Every property owner sooner or later has to wonder how to replace the electric meter in an apartment. The main reason does not always lie in technical malfunctions of the device. There can be quite a lot of prerequisites. However, the procedure for processing documents and carrying out installation work is the same.
What device can be installed instead of the old one?
Before replacing the electric meter in an apartment, you need to select the best option for specific operating conditions. The modern market offers a large number of models, differing in basic parameters and sizes.
First you need to decide on the type of device based on its operating principle.
- An induction meter operates due to the generated magnetic field that influences the rotating element. Usually a special disk is installed inside the product.
- An electronic meter makes measurements by converting analog electrical current signals into a special pulse or code. Instead of the usual disk, a light indicator is installed.
Next, you need to decide on the number of tariffs. If you actively use electrical energy at night, you can think about purchasing devices that can measure at different times of the day. When choosing, one cannot ignore the option of connecting to the electrical network, which can have one or three phases. Don't forget about functionality either.
Consideration of legal norms
Before starting work, it is necessary to understand who has the right to replace the electric meter in the apartment, who will have to pay for verification and other activities related to the removal of the old device and installation of a new one. Ignorance of legal aspects can lead to unnecessary legal problems.
The Civil Code states that the owner of a residential premises bears all financial expenses for servicing the appliances himself. According to regulatory documentation, the property owner is required to pay for the following operations:
- installation of the accounting device itself;
- replacement of the product due to the end of the operational period or other possible reasons;
- service consisting of verification and calibration.
All of the above points are relevant only for privatized areas of residence. However, many do not understand who is obliged to replace the electric meter in a municipal apartment, although the answer lies on the surface. The city or village government must pay for such events, since the real estate is their property.
Work to dismantle the old meter and install a new one must be carried out with the permission of the energy supply company. In any region of the Russian Federation, replacing devices without notifying such an organization is considered a violation of the contract, and therefore can lead to a fine in the form of a serious monetary amount.
Which meters require mandatory replacement?
Knowing who is obliged to replace the electric meter in the apartment, you need to understand in what cases this needs to be done. Quite often this is due to the fact that the devices are simply outdated. For example, changes have now occurred that do not allow the use of products with a measurement error of more than 2 percent. The accuracy class of a specific model can be found in the technical data sheet.
Devices must also be replaced in the following situations:
- if the counting mechanism is not functioning correctly;
- in the presence of serious deformation changes on the body;
- in case of leakage or defects in the viewing window.
Damaged operation usually leads to increased measurement errors. Financial losses can be borne not only by network organizations, but also by consumers.
Standard documentation
Before changing the electricity meter in an apartment yourself, you must submit an application from the property owner directly to the company that provides energy to the home in the region. She is obliged to accept it and explain all the rules of such an event.
The application must indicate the customer’s contact information and the address of the facility where the replacement will be carried out. The details of the energy supply agreement must be reflected. You must have documents confirming ownership with you. If it is not the owner himself who contacts the organization, but his representative, then a power of attorney must be provided.
Qualifications and tools for work
Before replacing the electric meter in an apartment, you should familiarize yourself with the qualification requirements for energy company technicians and the necessary tools to carry out the work. Workers of organizations must have clearance of the third group or higher.
Despite the required level of qualifications, legislation does not prohibit independent work. Replacing the device without involving specialists is quite possible. However, to carry out such an operation you will need a certain set of tools, which includes:
- digital multimeter;
- screwdrivers (flat and Phillips);
- wire cutters;
- pliers.
A marker is useful for marking. Insulating tape will be needed to hide the exposed contacts.
General installation rules
The question of whether it is possible to replace the electric meter in an apartment yourself is no longer asked, since the answer is positive. However, work cannot be carried out without knowledge of the general principles of installation. They will be especially useful when moving the counter to another location.
- The device is installed in a convenient place for taking readings, servicing and performing technical inspection.
- The room in which the new meter will be located must be dry with a temperature of more than 0 degrees.
- The device can be mounted on panels made of metal, plastic or wood.
- The optimal height for placing the device ranges from 150 to 170 cm.
Usually, along with the installation of the product, installation is carried out. Their choice must be made taking into account the load characteristics of the electrical line.
How to replace the electric meter in an apartment: sequence of actions
If the seal has already been removed, then you can begin work on dismantling the old device and installing a new one. In this case, a certain sequence of actions should be followed.
- First, the breaker on the subsea line is turned off. It may not be present in old-style electrical networks, but according to the rules for electrical installations, its presence is a prerequisite.
- Next, the holding screws are unscrewed and the cover is removed. Using a measuring device, the voltage at the terminals of an electrical device is checked.
