Heat meter

The WESER HEAT METER is a device for measuring and recording heat energy( the amount of heat), the volume of the heat carrier and other parameters of the heat carrier in closed water heating systems The heat meter is used as a means of commercial accounting of heat energy in apartments, individual residential buildings

Heating meters: operating principle, types, installation features

Until recently, most Russians could afford to pay for housing and utilities services, but today utility rates are constantly growing, which is not true of the average salary This is evidenced by the growth of debt on utility bills Installing a heating meter is a good way to save on this item of mandatory expenses, because most of the family money is spent during the heating season

But what savings are provided by devices of the account? What types of heating meters can be found on the market today and can they be installed on their own, or should you entrust this task to a qualified master? Let's look at these questions in order

Optimal solution

A sharp increase in heating bills forces many owners of urban apartments to put metering devices In former times, the demand for such meters was low due to the lack of need for them, but today more and more citizens are trying to save money The growth of their popularity contributes to the uncertainty that tariffs will not increase in the future This concern is justified, because until now, tariffs have only increased from year to year Therefore, the installation of heat meters can be considered a forced measure

The advantage of these devices is that they allow you to pay only for the actual heat consumed at the approved rates This provides additional savings, since when approving tariffs, utilities are guided by current standards, and not by the amount of heat actually consumed

The benefits of installing

In addition to saving money, heat meters have other advantages:

• Individual metering systems make it possible to regulate the volume of the supplied heat carrier If there is an electronic system, the control process is performed in an automated mode

• You can adjust the temperature level in the house This function is especially in demand in the spring, when it is already warm outside and the heated apartment becomes too hot

• These devices allow you to detect failures in the functioning of the heating system (blockages and other malfunctions that lead to an increase in heat consumption, and hence the cost of it)

Kinds

Before you start installing a heat meter, you should find out what types of these metering devices are produced by manufacturers today It should be noted that regardless of the type, all counters contain the following elements:

• detectors;

• meters for the level of heat consumption, pressure and resistance indicators;

• computing equipment for calculating heat consumption

In addition to the listed components, counters may include other components

To date, all heat meters are divided into the following categories:

• Electromagnetic

• Ultrasonic

• Mechanical

• Vortex

According to the scope of use, all heat metering devices are divided into complex house (industrial) and ordinary apartment Let's study them in more detail to understand the specifics of their operation

Electromagnetic

The operation of heat meters used in multi-storey buildings is based on electromagnetic induction Such devices have several magnets that are responsible for creating a magnetic field into which the heat carrier enters We all know from school textbooks that only distilled water can serve as a dielectric, and this degree of purity is unattainable in a conventional heating system Since the liquid coolant in the pipes has other additives, it is a conductor

When a liquid passes through a magnetic field, an electric current appears, the strength of which is directly dependent on the flow rate of the coolant The resulting electric current goes through the cable to the computing device, and given that water consumption is calculated by measuring the difference in current values (they are usually low), such equipment must be installed correctly However, in addition to professional installation, you will also need to follow certain operating rules The heat meter readings will be incorrect if errors were made in the process of connecting it in a multi-storey building, or this will lead to a local increase in resistance at the points where the wires are connected In addition, the accuracy of the readings depends on the presence of iron-containing compounds in the coolant

Despite the listed disadvantages, there are also many advantages of such metering devices The main one is the lack of influence on the flow pressure in the heating system The fact that the measurements of electromagnetic heat meters are quite accurate also contributes to their popularity

Mechanical

This type of device is simple in design and cheap in comparison with competitors The sensor function in them is performed by a rotating component (an impeller or a small turbine) It begins to move under the influence of the coolant flow, as a result of which the volume of water consumed is calculated Most of the mechanical heat meters are equipped with 2 flow meters (one at the input and output), a resistance meter and a heat calculator If necessary, the meters are also equipped with pressure meters

The installation of these devices in the apartment has certain disadvantages:

• You will need to put a filter before the counter

• Significant hydraulic losses are observed, in contrast to other types of meters

• Increased sensitivity to low quality of the heat carrier Experts do not recommend installing such equipment at high water hardness, otherwise scale particles, corrosion and lime deposits will instantly clog the filter or cause the device to break down

Ultrasonic

Ultrasonic heating meters are characterized by high cost and a unique operating principle based on measuring the speed of ultrasound passing through water, taking into account the flow rate of the coolant In other words, the level of heat consumption is calculated taking into account the time interval for which the signal is received from the emitter to the receiver In such counters, it is essential that 2 of these devices are placed exactly 180° from each other Despite the high cost, the popularity of ultrasonic heat meters is very high This is due to their quality, such as a slight or complete lack of pressure reduction in the heating system, since the coolant actually flows without resistance They are also considered high-precision metering devices

