The installed heat meter counts the amount of heat energy that is spent on heating the room. Each of the objects consuming such energy has a thermal maximum load (Gcal / h), obtained taking into account the air temperature in the street and in the room. In this formula, the minimum air temperature is determined depending on the geographical location of the object, based on statistical indicators for several previous years.
When a specific month of the heating season ends, the calculated load is recalculated taking into account the average monthly actual temperature.
As users already know, heat meters can be installed both on an entire apartment building and on a separate apartment. In this article, we will consider the question of how to take and transfer the readings of heat meters.
General house heat meter: how to take readings?
Heat metering devices can measure this very heat in different units (for example, megawatts, gigacalories or kilojoules). Most often, heat is measured in gigacalories, since it is in these units of measurement that heat supply organizations calculate and set the price for heating.
A good solution would be to start a separate journal, where the readings of the heat meter will be regularly recorded (see an example below). It is optimal to record information on the last day of each month, when it is already known exactly how much heat has been consumed per month. Keeping such a log will help to control and verify the data of the management company, on the basis of which payments for heat are made to consumers.
At the moment, according to the new rules for accounting for commercial heat, the accounting journal has been canceled. This is due to the fact that modern metering devices can read information from the meter directly, or through a computer or flash drive.
Among the new type of heat meters, there are quite compact models made of special grade steel. The operation of such devices is provided by batteries, the service life of which is 10 years. At the top of the meter there is a screen that displays data regarding energy consumption, as well as the main parameters of a particular heat supply system, such as: flow values (current and instantaneous), information about temperatures, information about the state of the heat meter (including error codes), and also archive information for the previous few months.
It is important to keep in mind that if an old metering device is installed in an apartment building, then at the next verification it will be mandatory to replace it with a new one, but for now you should continue to keep a log of readings. To fill it out correctly, you need to read the meter's instruction manual (maintenance section), which is necessarily attached to each heat energy meter.
Heat meter readings: reading and transmission
Specific readings are displayed on the indicator by pressing the button / buttons on the front panel of the device. For proper submission of information, you will need to remove the following information:
- Thermal energy Q (Gcal, GСal, GJ, MWh);
- The mass of the coolant in the supply pipeline M1 (t);
- Mass of coolant in the return pipeline M2 (t);
- Temperature in the supply pipeline T1 (°С);
- Temperature in the return pipeline Т2 (°С);
- Timer (h).
An example of filling out a log of readings for a heat energy meter
| date of | Amount of heat, Q, Gcal | Heat carrier temperature on the supply pipeline Т1, °С | Heat carrier temperature on the return pipe Т2, °С | The mass of the heat carrier along the supply pipeline M1, t | The mass of the heat carrier along the return pipeline M2, t | Timer h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 01.02.17 | 7423.41 | 85,5 | 44,4 | 2521 | 2435 | 1785 |
| 02.02.17 | 7445.87 | 84,1 | 43,2 | 2631 | 2545 | 1809 |
| 03.02.17 | 7456.85 | 80,6 | 42,3 | 2738 | 2659 | 1833 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
As a rule, meters can also display information about the volume of the coolant (V, m3), both in the supply and return pipelines, however, when filling out the journal, one should indicate the parameter (mass or volume of the coolant) that is determined by the act acceptance into operation of a particular metering device. The heat meter readings are taken every day (exceptions are weekends and holidays), at a certain time, and entered in the appropriate columns of the heat consumption register. Based on this information, a protocol / statement is drawn up for subsequent transfer to the heat supply company within the specified time. This should be done before a specific date, which each heat supplier sets for consumers independently.
Quite often there are cases when persons authorized by consumers to control and take readings from a heating meter make mistakes. In order to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the heat meter and correctly take readings from it, the following rules should be observed:
- It is impossible to entrust taking readings from the heat meter to untrained persons;
- Data collection must be carried out in a timely manner, and then the readings of the heat meter must be transmitted within the established time limits;
- If any malfunctions are noticed in the operation of the heat meter, then this should be immediately reported to the relevant authorities (heat supply and service organizations).
Apartment heat energy meter: how to take and transfer readings correctly?
Readings from apartment heat meters should be taken by analogy with water meters. The only difference is that the heat meters display several indicators on the indicator, and in order to choose the right one, you should carefully read the operating instructions and strictly follow the manufacturer's recommendations. After receiving the necessary information, the difference in readings for the previous and reporting periods should be entered into the receipt for payment for thermal energy, multiplied by the tariff established in the region, and the amount received should be paid.
