malfunction and remove the installed seals.
A decision is made regarding whether to repair the device or replace it.

Repairs can be carried out at the expense of the company or at the expense of the owner of the premises. In the first case, the meter must be under warranty, and the examination must show that the device was handled properly. If these factors are absent, the device will have to be repaired at your own expense.

It is worth knowing that the cost of repair work is approximately the same as purchasing new equipment. For this reason, spending time on repairs is often simply impractical.

Procedure for detecting a malfunction

During the operation of the meter, the consumer must ensure proper sanitary conditions by removing dust and providing free access to the device dial.

It is necessary to regularly monitor the performance of the device. If it is discovered that the device does not work, the only possible action for the owner is to carefully tap the body of the product. If after this the impeller does not begin to rotate, the consumer should:

Immediately notify representatives of the management organization or water supplier about the problem.
Receive a specialist from the organization on the appointed date. The plumber will check that the appliance is working properly. If the failure is confirmed, the seals will be removed; this circumstance is recorded in the relevant act with a note on the current water meter readings.
The product is dismantled and delivered to a service center of a specialized organization.
The order of further actions depends on the results of the device check. If the meter is subject to further operation, after carrying out the necessary maintenance and repairs, it will be returned to the owner and installed at the place of operation. Otherwise, the consumer must purchase and install a new device. Installation is carried out with the assistance of specialists from a licensed company. In case of self-installation, a representative of the specified organization must check the correctness of installation and issue the appropriate conclusion.
After installing the meter, a representative of the water utility is called to seal the device.

If the water meter fails before the end of the factory warranty, the product must be submitted for free warranty repair to the manufacturer's service center.

During the absence of a metering device, payment for resources is made based on the average indicators for the previous 6 months.