We had it turned off last year hot water V summer period. The situation is standard for our country, but the fact is that our water was turned on not after 2 weeks, but after a month. We are afraid that the situation will repeat this year. Tell me what residents should do in such cases? Do we have to pay for hot water during this time?
Yes, you are right, turning off hot water in the summer is already a common situation. Unfortunately, such an unkind tradition has taken root in almost all cities of the country. But, paradoxically, the shutdowns are carried out for the benefit of the residents themselves. At this time, the strength of pipelines and their elements is checked, defects are identified and eliminated, and the quality of the repairs is assessed. It is thanks to these works that continuous supply is ensured. hot water within a year.
But, of course, summer shutdowns must comply with sanitary and epidemiological requirements. And they provide for the following permissible duration of interruption in hot water supply:
- 8 hours (total) for one month;
- 4 hours at a time;
- in case of an accident on a dead-end highway - 24 hours;
- during the period of annual preventive maintenance - no more than 14 days.
DO I NEED TO PAY?
During the period when hot water is turned off, you, of course, do not need to pay for it. And if utilities have exceeded the permissible shutdown period, then the consumer has the right to compensation. So, for each hour of excess the amount of payment for billing period decreases by 0.15%.
- § Clause 4 of Appendix No. 1 to the Rules for the provision of utility services to owners and users... (approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 6, 2011 No. 354)
It has become a tradition for summer time to switch off. There is no longer a single city in our country where such actions are not practiced. Therefore, you need to understand the basic rules associated with this process.
Why is the hot water turned off?
In every city there are organizations that are responsible for resolving this issue. Let's take Moscow as an example.
The Moscow United Energy Company is an enterprise that deals with this issue in the capital. This organization employs employees responsible for preparing heating systems for the upcoming season. That same prevention includes set of scheduled maintenance work. They are carried out at small boiler houses, on the territory of block and district thermal stations.
These works have their own characteristics:
- It all starts with conducting a manual examination.
- The next step is to start the water high pressure. In this case, it is 25 percent more than usual.
- Holes are found even if they are not visible underground.
Turning off the water is necessary so that the equipment can be prepared for autumn-winter, when the system experiences maximum load. During the shutdown, the following activities are carried out:
- Relocation of heating networks.
- Repair.
- Diagnostics.
- Strength tests.
- Technical examination.
- The equipment is being replaced with something more modern and more reliable.
For how long and when?
The law separately establishes a period that cannot be exceeded when carrying out repair work. It is equal to 21 days. The schedule of shutdowns and the implementation of these works is agreed upon between local authorities. And it is individually developed for each region. If at least part of the project is not on time, this is considered an emergency.
If this happens, legal proceedings begin at the highest level.
What is happening in other countries?
Let's start with Ukraine. There, water shutoffs are mandatory. And the time frame is usually the same, up to two or three weeks. In Germany, heating is also quite expensive. But in this country they do without such a procedure.
In Germany they generally try to save as much as possible. In Belgium there is also no disconnection procedure. Both hot and cold water are available all year round. At the same time, each house chooses its own water supply system. Disconnection is possible only in case of repairs. But this does not last more than a few hours a day. In France, there is no heating or hot water.
Every house has boilers, electric or gas. There are other features for those who live abroad:
- In the UK They do not supply hot water as such. Everyone has a boiler that requires gas and electricity. They are disconnected from the resource only if there is no payment for it.
- Residents New York also not familiar with shutdowns.
- They don't do this in Israel, Armenia. Each has its own water distribution system. And your own cost calculation schemes.
How can I find out that the water will be turned off at a specific address?
If there is no notice hanging in the entrance, then the first organization you should contact is, or the homeowners association. Or another company responsible for managing the house.
In the case of an HOA, the easiest way to find out the phone number is by contacting the chairman of the community. Or see the contacts on the receipt according to which the apartment resident pays for utilities.
One option is to call representatives of the emergency dispatch service. They often give their contact information at the entrance, or somewhere nearby.