Currently, modern heat meters are equipped with a built-in interface that allows you to read data automatically. For example, the domestic-made Kombik-T counter has a built-in radio antenna, which allows you to take readings from the device even without entering the apartment. It should be noted that a water meter (water meter) with a pulse output can be connected to such a device, which will allow you to take readings of water consumption (hot and cold) also without visual contact. The installation of such metering devices will be a good solution for people who often go on business trips or trips and cannot personally meet the controller who comes to take readings.
Please note that an individual heat meter can only be installed in apartments with horizontal piping and separate heat carrier inlets. In houses where heating systems with vertical wiring are equipped, individual meters are not installed.
From the information provided in this article, we can conclude that the procedure for taking and transmitting readings from heat meters should be treated with a sufficient degree of responsibility.
There is an erroneous opinion that by installing a heat meter, you can save. In fact, the heat meter only counts the heat energy that is used for heating. In order to start saving, you need to take certain actions. For example. insulate the building, install plastic windows, install automatic thermostats on heating radiators, insulate risers and heating pipelines, and finally install a weather-compensated automatic control system for heat consumption depending on the outside air.
Each facility that consumes thermal energy has an estimated maximum heat load Gcal/h, which is calculated for a certain indoor temperature and a maximum negative outdoor temperature. This temperature depends on the area in which the object is located and is determined on the basis of statistical data for several years. At the end of the corresponding month of the heating season, the calculated load is recalculated according to the actual average monthly outdoor temperature.
In most cases, the calculated value of thermal energy and the actual heat consumption obtained from the readings of the heat meter do not match for many reasons.
The main reasons for the discrepancy between the calculated value of heat consumption and that obtained from metering devices:
1. Non-compliance with the normative schedule for the temperature of the coolant, which must be maintained by the heat supply organization, depending on the outside temperature.
2. Non-compliance with the calculated flow rate of the coolant at the facility, both up and down due to instability of pressure in the heating network, lack or excess of pressure drop at the facility.
3. Errors in calculations when designing an object. Load changes during construction, modernization, aging of the facility.
For residential buildings, there are normative values of thermal energy per square meter calculated for an indoor temperature of +18 (+20) degrees. Each month of the heating season has its own standard, since the average monthly outdoor temperature for each month will be different. So, for example, the standard will increase in ascending order from November to January, and then there will be a decrease until April. Specific values for each city are approved at the administrative level and can be obtained by going, for example, to the website of the administration or the heat supply organization. Thus, knowing the area of the house, it is possible to obtain the calculated value of heat consumption for the entire house and apartment, in particular, by multiplying the normative value of Gcal by 1 m3 by the area of the house or apartment. To calculate the standard in rubles, the resulting value in Gcal must be multiplied by the tariff - the cost of 1 Gcal. Having received the calculated value of heat consumption, it can be compared with the actual value obtained from heat meters.
When the normative value of the temperature inside the premises is exceeded, the so-called "overheating" is caused. When it gets hot and stuffy in the apartments, the residents ventilate the premises, thereby heating the street. The reason for this may be a sharp warming and the inability of the heat supply organization to timely reduce the temperature of the coolant. As a result, the value obtained from the heat meter may exceed the calculated value.
According to statistics, heat meters show that the actual heat consumption is 20% lower than the calculated value, but there are factors that violate this statistics. This article provides.
Manually, using control valves or valves, you can reduce or increase heat consumption, but it is much more efficient to use automatic control systems specially designed for this. With manual control, it is necessary to constantly monitor the temperature inside the premises and, depending on whether it became cool or, on the contrary, warm, slightly open or close the valve or control valves at the heating unit. In practice, a person should live in this house and regularly go to the heating unit every day (or maybe several times a day) and regulate the flow. You can read about automatic means that allow you to save.
With a filled pipeline and a closed shut-off valve (the displayed flow must then be 0), the g1 values are displayed.
