Author
Alexander Georgievich Kondratiev
An electrical engineer by training, he worked as an electronics engineer, chief engineer at a food company, and general director of a construction organization.
Residents who know how to count their expenses usually install gas meters. Most often, owners choose small electronic devices. But no matter how reliable such a meter is, it can break. If it fails, the gas meter does not show numbers, and what should the owner do in this case? You will find the answer in this article.
Possible reasons
There can be many reasons for failure. The most likely one, which the owner can determine on his own, is mechanical damage to the device. But such malfunctions happen extremely rarely.
In addition to mechanical damage, any component can fail. If the display stops showing numbers, then this most likely indicates a defect in the power supply. However, the reasons for gas meter failure are different.
The main faults encountered may be:
- Unscrupulous organizations install a faulty device in advance. It breaks within two to three months;
- Wires have oxidized or broken in the structure;
- If the meter is installed in a place where it is affected by frosty air, then there is a high probability of freezing of the mechanical part of the structure. This can happen when installing the device in an unheated room or under an open window. Such a malfunction can be attributed to the conscience of a specialist who has low qualifications. The technician is obliged to warn the owner about the consequences of installing the device in such a place.
- The battery or accumulator is dead.
As soon as the readings on the display disappear, you should not try to find the problem yourself. All devices are sealed, and breaking the seal can be regarded as gas theft.
If a gas meter fails, the owner proceeds as follows:
- He contacts Gorgaz and reports that the gas meter has broken down. Describes the defect in detail. The statement reflects the presence or absence of mechanical damage;
- The application can be submitted by phone. But a personal contact with the dispatcher will speed up the arrival of a specialist;
- When submitting an application, the owner must provide his details and address. Sometimes you need to indicate the meter number, where it was purchased and which organization installed it.
If the gas meter breaks down, what should you do? What is the algorithm of actions?
Using my own example, I used option 1.
But there are three options for action when the meter breaks:
1 option
You noticed this right away (let’s say he stopped counting consumption or, on the contrary, started counting it up)
Call your Gorgaz service department immediately and leave a request indicating the reason.
A technician will come and if the meter is under warranty, he will replace it with another one and take yours away for repair.
The same technician will draw up a replacement protocol, which will indicate the consumption figures from the old meter and, accordingly, the initial figures of the new one. If you agree with these figures, then you don’t need to do anything further; soon you will receive two (if you manage to transfer the expense from the new meter) or one receipt, according to which you will pay the amount accrued to you.
Perhaps later they will want to return your device to you after repair, or they will keep theirs. You can also insist on having yours repaired, so that after the repair they give you a replacement.
If the meter is no longer under warranty, then the only difference is that you will have to pay for a replacement and possibly buy a new meter, or rent one offered by repairmen.
Option 2
You did not immediately notice that the meter was broken and it did not work for some time, or did not work correctly.
In this case, you still need to report the problems to the service company.
They will set a repair time and do it as described in the first option.
But you will need to go to the settlement center, where your readings will be recalculated.
There you can count in their direction, then you need to ask to make a cut for past periods to identify the average value, on this value and insist that they issue a receipt.
To do this, it is necessary to obtain a conclusion from the repairmen that the meter has failed for such and such a reason.
Option 3
I’ll also tell you about one option - this is when the meter did not work for a long time (more than 2-3 months), and you transmitted readings, although they did not correspond to the device.
In this case, it is possible that they will recalculate you, again based on the average values of previous periods, and they may impose a fine.
Now see for yourself, if you think that the truth is on your side, then make an appointment with your boss, but there you need to write an explanatory note in free form about this situation.
The boss's decision can be appealed in court.
The main problem with meter failure is dirt that falls off the pipes and gets into the mechanism, or wear of the mechanism. Basically all the gears are plastic.
Why can't you fix the problem yourself?
If the gas meter has stopped showing numbers, the owner should under no circumstances repair it.
When dismantling the device, the owner will break the seals. And this will entail a significant fine. A similar situation occurs when trying to open a gas meter. In this case, the factory seals are broken.
The owner must take into account that the fine for breaking the seal significantly exceeds the cost of the metering device. In addition to penalties, the owner will have to pay the cost of gas according to the tariff. And this is several times higher than the gas consumed according to the meter.
Why you shouldn't try to fix the problem yourself
When ordering a device, companies in most cases install it with sealing. In such a situation, if the device breaks down, it is not recommended to touch it at all, otherwise there may be serious consequences for working with the meter. Experts do not recommend even trying to change the battery yourself if it is sealed. The essence of the seal is that it protects the device from illegal actions of the owner. Violation of its integrity is regarded by the gas company as an attempt to independently stop the installation for the purpose of stealing gas. Finally, you cannot ignore basic safety rules - any unprofessional work near a gas pipe is fraught with an accident.
What will the master do?
If the gas meter breaks down, the owner should be patient. Since the master may have many applications. There will be several specialist visits.
On your first visit, he will inspect the device, make sure all seals are intact, and perform diagnostics. If on-site repairs are possible, he will do them. However, this happens extremely rarely.
The master dismantles the faulty device. If the gas meter is under warranty, and the sale and installation was carried out by a service organization, then the specialist has the right to replace the meter with a new one.
More often, the owner purchases a gas meter independently from a retail chain. In this case, a Gorgaz specialist dismantles the device and draws up a report on the malfunction of the device.
The owner purchases a new device and makes a request for installation of a working device. When you visit again, the specialist installs a new meter and draws up a report. It is compiled in two copies. Simultaneously with the act, a commissioning document is drawn up. In some cases, only a deed is sufficient. But the owner should ask the master about the need to draw up a commissioning report.
