Apator meters in a flat: what matters when you swap one
Apator Powogaz is a Polish water meter maker, and its meters are a common sight in Warsaw blocks. Some are purely mechanical with digits on the dial; others take an add-on module for radio reading.
In a block of flats the meter usually belongs to the housing cooperative or owners’ association, not to you. So before buying anything, ask the office whether they do the replacement themselves or leave it to residents. If it is up to you, ask which meter type they want and whether it needs the radio module. The wrong model may not work with the system they read meters through.
The new meter has to fit the old spot: same fitting length, same thread. There is an arrow on the body showing flow direction. A meter fitted backwards counts wrong or not at all, and the office will make you turn it round anyway.
Watch the colour as well. A hot water meter usually has red markings and a cold one blue, and they are not interchangeable. If both are being swapped, have the plumber note which sits on which pipe before anything comes off.
Rather hand the job over? More here: plumber in Warsaw.
Where it usually goes wrong
- Buying the meter before talking to the office, then finding out they need a different model with radio.
- No photo of the old meter and its reading. Without it, settling the last billing period gets awkward.
- A valve before the meter that won’t close fully. Common in older blocks, and then the whole riser has to be shut off, which goes through the office.
- Reusing old washers on the nuts. A new meter on old rubber starts dripping within a week.
- Forgetting the seal. The office may treat an unsealed meter as unregistered.
What to sort out first
- Photograph the dial of the old meter showing its number and reading.
- Agree a sealing date with the office and, if needed, a time to shut the riser.
- Clear access: take off the inspection hatch, empty the cupboard.
- Take a close-up showing the nuts and the valve next to the meter.
How to book the installation
- Describe in the app how many meters you are replacing, hot or cold water, and add photos.
- Plumbers send bids with their own price, date and a short message. Until you choose, you talk in the app chat.
- You pick one by price, rating and reviews. Phone number and address are shown only after that.
- Once the job is done you pay the plumber directly, and he issues the invoice.
The meter itself, new valves if the old ones are past it, and taking the old meter away are paid on top of the labour. Whoever made the connections answers for keeping them tight and redoes his own fitting. The riser pipes and the building’s valves are not his responsibility.
Never undo a meter with the valve still open, even if it looks like the water is “barely running”.
Order in the app
Describe the job, add photos and the address. Tradespeople send their own prices and dates, and you pick one of the offers.
Open the app