Likely cause:
1. An electric current flows through the pipeline, on which a heat meter with a primary flow converter is installed.
2. Malfunction of valves
1. Since thermal networks are not designed to transmit electricity, find and eliminate the source of electric current.
2. Let the current pass through the area where the heat meter is installed, as follows:
Insulate flange bolts. For devices with a threaded connection - embed flanges in nearby sections of pipelines or use the flanges of adjacent fittings;
Rice. 1. Diagram of insulating flange bolts
Perform electrical shunting of the pipeline section on which the heat meter is installed with a shunt bus. Use steel wire with a diameter of 6...8 mm. Connection method - welding.
Rice. 2. Scheme of electrical shunting of the pipeline section.
With the assumed uninterrupted flow of the coolant, instability of the readings g1 (g2) is observed.
Most likely causes:
A foreign body got into the channel or the primary flow converter connected to it.
Elimination Methods:
Dismantle PPR (primary flow converter). It is possible to install a filter if the problem persists.
With the expected ratio of flows in the supply and return pipelines, there is a difference in readings between g1 and g2. In this case (g1-g2)/g1*100 > 2%
Most likely causes:
1. A foreign body has entered the channel or the primary flow converter connected to it.
2. The requirements for straight sections of pipelines have not been met.
3. Malfunction of the primary flow converter.
Elimination Methods:
In the event that no clogging of the flow path is detected, send the flow transducer for repair and verification
No signal from flow transducer channel V1.
Most likely causes:
1. The direction of the flow in the pipeline does not correspond to the direction of the arrow printed on the body of the primary converter
2. An electrically conductive foreign body got into the channel or the flow converter connected to it and shorted the electrodes to the body.
Diagnostics:
1. Analyze the correspondence of the direction of the arrow to the direction of flow.
2. Dismantle the PPR, inspect the flow path
3. Ring the power supply circuit from the calculator.
Elimination :
1. Remount the PPR.
2. Clean the flow part and install a magnetic-mechanical filter before the flow converter.
3. Restore the network when it breaks.
Breakage or short circuit of temperature sensors of channel T1 or T2.
Most likely causes:
1. Temperature sensors are not connected or another device is connected instead (flow sensor).
2. Break or short circuit in the wires connecting the temperature sensors to the calculator or the temperature sensors are faulty.
Diagnostics :
1.Check if the connection is correct.
2. Disconnect the wires from the temperature sensors, measure their resistance (resistance from 500 to 780 Ohm is considered normal). If the resistance goes beyond the mentioned limits, this may indicate an open, short circuit, or a malfunction of the temperature sensors.
Elimination :
1. Carry out a new installation with the selected measuring circuit.
2. Replace temperature sensors if a malfunction is found in them
T1
Most likely causes:
magazine "Heat Supply News", No. 6 (34), June, 2003, pp. 34 - 37, http://www.ntsn.ru/
V.P. Kargapoltsev, Head of the Laboratory of Heat and Energy Resources of the Kirov Center for Standardization and Metrology
The author hopes that the article will attract the attention of specialists from water and energy supply organizations, and will allow developing methods to combat the theft of heat and water. It is not recommended to take the information below as a guide to action and try to repeat ways to reduce payments, as this is a violation of the law.
In the last decade, mass introduction of water and heat metering devices has been carried out, regulatory documents for accounting have been developed. There is no general coordination of actions in this area, so documents very often contradict each other and have many weaknesses. The "Rules for accounting for thermal energy and coolant" were approved only in 1995, but even now many experts admit that they are obsolete. GOST for heat meters to be adopted only in 2000, but even now the requirements for testing laid down in it are not being met. In particular, the devices are not tested for electromagnetic compatibility, although the quality of electricity in our public networks leaves much to be desired. None of the test centers conducts the tests provided for by GOST to ensure the impossibility of unauthorized access to the memory of devices.
It is also necessary to take into account the approach of domestic specialists to the very problem of energy saving. After installing the metering device, the consumer thinks - how to reduce payments for heat and water? It would seem that the answer is simple and logical - it is necessary to save. However, in practice, everything turns out to be different. The consumer often solves the problem in a simpler way - by manipulating the meter. And since the heat meter is much more complex in design, operation algorithms, installation, operation than the well-known, for example, electric meter, the possibility of falsification is much greater here. It is very difficult to prove that the consumer deliberately distorts the readings of the instruments for a number of reasons.
How do consumers adjust instrument readings? Let's start with water meters, and we will not touch on such "ancient" methods as manipulations with seals.