The owner is recommended to purchase the same gas meter or its equivalent. Otherwise, it may be necessary to change the installation dimensions. And this will entail additional costs for increasing/reducing the gas riser, additional parts and consumables.
After installing a new meter, the owner contacts the sales organization to seal the meter, and an application is drawn up. Where the data is indicated:
- Last name, first name and patronymic of the applicant;
- Serial number and brand of the gas meter;
- Meter readings at the time of installation;
- A photocopy of the factory passport, certificates of installation and commissioning of the device.
They may be required to indicate the date of the next verification. If the installation of the meter was carried out by employees of another organization, then a copy of the license for the right to carry out the activity is attached to the application.
An employee of the subscriber department seals the device and draws up a report. These documents must be kept by the owner along with the passport. They are presented to the inspector at each inspection. Experts perform this algorithm of action both in a multi-storey building and a private cottage.
Ways to stop a new type gas meter
There are many “time-tested” ways to stop a household gas meter. In the realities of modern life, “folk recipes” for blocking gas IPUs are unreliable and do not bring positive results.
It is better to avoid them for the following reasons:
- The advice only works for old-style devices with a simple design. Such mechanisms have long gone out of use.
- Interfering with the operation of gas metering devices without knowledge of safety precautions is risky. Careless handling may result in at least a gas leak.
- After using the traditional method, problems may arise in the operation of the counting device. It is not difficult to stop a rotary counter, but it is much more difficult to start it again. Rough intervention disables the unit, and the desire to save money results in expenses for the purchase of a new device.
- Gas service employees are well aware of how data is twisted using traditional methods. It is impossible to hide from them the consequences of such interference in the work of the IPU.
- Manufacturers are also aware of homemade tricks. All defects in the designs of previous years have long been identified and eliminated.
New-style gas meters are maximally protected from unauthorized intervention. The counting mechanisms of modern IPUs are equipped with a locking device. Home methods will not work; turning back the gears and reducing the readings will not work.
Often units are equipped with magnetic seals-stickers, which makes it impossible to use the neodymium magnet beloved by home craftsmen. Under the influence of an extraneous magnetic field, disposable fillings change color, and the intervention can no longer be hidden.
The only reliable way to correct the operation of the IPU is to modify gas appliances. The modification allows you to stop or lower readings without reducing the volume of gas consumed. The meters are subject to manual modification, after which their safe use becomes possible.
Note! The modified IPUs do not have any visual differences from their factory counterparts. Therefore, representatives of the gas company will not have any suspicions or questions. Accounting adjustments will be reliable and safe.
The only important condition is that the readings must be reduced gradually so as not to attract the attention of the monitoring organization once again.
In what cases can the meter be returned under warranty?
If the gas meter does not show numbers, and the warranty period has not expired, then the owner, with a document drawn up by the Gorgaz foreman, contacts the trade organization.
A claim is made there. Based on this complaint, the seller can return money for a defective product or make a replacement.
However, sellers claim that the meter is sent to the manufacturer for repairs. And this is a long time.
In this case, the retail chain is obliged, on the basis of the Consumer Protection Law, to provide another device. Therefore, if a gas meter that is under warranty breaks down, the owner should demand a refund or a new meter.
How is gas payment calculated if the gas meter is faulty?
The owner of an apartment or private house should know that after dismantling the metering device, payment is made based on average monthly consumption. The calculation is performed based on average gas consumption. For calculations, instrument readings for the last year are taken.
If the meter has not worked for a year, then the device readings for the actual period of operation are taken into account. But there are limitations.
Accruals for average consumption are made over three months. After which payment is calculated in accordance with gas consumption standards. [elementor-template id=”2108"] [e[elementor-template id=”2102"]ele[elementor-template id=”2096"]eme[elementor-template id=”2092"]trong>Useful article? Rate and share with friends!
Reasons for replacing or repairing a gas meter in an apartment or private house
Metering devices are produced with a large margin of safety. With normal operation and the correct choice of installation location, they can work for more than one year. But sooner or later any equipment fails. The malfunction can be minor, noticeable only to a specialist during verification, or dangerous, even threatening a natural gas explosion.
Next, we consider what should be done if the gas meter in an apartment or private house goes out, stops working, breaks down, does not show numbers, resets to zero, what are all the possible reasons that the device stops or rewinds, or the readings disappear.
- The counter turns the numbers back - the reason is defective or physical wear and tear of the equipment. Gas service specialists should be notified immediately. Otherwise, the malfunction will be detected during a routine check of the meter and possible charges of data falsification. You can find out about the frequency of checking your gas meter in a separate material.
- The device spins the numbers on its own - the reason may be a malfunction of the equipment or a gas leak. In any case, you should call the emergency gas service.
- Stopped working - if the meter was installed recently, you may have received a defective device. The cause may be oxidation or disconnection of the wires of the electronic device or depletion of battery energy.
- Complete or partial disappearance of numbers on the scoreboard is wear or defective device.
- Mechanical damage to the housing is the most dangerous malfunction and can lead to serious consequences.
The law provides two options for detecting a malfunction:
- the owner, who notifies the gas supplier on the same day;
- gas service specialists who draw up an act on the basis of which the payment for the last six months can be recalculated according to the standards.
If any malfunction of the meter is detected, the emergency gas service should be notified. The specialist will assess the condition of the measuring equipment and determine what is required - repair or reinstallation of the device.
During the replacement/repair of equipment, payment for gas consumption will be calculated based on accepted standards.
The owner may decide to reinstall a working device after the state verification period has expired, since this is usually cheaper than re-verification.