What to do if disconnected without warning?
The Vodokanal call center is the first place you should contact. But not in all situations they will be able to help there. In each city this organization has its own official website, for example, in Moscow.
It's better to drive into search engine“city water canal + city name.” The official website will appear in one of the first results.
Do not disturb Vodokanal in the following cases:
- For example, in the presence of private networks. Vodokanal employees are responsible only for those networks that are listed on the balance sheet. But there are communications that were laid privately for some time and were not transferred to the balance sheet of this organization. Then the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the network owners themselves.
- There is another situation in which claims should not be made against Vodokanal. This is when renovation work carried out by the management company. Then it's better to contact them. In each city and house they have their own contacts. It is best to seek help from the chairmen management company, they are usually nearby.
Responsibility for resolving the issue
If Vodokanal is still responsible, the law sets clear deadlines within which the work must be completed. They depend on the diameter of the pipelines and the nature of the damage. Standard deadlines are 4-24 hours.
When there is no water for too long, residents have the right to file a claim with Vodokanal. The application can be submitted either to the resource supplier or to Vodokanal itself. In the first case, you need to go to the website of the utility services working with the house. And find the details of companies supplying resources. The claim is written in their name.
How to solve problems associated with lack of hot water?
Installing a water heater in an apartment is one of the most affordable ways to solve this issue. Nowadays many models are produced, with various operating schemes. Their use becomes as comfortable as possible in any conditions. There are compact varieties that can even be transported to the country.
Water can be heated by gas, electric stoves. This is not the most convenient way. But this is the only solution for those who do not want to use additional devices in principle.
Another suitable solution is a boiler. Many problems are eliminated with modern dishwashers, washing machines. They do not need hot water, they can work in cold water. You can also use regular electric kettle, if water needs to be heated in small quantities.
Which boiler to choose, what parameters to look at?
The two main types of water heaters are instantaneous and water storage. From the names it is already easy to understand what the essence of the work is. The main thing is to remember that the cumulative variety is considered the best in many respects. They heat the water to high temperatures, but energy and the liquid itself are spent on this much less.
This solution will be ideal for owners ordinary apartments, private houses.
Types of devices by material
The internal part of storage water heaters is made of different materials. They may be:
- Titanium. Or rather, using spraying based on this material. Such tanks are practically eternal. But they are little in demand on the market due to their high price.
- Glass porcelain. Also quite an expensive option. But it is more resistant to corrosion, even with constant contact with water. But the material can't withstand harsh mechanical damage, strong changes in temperature level.
- From stainless steel. With relative stability, affordable price on the market. But sudden changes in temperature can lead to the formation of microcracks on the surface. Therefore, it is better not to set the heating mode to maximum.
Volume. Does it matter?
The volume is chosen depending on where the device is mounted and how many people use it.
The capacity of boilers varies: from 30 to 500 liters. According to scientists, about 60-80 liters of water are consumed by the average family of 4 people. The larger the volume, the more electricity the device consumes.
Properly turn off the water heater
To resolve this issue, follow a few simple steps.
- The boiler is disconnected from the power outlet. Then you need to use up the remaining water and let it cool.
- Admission cold water closed to avoid refilling the water heater with other liquid. We stretch a rubber hose onto the pipe through which hot water flows. The other end of the hose goes into the sewer.
- The drain valve is unscrewed after the safety valve is unscrewed.
- We go to the mixer, turn off the hot water tap. Then the boiler tank will not develop a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. First, air will be sucked into the water heater. And then the water will be discharged, with the participation of the valve. The water pours out unevenly, in small portions.
- Water from the boiler flows through a hose into the sewer. After this you need to blow into the hose. The main thing is the absence of any extraneous sounds. The hot water supply hose on the water supply side is unscrewed.
- The boiler is carefully removed from the wall when all the hot water has gone.
What types of heating elements are used?
Heating elements are needed to heat water inside boilers. Modern models are equipped with two types of such devices.
- Wet.