A method mainly used by homeowners to reduce irrigation water costs. The consumer decides to install water meters. He goes to the store and buys the cheapest and most unreliable (according to reviews) water meter, coordinates it with Vodokanal, installs it and registers it. In accordance with domestic GOST, the minimum flow rate recorded by the water meter is 30 liters per hour. There is also a sensitivity threshold at which the meter should begin to rotate, but with the existing quality of tap water, after two to three weeks the meter somehow rotates at a minimum flow rate. The consumer opens the taps so that the flow rate is less than 30 liters per hour. At the same time, the meter does not record the analysis of water at all, that is, by installing the device, the consumer gets the opportunity to legally not pay for water. By setting the consumption, for example, at 20 liters per hour, the consumer will receive 480 liters of clean drinking water per day absolutely free of charge. The social norm in Russian cities averages about 300 liters per person per day. It is clear that in a city apartment, not everyone will perform such manipulations. But the method is actively used by those who live in the suburbs, villages with centralized water supply. Low flow water constantly flows into a large storage tank and is then used for irrigation.
Another, slightly more complicated way. It already requires certain costs, but is more convenient for a city apartment. Installation of the counter requires the installation of additional equipment. If you look at the flow of water, then these are: a ball valve, a strainer with a stopper, a water meter, a ball valve. The mounting brackets must be sealed. However, there remains a mesh filter that cannot be sealed. With its periodic clogging, the tenant either unscrews the nut himself, takes out and rinses the mesh glass, or calls a locksmith from the housing and communal services. In our conditions, this procedure is quite frequent. The consumer buys a flexible hose (pipeline) from a hardware store, screws it into place of the removed filter drain nut, and receives water bypassing the meter. If the Vodokanal inspector comes to check the meter, then it is enough to hold him outside the door for a couple of minutes, during this time unscrew the hose nut and screw in the plug.
The following method for the same design of the water metering unit is easier to operate. A piece of thin wire is tied to the glass of the strainer and passed into the pipe along the course of the water. The wire slows down the rotation of the meter tour-bink and the readings are significantly underestimated.
Most of the water meters currently in use are the so-called "dry meters". They consist of two parts: an impeller rotating in water and a counting mechanism separated from the impeller by a sealed partition. One or more small magnets are attached to the impeller. Water rotates the impeller, under the influence of the rotation of the magnets behind the sealed partition, a metal ring rotates, the rotation of the ring is transmitted to the counting mechanism. The essence of the next method of underestimating readings is braking the impeller by installing external magnets, the position of which is determined empirically.
After getting acquainted with all these methods, you begin to look at the positive conclusions of various organizations based on the results of the introduction of water meters in a slightly different way. It is clear that if apartment water meters are installed in a residential area, then the amount of their readings per month will be less than the calculated value determined by the social norm (300 liters per day per person). This is beyond doubt. However, in none of the reports, in any of the numerous articles, the author found any mention that somewhere after the installation of apartment water meters, the total water consumption of the city, district, village decreased. In practice, simultaneously with the introduction of water meters, the imbalance between water intake and water withdrawal by metering devices is growing. The above manipulations with devices are written off as losses in distribution networks.
More diverse ways to adjust the readings of heat meters. The heat meter consists of three main blocks - a flow meter, thermal converters, a heat calculator, and adjustments can be made by manipulating any of the blocks.
Tachometric flow meters of heat meters have the same adjustment options as those mentioned above for water meters.
The electromagnetic flowmeter structurally consists of two magnetic coils installed under and above the pipe, two measuring electrodes located horizontally. An alternating voltage of known frequency and shape is applied to the coils. A signal proportional to the flow rate of the liquid is taken from the electrodes. To correct the readings of the device, additional magnetic coils are installed outside the flow sensor, the voltage to which is supplied in antiphase to the voltage of the device coils. Thus, the useful signal is suppressed and the readings are underestimated. This method requires a certain qualification of the performer. The vortex flowmeter structurally consists of a triangular prism vertically installed in the pipe, a measuring electrode inserted into the pipe downstream of the liquid, and a permanent magnet installed outside the pipe. Manipulations are reduced to the distortion of the magnetic field of the permanent magnet of the flowmeter. To do this, use a set of permanent magnets. Their location is chosen empirically. Another way to distort the readings of vortex flowmeters is to swirl and swirl the water flow, for example, by displacing the gasket between the flanges of the device and the pipeline during installation, which also underestimates the readings.