Despite these advantages, ultrasonic meters are not without disadvantages:

• their work strongly depends on the quality of the coolant;

• installation requires relatively long sections of pipeline

The presence of dirt and lime deposits can significantly affect the accuracy of the heat meter readings Such equipment is installed on large-section pipes (for example, in boiler rooms)

Vortex

This type of heat meters has an unusual design In them, a prism is located across the flow meter pipe, blocking the path of the coolant flow In the process, vortices arise, the number of which is directly dependent on the speed of passage of the liquid coolant The number of vortices is recorded by sensors located not far from the prism The higher the speed of the circulating fluid, the higher the number of vortices that occur

The key disadvantage of vortex meters is the presence of a prism and high sensitivity to the quality of the coolant The fact is that the presence of an obstacle to the flow of liquid leads to a decrease in pressure in the heating system Perhaps this is why this type of device is not as popular as the others

Apartment heat meters

These high-precision instruments are characterized by a small cross-section of the channel-within 2 cm, the measurement interval-0.6-2.5^m3/ h They are intended for installation not only in apartments with centralized heat supply, but also in private homes with an Autonomous heating system The device always has a heat calculator, and in addition to it, a water meter The measurements take into account the flow rate of the heat carrier, and in addition, the difference between the temperature indicators at the inlet and outlet of the heating circuit The measurement process is carried out as follows: a heat meter is placed on the water meter, from which 2 wiring with temperature sensors are output – one goes to the supply line, and the second to the discharge pipe As a result, the device, receiving the necessary information, performs the appropriate calculations and sets the amount of heat consumed with high accuracy

House heat meters

This type of metering devices is usually installed on industrial facilities and in apartment buildings with a centralized heating system Their design differs little from that of apartment counters Calculation of the amount of heat transfer fluid consumed is carried out in the same way, but for the entire building or a specific entrance These devices are more dimensional, as they have a large cross-section of the channel (about 30 cm) However, this is where the differences end. in other aspects, they are similar, including having the same measuring range

House counters have a number of advantages Of course, their price is much higher than that of individual meters, but since all residents will pay the costs in equal shares, this makes house meters quite affordable for the mass consumer When calculating the readings, the number of people living in the house or entrance will be taken into account The question of installing a house meter is usually considered at a meeting of residents, during which the person responsible for purchasing and installing equipment is selected, as well as raising funds to pay for heat supply

Features of the unit

Installation work is not difficult, so if necessary, you can do it yourself However, you should take care of the paperwork in advance, as required by law First of all, you need to contact the management company with an application for installing a heat meter, since this requires an official permit The application must be attached:

• documents for the apartment;

• technical passport of the living space;

• written consent of other residents (may not be required)

Then you need to get technical specifications (TU) from the company that provides heat supply to the house The technical SPECIFICATION lists various requirements that must be taken into account when installing the meter, including such characteristics of the heat carrier as the temperature and pressure level This will allow you to choose the correct device You need to buy a counter from an organization with a good reputation that can provide a quality certificate

Then you will need to develop a project and prepare technical documentation This task should be assigned to a licensed company When the project is ready, it will be approved by the organization that provides heat to the building Then you can start directly installing the heat meter, which must also be carried out by a licensed organization When the installation work is completed, you will need to enter into a new agreement with the heat supply company due to the change in the tariff In addition, an employee of the management company must seal the meter and sign the acceptance certificate To save time, all these issues can be assigned to a specialized company that collects documents and receives permits, but this service is not cheap

Self-Assembly of

Installation work in the apartment is divided into a number of actions performed in a strict sequence First, the pipeline should be thoroughly flushed to remove blockages and dirt, and only then can the flow element of the meter be installed The device is installed on a pipe (horizontally or vertically), and in a situation where the pipe cross-section does not match the dimensions of the meter channel, you must use adapters The flow part should be placed in such a way that the arrow is directed in the same direction as the coolant flow All connections must be absolutely sealed, and high-quality materials that can handle high pressure are used to seal them

When installing the measuring unit, make sure that there is no water in the heating system Ball valves must be installed before and after the heat meter Then comes the stage of installation of 2 thermal converters: the first is placed in the measuring cartridge, the second-in the sleeve using a special heat-conducting paste The installation is completed by sealing the device and transmitting the acceptance certificate signed by the employee From this point on, payment for heat supply will be made in accordance with the heat meter readings