DPCED Building Inspection Weights & Measures Timing Devices

Timing Devices

The City of Madison's weights and measures inspection unit monitors timing devices at laundromats and car wash businesses. The laws that govern these devices are based on Handbook 44 requirements. Handbook 44 is a manual developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and approved by the National Weights and Measures Conference, which provide codes for devices.

Timing devices have specific codes that they must meet to be considered legal. This is an overview of those codes and what is expected as a business owner in the City of Madison.

During an inspection we look for specific items that are required per the handbook. As expected, we verify the timing of the devices to ensure they are within the required tolerances. We also make sure the in-service indicators are operational and only operate when the device is running.

While at the site we check for specific signage requirements on the device or at the business. Self-service facilities that do not have a full time attendant must have the following items. There must be a name, address and phone number of the responsible party posted at site. There must be a refund mechanism available at the site. This mechanism should include instructions on how a customer will receive a refund when a product or service is paid for and not obtained.

The final item that we look for is the statement of rates on each device. The signage must state the price in terms of money per unit or units of time and the number of coins that the device will accept at one time. This needs to be prominently displayed on each device.

Last Updated: 03/27/2012