Manipulations with thermal converters. Thermal converters are mounted in direct and pipelines and connected by communication lines to the heat meter. A very simple and effective way to underestimate the readings of a heat meter is to connect a resistor of a certain rating in parallel with a thermal converter installed on the supply pipeline. Such an inclusion lowers the temperature of the water supplied from the heating system, and the amount of reduction is regulated by the selection of the resistor value. The length of communication lines can be tens of meters, so it is almost impossible to detect a connection.
All of these options cannot be compared with the possibilities of correcting the readings of the heat meter. In one of the issues of the journal "Legislative and Applied Metrology" the author came across a very interesting saying: "digital devices allow you to deceive with unprecedented possibilities." This is a very accurate description of the situation in heat metering.
In foreign metering systems, the heat meter determines 2 values for the reporting period (month): - the amount of heat energy consumed and the amount of coolant passed through the heating system. Registration of other values is possible, but not required. The Russian "Rules for accounting for thermal energy and heat carrier" of 1995 require as reporting values for the month: - the amount of heat energy consumed (cumulatively and for each hour during the month), - the amount of heat carrier received and returned to the network (cumulatively and for hour during the month), - temperatures in the supply and return pipelines (cumulatively and for each hour during the month), - in some cases, pressure in the forward and return pipelines (cumulatively and for each hour during the month). According to the author, the "Rules..." unreasonably mixes the concepts of commercial metering of consumed energy and technological control over the operating modes of heating networks. In accordance with the requirements of the "Rules ..." the consumer buys at his own expense a device for accounting for his own heat consumption and at the same time a device for monitoring the technological characteristics of heating networks. Hence the high prices for the heat meter.
The requirement to measure a large number of quantities and store large data archives in the device can be realized only on the basis of digital devices. And over the past 7 years, about 400 heat meters and flow meters have been entered into the State Register of Measuring Instruments of the Russian Federation, most of them are digital. In 2000, GOST R 51649-2000 "Heat meters for water heating systems. General specifications" was released. It is no coincidence that the following requirement is introduced into GOST: "The software of heat meters must provide protection against unauthorized interference in operating conditions." In fact, a heat meter is a commercial metering device, a kind of analogue of a cash register. It is recognized by all that the cash register must have a fiscal memory protected from unauthorized access. Awareness of the need to protect the memory of the heat meter came very late. Until now, none of the State Centers for Testing Measuring Instruments (GCI SI) has mastered such tests, although new devices are constantly being entered into the State Register of SI of the Russian Federation.
What happens in practice? The heat meter, as a digital device, has the appropriate software. The consumer of thermal energy usually buys software along with the heat meter, with the help of which he can display data from the device’s memory through an interface to a computer, to a local network, to a printer for reporting, and so on. These are consumer programs. The manufacturer also has calibration software. It is used to adjust the device when leaving production, as well as when adjusting the calibration coefficients when the device has not passed the next verification. It is clear that calibration programs should be inaccessible to a wide range of people and be available only from the manufacturer and licensed repair companies.
Unfortunately, the situation is different now. Instrument manufacturers in most cases transfer calibration programs to implementation companies. Why? The quality of the devices leaves much to be desired, during operation the characteristics of the sensors of the devices "float", there are discrepancies in the readings of the flow meters in the supply and return pipelines, the software "freezes" and so on. The power supply organization has doubts about the reliability of instrument readings. And then the implementing company or the consumer himself turns to the manufacturer with a proposal to repair the warranty device. The manufacturer is not interested in his device having a bad reputation in the region where it is operated. But at the same time, it is not profitable for him to send a specialist because of one device. And since the devices are not of the highest quality and the level of production technology leaves much to be desired, there are a lot of such complaints from consumers from different cities. The manufacturer sends a calibration program to the implementation (service) company by e-mail. A representative of an implementation company downloads the program to a laptop, comes to the site where the heat meter is installed, connects the laptop to the standard interface connector of the heat meter, takes archive data, recalculates the calibration coefficients, and enters them into the heat meter's memory. The interface connector is not sealed by the power supply company, because it is intended for archiving and monthly reporting. The implementation (service) company is also interested in having such a program so that the consumers with whom it has entered into service contracts have no complaints about the devices. The consumer of thermal energy is interested in cooperation with a service company that has a calibration program to eliminate conflicts with the energy supply organization in case of device failures and, possibly, to resolve issues of "practical energy saving". Thus, both instrument manufacturers, implementation (service) firms, and heat consumers are interested in wide distribution of calibration programs. It is clear what the result will be with such a unity of interests. Even if the device is imported and it is impossible to obtain a proprietary calibration program, the heat meter software is hacked, its own calibration program is compiled (for example, an electromagnetic heat meter of one of the Western European companies, well-known in Russia and Belarus).
