The time when there was a need to carry water from wells in buckets with a yoke has sunk into oblivion. Now it is brought to every house and apartment. Sooner or later, it becomes necessary to reduce the final amount in the utility bill. In this case, the installation of a water meter will help. But it is advisable in the case when the water consumption is less than the established average housing and communal services.
Before you purchase a water meter, you should decide on its need, compare it with the living area in which it will be located: a summer house, a country house or an apartment within the city. And also deal with the water meter device.
Definition and purpose
The invention for calculating water consumption was invented back in 1851. At that time, the apparatus had a vane structure and a gear mechanism. However, the use of this device began in 1858.
Water meter, or water meter, is a device that measures the amount of fluid consumed per unit of time. All measurements are in cubic meters. Each user independently sees how much water - hot or cold - he consumed over a certain period of time,accordingly, can regulate the process. In the case of installing a water meter, the savings are more than 40%. Installing a meter is not a costly undertaking, but on the contrary, it allows you to save your money.
Water meter: advantages and disadvantages of use
Water meters have several advantages, including:
- No additional charges payable.
- Consumption control.
The disadvantages of the device include:
- A cheap or low-quality meter can only increase the amount in payments, as it will "wind up" additional cubic meters.
- If the seal is damaged, it will be necessary to change the device. Its replacement is a costly and troublesome undertaking. In addition, you will need to pay for downtime at the average rate during the absence of a water meter.
It is important to understand that although the water meter costs a lot, such financial investments pay off with its long service life.
Practical application
Meters for measuring the amount of water consumed are purchased by almost all subscribers of the centralized water supply network. The device of counters of cold water and hot is different. The first can withstand temperatures no more than +40 degrees. The hot water meter device must use materials that can operate over +40 degrees. As a rule, they can be distinguished by sight: blue for cold water, and red for hot water. There may be universal models that are combined into a singleframe. This choice is much cheaper than two separate ones.
Design and principle of operation of water meters
Each of the counters, depending on the design, has its own characteristics:
- The ultrasonic meter works alternately in generator mode. The device of the water meter is based on the acceleration of the wave in the same direction of water, and then in the opposite direction. In this case, the flow rate can be calculated modulo due to the timely difference that is formed through oscillations in order to overcome each of the sections between the sensors.
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Electromagnetic devices work on the principle of electromagnetic induction. In them, the conductor moves in a constant field of the magnet, thus a force is formed, the magnitude of which depends on the speed of the conductor. The role of the water flow in it is very important, since it is the conductor, and the field generated by the inductors acts as a magnetic field.
- Resonance devices work due to the air flow. The internal device of the water meter is based on the rotation of the flow measuring section along one and the second additional channel. As a rule, the frequency of its change depends on the flow rate, and therefore affects the flow rate.
- Vortex devices work due to the element located inside the meter, streamlined with a stream of water. Accordingly, eddies are formed, which are directly dependent on the pressure drop.
Working principlemechanical and tachometric types is to count the exact number of rotations of the impeller located inside the meter and which is rotated by the flow of water. At the same time, the mechanism itself is located separately to avoid moisture getting on it.
Single jet type of instruments
The device of water meters with single-jet mode is based on the principle of measuring the number of revolutions of the impeller, which is rotated by the flow of water in the pipeline. These are dry and single-jet devices. Their advantages lie in the fact that they have a simple design, and are also reliably protected from a magnetic field. Each of the single jet meters has a pulse output that shows remote readings.
Multi-jet
Multi-jet work due to the fact that the liquid, before entering the impeller, is divided into several jets. Thus, it allows minimizing the error. Devices of such a plan have their significant advantages, in particular, their dismantling or installation is not difficult. When checking by regulatory authorities for inspection, it is enough to provide the upper removable part.
Valve valves
The valve meter has a similar layout as the multi-jet meter, but this design can be installed using a valve located inside the meter. Thus, if necessary, it is easy to turn off the water. The advantages of this design are that the installation is not difficult, the part with the indicator is subjected to 360-degree scrolling, and this allows moreconvenient to read the readings from the device.
Turbine
Turbine meters have been known to the world since 1862. These models can be set to account for both hot and cold water consumption. Suitable for water systems of any type, as well as for automatic control systems, regulation of process control. Their installation is carried out at water points in industry, in multi-storey buildings and water utilities.
Saving water has long been recognized as one of the successful methods of reducing costs in Europe. Therefore, the installation of meters is another small contribution to improving the country's ecology.