- Now the wires are disconnected directly from the meter. If there are no color markings, it is recommended to take a felt-tip pen and make special marks.
- Dismantling is completed by unscrewing the fasteners. The new device is installed in the reverse order. If it is moved to another location, new holes will need to be made to secure it.
- The wires are being connected. With four outputs, the phase output is connected first, and then the zero output.
- At the final stage, the installed device is tested. To do this, just turn on household appliances or lighting. The disk should spin to the right.
The work is not overly complicated, so many property owners already know how to replace the electric meter in an apartment. In Moscow, you will have to pay a considerable amount for such a procedure. Installing the device yourself will help you save money.
If it is impossible to turn off the electrical network
There are places where it is not possible to turn off the power supply, so some people are thinking about how to change the electric meter in an apartment themselves under voltage. Despite the potential threat, this option is quite acceptable. In this case, there is no need to disconnect other consumers directly from the network.
The safety option involves the use of terminal test boxes, which are a base made of non-combustible material with a lid. They have bolt clamps and special contact pads. When replacing, it is necessary to remove the voltage from the installed device and short-circuit the secondary windings.
The shorting plug is designed as a simple screw, equipped with an insulated holder for safe use. Using screwdrivers with special handles, the contact plates are lifted up. After performing this action, the current metering circuit will be closed through the common plate, and not through the meter. All that remains is to replace the device according to the standard procedure.
Steps to take after installing a new device
The description of the replacement process allows you to understand how to replace the electric meter in an apartment yourself. However, after installing a new device, the process cannot be considered complete. Installed meters must be checked and sealed by employees of regional energy supply companies. Usually, after a request, they send an inspector from a department that is part of the service area of the residential area.
The application must be accompanied by additional information:
- technical passport of the installed product;
- readings taken from the dismantled device;
- documents allowing to identify the owner of the home;
- in some cases a seal is required, which was removed from the old device.
Once the electric meter in the apartment has been replaced, a report on the replacement is drawn up. It is signed by both parties at once. The document contains the following information: address of the residential building and installation location, characteristics of the new device with a description of the model and year of manufacture, as well as the installation date and organization details.
Benefits and controversial issues
According to the decree of the government of the Russian Federation, metering devices located in privatized apartments do not belong to common property. They do not fall under the jurisdiction of service organizations. Therefore, replacement, installation, sealing, verification and other activities are carried out at the expense of the property owner.
However, individuals may want to think about how to replace the electric meter in their apartment for free. This category of population includes:
- large families;
- veterans and participants of the Second World War;
- pensioners with small payments.
A certain ambiguity exists with metering devices that are not located inside a residential apartment. Employees of management companies interpret the legislation in their favor, since the common property of the building includes equipment that serves several apartments, not just one.
As for lawyers, they view the law from a different angle. If metering devices are located in the entrance, then they should be considered the common property of the residential building. To avoid complications, it is recommended to more carefully study the agreement concluded with the management company.
Checking the correctness of accounting
I managed to find out whether it is possible to replace the electricity meter in the apartment myself, but is there a way to verify that the metering is correct? This is necessary if, after the replacement, the amount of payment for electricity has increased significantly over time. There are special testing methods to ensure the accuracy of the device readings.
The simplest option is to completely disconnect the home from the electrical network. The meter must be energized. After disconnecting, you should note the time and monitor the disk of the induction product or the indicator of the electronic analogue. In the first of them, the disk should not make more than one revolution within 15 minutes. As for an electronic device, only one pulse is allowed.
A more complex option involves determining the error with which the meter operates at a given time. To do this, you will also have to completely turn off all devices and lighting. A device with a light bulb with a power of 100 W can act as a standard. It is connected to the network, after which the time of the perfect impulse or revolution is calculated using a stopwatch.
When calculating the error, the formula given in the table is used.
If after the calculations the result is a negative number, then the installed device operates in advanced mode. A positive error indicates that the product is slowing down. To be more convincing, calculations are carried out with standards of different power. An error of no more than 10 percent can be considered normal.
Maintenance work
Persons who have the third group of access to electrical installations or higher are allowed to carry out maintenance work on the device. They must undergo full safety training. The primary task of specialists is to check the reliability of connecting the power and interface circuits of the device.
To do this, it is necessary to remove the seal from the protective cover, and then remove dust directly from the contact block. Then you should carefully tighten the screws securing the power and interface cables. After checking and tightening the fasteners, you need to install the cover back, fix it with special latches, and seal it.
As a conclusion
From the information above, we were able to find out whether it is possible to independently replace the electric meter in an apartment without inviting a technician. The process of dismantling and installing the device is not complicated, so in most cases it does not lead to negative results, especially if safety precautions are strictly followed.