Is it possible to refuse heating in an apartment building?

Criterias of choice

To successfully select a suitable generator to be used at home or cottage, first determine the following questions:

1. Required device power. Determined by a preliminary calculation of the expected load, which is calculated by summing the power of devices (up to 10 or more) that can be connected to the station simultaneously.
2. Output voltage (220 or 380V). Determined depending on the requirements for the equipment or instrument that will power the station.
3. What electrical appliances will the generator power (the stability of the output parameters matters).
4. How often will it be used? When using the device as a backup power source, and when operating for a relatively short period of time, it is better to use a gas generator. A diesel device can also easily cope with this, but for short-term use it is less preferable.
5. What resource does the device have? Generators with a short service life (500 operating hours) are lightweight, mobile and have a low price. It is quite suitable if its inclusions are short-lived. When operating the device for more than 7-10 hours, you should choose an engine with a long service life. Typically, for continuous operation of the device for a long time, and when sufficient power is required (more than 10 kW), a diesel generator is installed, which has a long service life, reliability, efficiency, and stable output voltage.
6. How important is the noise level during operation of the device.

If a generator is required only to compensate for the lack of light several times a year, then its purchase will not be advisable from the point of view of saving money. In such cases, food in a dacha can be prepared on a camping gas burner, the phone can be charged from the car cigarette lighter, and the food can be stored outside (power outages occur mainly in winter), or you can purchase a cheap inverter option.

When permission from other residents is not needed

There is no need to obtain owner permission if the elements of the central heating system have not previously been identified as common property of the building. In this case, the approval of other residents of the house is not required. Of course, even here we do not mean unauthorized shutdown. It will be necessary to obtain permission from organizations competent in this matter.

Any intervention in central engineering networks requires changes to the technical documentation. Section III of the technical passport of an apartment building must contain detailed data on heating systems. Any intervention in the system - dismantling radiators, installing additional equipment - requires mandatory changes to the technical passport, since the law defines such actions as reconstruction.

It is easier to turn off the heating if the residents of the entire house express such a desire. Then the procedure is carried out by reconstructing the general water circuit of the house. To implement such a project, the consent of the general meeting of homeowners and project documentation that has passed all the necessary approvals will be required.

Is it possible to turn off the central heating supply in a separate apartment?

The question of whether it is possible to refuse heating in a single MKD apartment raises a lot of controversy. The highest courts have been involved in his decision more than once. The crux of the debate lies in the impact of turning off any circuit on the entire heating system, which means that other residents may suffer. As a result, the answer to this question sounds affirmative, but the refusal is accompanied by the solution of a number of technical and legal nuances.

Technical nuances

The central heating system of an MKD is a rather complex, unified network, including common risers, pipelines, shut-off valves, and control devices.

If in such a complex one simply cuts off one of the elements, i.e. apartment network, this can disrupt the functioning of the entire system. The distribution of coolant flows, pressure in the pipeline and water temperature change. Such influences are especially noticeable in apartment buildings built more than 20 years ago.

Thus, the first technical problem is to prevent the heating in other apartments from deteriorating when one consumer is disconnected . Only specialists can assess the degree of influence, which means that the involvement of professionals is required.

One more nuance needs to be taken into account. In the vast majority of heating system schemes, it is impossible to completely eliminate contact between the apartment being switched off and the central heating system. Only the branch is disconnected, i.e. internal radiators and connections to them. The riser and return line remain in place. They will continue to give off some of the heat as they cross the room.

This additional energy loss must be paid by the apartment owner, even after turning off the heating.

The technical challenges of eliminating central heating require the following steps:

• development and approval of draft changes;
• disconnection of a separate apartment from the general network by a special team;
• making changes to the technical passport of the MKD heating system.

You cannot carry out pipe cutting work yourself.

Legal aspects

The legislation of the Russian Federation does not provide for direct prohibitions on the refusal of central heating, and any owner has the right to such an action.

However, since 2011, Law No. 190-FZ “On Heat Supply” has become the fundamental document regulating the relationship between heat supply organizations and consumers.

Refusal of central heating, in any case, involves dismantling radiators and pipes, installing plugs and other technical measures. All this falls under Article 25 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, which relates them to the reconstruction of residential premises.

Changes to Chapter 4 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation and the provisions of the Town Planning Code are regulated. They must be carried out in accordance with the current Laws of the Russian Federation and coordinated with local governments.