For some digital heat meters (in particular, those manufactured by enterprises located on the territory of the former USSR states), access to the memory is possible even from the keyboard of the device itself. To enter the calibration program, it is enough to simultaneously press a certain combination of keys on the front panel of the device. For ultrasonic heat meters and flow meters from a well-known Volga city, to enter the calibration program, it is necessary to bring a magnetic key to a known place in the device case.
The author raised the issue of unauthorized access at the regional meeting of metrologists of the Kirov region back in the spring of 2001, but then no one, not even the heating network, showed interest. In April 2003, the 17th international conference "Commercial accounting of energy carriers" took place in St. Petersburg. The report "On prohibited methods of metrological maintenance of commercial heat metering units" was devoted to the topic of unauthorized access by the chairman of the Organizing Committee of the conference, a well-known specialist in the field of heat metering, deputy chief metrologist of Lenenergo heating networks, A. G. Lupey. The report presents the fact of unauthorized adjustment of calibration coefficients by the service company through the interface connector revealed by the methods of mathematical statistics. As stated in the report, "the installer quickly, imperceptibly, without hassle" repaired "the flow meter right on site using a" pouring stand "called a portable computer of the" laptop " type.
According to the author, almost all types of digital heat meters used in Kirov can be reconfigured without removing seals through the interface or keyboard using calibration programs or known access codes. However, it is practically impossible to prove the fact of unauthorized access, and especially its deliberate nature. On October 3, 2001, the heating networks of OAO Kirovenergo officially registered the fact of unauthorized access to the heat meter memory. The homeowners' association (HOA) purchased a heat meter, installed it, and registered it with the heating networks of OAO Kirovenergo. In summer, due to the disconnected heating, heat was consumed only for hot water supply purposes, so the heat carrier flow rate and temperature difference dropped below the lower level of the measurement ranges. The device began to fix error codes in memory. Based on the results of the reporting periods, the heating networks repeatedly sent an order to the consumer - the device does not correspond to the characteristics of the object, it is necessary to replace it with a smaller standard size. The consumer contacted the seller of the device with a request to solve this problem. In the report for the next month, the heating networks found that there was an unauthorized intervention in the operation of the heat meter, error codes disappeared from the archive memory of the device, and the lower level of the flow range changed. The heating networks removed the device from the register, drew up an act of unauthorized access, which was recognized and signed by the consumer's representative (HOA). The device was sent for metrological examination. The examination was carried out on the same pouring installation as the calibration of the device from production. According to the results of the control verification, it was revealed that with a coolant flow rate of 0.5 cubic meters / hour, the error of the device is "- 9.6%".
- adjust domestic standards in terms of reducing the minimum flow rate to 6 liters per hour, which will bring them into line with European standards;
- to develop and put into practice flowing calibration installations with a minimum reproducible flow rate of 6 liters per hour;
- to develop for the staff of sales departments of water and heat supply organizations, enterprises of the State Energy Supervision Authority, methods for detecting falsifications when accounting for water and heat consumption;
- to consider mandatory during tests for the purpose of type approval of heat meters and flow meters tests to ensure protection against unauthorized interference in operating conditions.
Reading time: 4 minutes
In accordance with the norms of the law, the owners of square meters in apartment buildings must install meters to calculate payment for services provided centrally, including for heating. The calculation of the amount is not based on averages, but according to actual consumption. For those who installed the meter, it would not be superfluous to clarify how to take readings from the heat meter.
Types of meters for heating
The heat energy meter records and measures the temperature difference, as well as the consumption of heat carriers, using an ultrasonic or tachometric method.
This equipment is classified as a measuring instrument, therefore it must have the appropriate documents and certification that meets the requirements of the Law of the Russian Federation of June 25, 2008 No. 102 "On Ensuring the Uniformity of Measurements".
Manufacturers offer 2 types of household meters:
- budget option - tachometric;
- more expensive - ultrasonic.
Having decided to install a heat meter, the owner needs to order the development of a project that will take into account the technical features of the apartment.
