Recently, I was replacing an elderly woman's water meter. I had to sweat a lot. Brass products, a nut and a counter have become attached to each other. I had to pretend to be a houdini, get up in various poses in order to take hold of the key well and make not feeble efforts on the parts to be removed.
The nuts in such positions did not loosen at all. I had to unscrew the water meter together with the fittings.
Even on the floor, in a free position, such a water meter made me sweat. As a result, the nut unscrewed from the counter.
And what do you think, the usual routine work. No! Sometimes such interesting cases come across. This time, a special gasket appeared before me, intentionally or accidentally mounted in front of the water meter.
-So what? gasket as gasket, AN NO! She's homemade. With a small hole in the center. There are two assumptions why they did it this way:
- Option one. The plumber installing the water meter has wiped off the gasket. Which most likely jumped out of my hands and rolled behind the toilet or bath. This has happened to me more than once. And so as not to waste time wiping floors with your belly in search of rubber goods. Decides to hastily cut the gasket out of what was. At the same time, he does not bother and makes a hole in the center. It is a hole, not a hole (explanation for clever people in the comments).
- Option two. The plumber is aware of the features of the metering devices. Cuts the required tapered gasket. Installs it at the entrance to the water meter. And independently makes registration of the counter. The landlord doesn't see the catch. Thus, a higher consumption rate is set for tenants.
I draw the attention of readers that at the exit from the meter there was a regular gasket without narrowing the flow area
How it works? If you do not go into details, then the installed gasket in front of the water meter should not affect the passage of water, but only serve to seal the water meter. In the passports of water meters, the installation diagram is always indicated. There are clear rules. And this is done so that the flow of water calmly, without unnecessary eddies, passes through the impeller. Thus, the device will count accurately.
I will not be unfounded, here is a screenshot from the passport of the Valtek meter, where it is written in black and white that the increased consumption may be due to an incorrect gasket.
Tapered gasket increases meter readings by up to 10 percent. This has been tested on a special verification machine. Check the work of the plumbers from the management company, perhaps they deliberately put such gaskets so that the authorities put the difference in their insatiable pocket.
I hope the article was interesting, like the plumbing.
From SW. Timofey Mikhailov.