The water meter in your house has a different lock. It is not as the lock we use usually. They are barrel locks. Barrel locks can be made at home and are very hard to work with. They are not very easy to operate and use. So in this article, we will be looking at things through which you can take a lock off a water meter.
Steps To Remove The Lock Off The Water Meter
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If you go to the market and purchase the equipment and kits to operating the water meter it will cost you a lot. In this topic, there will be a step-by-step guide on how to take the lock of the water meter.
Total Time: 25 minutes
Step 1: Use A Woodscrew
Selecting the screw for your appliances is so important. Some screws are bigger and some are way smaller. Similarly, it is very crucial to select the perfect screws for your water meter lock. All you need to do is find a screw that fits perfectly with the lock.
The screws should be a woodscrew, that you put on wooden articles. You must have seen artisans installing screws on the wooden surfaces. You need to buy the exact same screws for your water meter lock. It can be completely ready-made or you can customize it according to your need.
Most people think that how can we use screws as water meter removal tools. We will see this in the next part of the article.
Step 2: Find A Suitable Screw
As mentioned in the above article choosing the perfect screw is the most important step. Suitable screws are the perfect screw that is of the exact same size and shape that you want. Screws are difficult to find especially when you have to find a specific shape. Make sure you do not order online, but manually look for the screws that you want in the market.
Step 3: Place The Screw
Now, this step might be a little difficult to do. You may be wondering why is placing a screw difficult? Well, it is easy for normal appliances but for barrel locks, it is a little risky. Do not place the screw directly into the cylinder. Carefully, start placing the screw very slowly. Make sure you feel in the diameters and place the screw accordingly.
Step 4: Rotate The Screws
Now, start rotating the screw. rotate it very gently, as mentioned above. It should be a very slow process as doing it vigorously will surely damage the barrel lock. make sure you feel the screw when it ends the rotation and it is firmly placed at the right position.
Step 5: Release The Screw
It is time to release the screw. The cylinder will also be released which will eventually allow the balls to move. Do not worry as the balls will still be blocked from outward slipping. You can reverse the process if you want to unlock the whole system.
Tools:
- Screwdriver
- Screws
Materials: NA
There are several types of water meter locks. Here are some of them that you can install according to your needs.
Locking Off Meter Barrel Locks
As mentioned in the earlier parts of the article. These locks are different from normal locks. The shape, size is way different from normal. To open a barrel lock is pretty simple. To open a barrel lock you just need to reverse the whole process written in the earlier part of the article. Just push the screw in and you are good to go.
Locking Off Meter Wire Locks
these locks are very flexible and easy to use. As the name suggests these rewired locks with great efficiency. To unlock such locks, you just need to have a meter key with you. Simply you can unlock it with a key. If you are unable to unlock with multiple practices then you can cut the lock with a lock cutter.
Locking Off Meter Ring Locks
these locks are a little difficult to use. Unlike barrel locks, they cannot be locked with screws and rings. However, they have a plastic case for bolts. Ring locks have keys in them and with that, we can open up the ring locks. It is made of plastic, so the amount of safety is not very high.
How Do I Unlock My Water Meter Lid?
It is very easy to unlock your water meter lid. all you need is a couple of things and you are good to go.
Time required: probably less than a minute
Things required: a screwdriver
Procedure: all you need to do is place the screwdriver inside the whole space. It is there in every lid. now gently push the lid outwards. Do this process with a slow hand and be gentle with the lid. The lid will be opened up in no time.
How Do You Remove Water Meter Box Cover?
It is extremely easy to open remove a water meter box cover. We will show you how.
Time required: it will require 3-4 minutes.
Things required: screwdriver
Try to open it with your hands. Put one hand on the cover and another on the valve. If this does not works then you can put the screwdriver in between the valve and the cover and try to open it that way. Remember, always use a flat head screwdriver.
Penalty For Cutting The Lock Off Water Meter
Well, this is something that every one of us should be knowing. That cutting the lock off a water meter asks for a penalty. Yes, according to the law it is illegal to cut the lock off. It is not necessary that the accused should be caught during the incident. The penalty asks for a big fine or imprisonment. It is also said that if you have instructed or asked a person to do. So then also there is a penalty and imprisonment for you. Make sure that you do not do any kind of activity that is illegal as it not only affects us but also the community.
Final Talk
At last, we would like to conclude that taking a lock off the water meter requires patience and time. You just need to follow a couple of steps and you are good to go. Every possible question and query regarding the lock-off is mentioned in the article. We discussed opening and closing the lid,. Gas meter lock, and some precautions that one must follow. We request you to read the entire article before starting the process. We hope that this article will definitely help you to solve your problems with the water meter.
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