Electric power counters for energy saving have for the first time begun to be used in the eighties the nineteenth century. Today the line of electric meters was filled up with more modern models of electromechanical, electrolytic and electronic programmable counters with liquid crystal indicators. What effective life at electric power counters and when they need to be replaced?
Types of electric meters
Electric power counters as action are divided into induction and electronic devices. Induction devices work at magnetic induction which sets magnetic conductor and the reporting device of the device in motion at the expense of the proceeding current. Features of induction counters is weak protection against plunder, limited additional functions, the increased own consumption and low class of accuracy.
Electronic counters are devices which are equipped with the shunt serving as the current sensor and also chip of the payment intended for collecting indications and their conclusion to the reporting screen. Features of such counters – possibility of multitariff accounting, high class of accuracy and saving data on consumption of power.
Reliable and inexpensive induction counters were widely used in the twentieth century – today they are succeeded by exact electronic counters.
Today housing and communal services in planned and mass order replace old electric meters in houses. It is connected with the fact that people began to buy power-intensive household appliances – microwaves, conditioners, electric stoves, washing machines and other equipment which overloads household electric meters and can cause ignition.
Effective life of electric meters
The term of the maximum operation of the electric meters having class of the accuracy 1.0 and 2.0 is no more than sixteen years from the moment of their release. Operation of counters of class of accuracy 2.5 is allowed before the termination of term of the state checking (definition of errors of counters by special metrological service).
It is forbidden to change the electric meter without notice of the organization of power sale – it is necessary to call her representative who will grant permission for installation of the new device.
Average life cycle of electric meters, according to the passport data specified by manufacturer makes thirty years. It is necessary to replace them in case they have exhausted the value, and the term of their service has already expired. Remember that replacement of the device measuring quantity of the consumed electric power and installed in premises which are the property of the consumer is carried out exclusively at his expense. This rule concerns not only city apartments, but also private households.