- Dry.
Dry heating elements are a device placed inside a protective tube. The tube itself can be ceramic or mineral, glass. Compared to wet heating elements, dry ones are considered more reliable because they are better resistant to corrosion. But they are also known for their high cost.
Wet models are also called submersible. Because they are placed directly in the liquid. Such devices appearance reminiscent of the boilers that everyone once used. These structures often break down and are destroyed by corrosion.
The heating elements are equipped with special sacrificial anodes, which increases the protection of the structure. Because of this, corrosion elements are oxidized and destroyed inside. The same thing happens with salt deposits. There are other additional details:
- A thermometer that serves as a temperature indicator.
- Thermostat that regulates temperature conditions.
About other features of storage boilers
- 2 kW – optimal power for a water heater with only one element. The water will heat up quickly, and you won’t have to bother with laying wires to provide energy.
- Heating elements with a larger area boast greater heat output. And they have less scale per 1 square centimeter.
Protection and boiler control systems are conventionally divided into microprocessor and classical ones. The microprocessor category includes devices equipped with thermostats. In addition to the main such device, the design has an additional one for adjusting operation in any modes. Such heaters have a good operating system, but their reliability suffers seriously. The board fails too quickly if the temperature fluctuates from one level to another. At home, repairs are almost impossible. This scheme is too complicated.
The housing is needed to accommodate all the elements of the water heater. Characteristics such as material, color and design practically do not matter. Each user chooses what he likes best. The thermal insulation and thickness of the device deserve special attention. You should not take devices whose thickness is less than 35 millimeters. Otherwise, additional energy costs will arise later. Instantaneous water heaters more compact. And they can be installed in any place where there is a cable with the appropriate cross-section.
Why hot water is turned off - more details in the video
Why are annual scheduled shutdowns of hot water carried out?
It's over heating season in Krasnoyarsk 2019
from July 1, the thermal power plant and other boiler houses will stop supplying heat to residents of Krasnoyarsk. Planned repair work and summer operation will begin.
This year, hot water will be turned off for a maximum of 10 days.
Below, see the hot water shutdown schedule in Krasnoyarsk, by city district:
Zheleznodorozhny district
Will be disabled: entire area
Water cut off: from July 1 to July 10
Kirovsky district
Will be disabled: entire area
Water cut off
Leninsky district
Organization: Heat networks from OJSC "Krasnoyarsk CHPP 1" and the company's station
Will be disabled: entire area
Water cut off: from the date of disconnection heating season for 9 days
Oktyabrsky district
Organization: Heating networks from the branch "Krasnoyarsk CHPP 2"
Will be disabled: entire area
Water cut off: from July 1 to July 10
Sverdlovsk district
Organization: Heating networks from JSC Krasnoyarsk CHPP 1
The following will be disabled: part of the area up to Zatonskaya Street and (Vodniki microdistrict)
Water cut off: from the date of shutdown of the heating season for 9 days
Water cut off: from July 1 to July 10
Organization: Heating networks from the branch "Krasnoyarsk CHPP 2"
Will be disabled: part of Sovetskoye (Belinskogo Street)
Water cut off: from July 1 to July 10
Organization: Heating networks from the branch "Krasnoyarsk CHPP 3" of OJSC "Yenisei TGC (TGC-13)"
The following will be disabled: Green Grove, Vzletka microdistrict, Severny residential areas, st. Krasnodar, microdistrict "First Innokentyevsky", "Second Innokentyevsky" (S. Lazo St.), "Third Innokentyevsky" (3rd August St.) and part of Metallurgov Ave.
Water cut off: from June 17 to July 25
Central region
Organization: Heating networks from the Krasnoyarsk CHPP 2 branch of OJSC Yenisei TGC (TGC-13)
Will be disabled: most of the area
Water cut off: from July 1 to July 10
Organization: Heating networks from the Krasnoyarsk CHPP-3 branch
Will be disabled: Pokrovsky microdistrict
Water cut off: from June 17 to July 25