The material will help not to make a mistake in choosing the right device:.
Heat metering devices are divided into industrial and residential. Industrial models are used as general house models.
The cost of purchasing common equipment is shared between the tenants of the house.
In accordance with the provisions of Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of 05/06/2011 No. 354, the presence of a common house meter will allow you to avoid the cost of paying for heat, which did not even enter the building.
Having figured out how to take readings from the heating meter, each resident of an apartment building can check the correctness of the charges.
The volume of heat consumed is measured in different units:
- megawatts,
- gigacalories,
- kilojoules.
Since supplier companies calculate the amount of heat in gigacalories, it is worth choosing the appropriate measuring device. If the meter measures heat in a different value, the consumer should know that 1 Gcal is equal to 4.18 GJ or 1161.1 kWh.
According to clause 31 of the aforementioned Decree, every month from the 23rd to the 25th, a representative of the resource supplying organization either takes data and enters them into the register of readings of common house meters.
The presence of consumers is not required. But each apartment owner has the right to contact the appropriate organization and get acquainted with the information recorded by the meter.
Taking readings from an individual heat meter
Before taking meter readings, you should carefully read the technical documentation, which contains information about the functional features and rules for servicing the equipment.
As a rule, the counters provide the possibility of visual reading of data using the LCD display.
The obtained power consumption values and temperature data are not used for billing with the service provider, but for consumption control.
Various models provide several user levels, the transition between which is carried out by pressing a button. Several data are displayed on the meter display at once, so you should be careful not to make a mistake in what heat meter readings to submit.
There are also more modern heat meters combined with an automation tool. With their help, you can automatically or remotely read the necessary information.
Storage of readings in the archive
According to clause 37 of Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of November 18, 2013 No. 1034 “On commercial metering of heat energy, heat carrier”, the heat energy metering unit is equipped with varieties of metering devices that are included in the Federal Information Fund to ensure the uniformity of measurements, have an indelible archive of the main technical characteristics and tuning coefficients.
Information can be displayed on the scoreboard of the counter or on a computer.
In accordance with this normative act (clause 34), all metering devices are equipped with standard protocols, interfaces for remote data collection, they can be equipped with an hourly, daily, monthly and annual reading archiving module:
- heat consumption and total operating time;
- working and idle time;
- temperature in the pipeline.
Remote transmission of readings
Readings of heat meters in the apartment can be transmitted via the Internet. This possibility is fixed by the provisions of the aforementioned Decree No. 1034. For this, metering devices must have the function of using telemetric systems and the corresponding software.
If there is reason to doubt the reliability of the readings and the correct operation of the heat meter, the consumer or heat supply organization has the right to organize an inspection. In the event of disagreement, it is quite possible to initiate an extraordinary verification of the meter.
Take a sociological survey!
Error logging methods
The following factors influence the accuracy of heat meter readings during the calculation:
- readings of temperature sensors;
- flow sensor data when calculating the volume of the coolant;
- the accuracy of processing the received signals.
As a rule, all modern metering devices are equipped with a self-test program that regularly checks the equipment and registers an error if damage is detected. The most common causes of failures:
- lack of food;
- malfunction of the calculator or temperature regime;
- memory corruption.
According to paragraph 89 of Decree No. 1034, in the event of violations, the consumer is obliged to report this to the service organization within 24 hours. After that, an act is drawn up, which is transferred to the heat supply company.
The amount of thermal energy consumed during the period of equipment failure is determined by calculation.
It is legally established that at least once a year the performance of the heat meter should be checked, namely:
- serviceability of each measurement channel;
- the presence of seals and the validity period of verification;
- allowable measurement range;
- characteristics of the heat meter settings.
Conclusion
Any modern heating device can be equipped with a thermostat and set the temperature to suit the needs of the family or the weather, so residents are willing to install meters. This equipment measures the amount of heat consumed based on data on the consumption of hot water, the temperature at the inlet and outlet of the heating system to the apartment, and registers data for the day, month or year.
After installing the metering device, apartment owners do not have to worry that they will have to compensate for the supplier's costs or heat losses during transportation.
Instructions for taking readings of the heat meter: Video
Lawyer. Member of the Chamber of Advocates of St. Petersburg. Experience more than 10 years. Graduated from St. Petersburg State University. I specialize in civil, family, housing, land law.