The competent authority issues a permit only if the changes do not significantly disrupt the heat supply system of the apartment building. If the house has a circuit designed only for central heating, then switching to individual sources is not allowed, but abandoning it is possible only by turning off the radiators.

The safety of changes in the apartment heating system must be confirmed by sanitary and epidemiological services, and alternative heat sources must have a fire safety certificate, a certificate of conformity and permission from Rostechnadzor.

Selecting a heating device connection diagram

The autonomous heating circuit must be arranged in a horizontal pattern, that is, pipes from device to device will need to be pulled through the entire apartment. With this in mind, the traditional two-pipe system, which is usually located in plain sight, may not be to the liking of many.

Since an apartment heating circuit is usually small, it is quite possible to make it single-pipe - then the pipe can be laid in a hidden way.

On short circuits, the disadvantages of a single-pipe circuit are almost invisible. The ideal option is a collector or beam circuit. It allows you to lay pipes in a hidden way, while the heat is distributed evenly between the radiators.

Is it possible to refuse heating if the apartment is on the top floor?

For apartments on the top floor it is almost impossible to refuse heating. There is a small chance for those apartments that do not have a main valve installed. As a rule, it is in one apartment of each entrance. For other apartments on the top floors, much depends on the layout of the system. But be prepared that the likelihood of getting permission to disconnect is extremely low, since the pipes are filled from the top floors. And completely redesigning the entire house system will be very expensive, even if it turns out to be technically possible.

What's next

What equipment is best to choose if you are going to install autonomous heating yourself?

Boiler

The optimal choice in terms of efficiency and ease of use is a condensing boiler with a storage water heater.

Why him?

• The condensing circuit is more economical: it increases the boiler efficiency by 9-11% compared to classic gas boilers.
• The storage water heater guarantees a stable hot water temperature. Anyone who has ever used a flow-through gas water heater will understand the meaning of the recommendation: trying to take a shower results in a continuous struggle with the mixer.

Condensing boiler with built-in boiler.

A typical modern boiler is equipped with at least a safety group - an air vent, a pressure gauge and a safety valve. Sometimes its design also includes an expansion tank; in other cases, a membrane tank with a capacity of 10% of the total capacity of the circuit is mounted at any point in the autonomous system.

Pipes

The most practical solution is aluminum-reinforced polypropylene. Reinforcement does not so much increase the strength of the pipes (it is already excessive for an autonomous circuit), but rather reduces thermal expansion.

Batteries

Our choice is sectional aluminum radiators. They combine low cost with decent appearance and excellent heat dissipation (about 200 watts per section). Each radiator is equipped with a valve at the inlet, a throttle or thermal head at the outlet and an air vent in one of the upper plugs.

The photo shows an installed radiator.

When permission from other residents is not needed

There is no need to obtain owner permission if the elements of the central heating system have not previously been identified as common property of the building. In this case, the approval of other residents of the house is not required. Of course, even here we do not mean unauthorized shutdown. It will be necessary to obtain permission from organizations competent in this matter.

Any intervention in central engineering networks requires changes to the technical documentation. Section III of the technical passport of an apartment building must contain detailed data on heating systems. Any intervention in the system - dismantling radiators, installing additional equipment - requires mandatory changes to the technical passport, since the law defines such actions as reconstruction.

It is easier to turn off the heating if the residents of the entire house express such a desire. Then the procedure is carried out by reconstructing the general water circuit of the house. To implement such a project, the consent of the general meeting of homeowners and project documentation that has passed all the necessary approvals will be required.

Is it possible to refuse central heating?

The legislation does not provide a clear answer to this issue. On the one hand, owners are free to choose the range of services they receive from utility and service organizations. On the other hand, the heating plant is part of the common property, which means that unauthorized changes to its design are unacceptable. You will need to obtain permits, their approval, etc. The issue is easier to resolve in the private sector, but it is more difficult legally and technically to complete this step in an apartment building.

The costs of disconnecting and reorganizing the heating network will fall on the shoulders of the subscriber who wishes to disconnect.

Debt collection for heating

Debt collection for housing and communal services is an integral part of the work of management companies, HOAs and RSOs. However, it is difficult to understand the nuances of the procedure on your own. Management companies, before using radical measures to turn off heating, are required to comply with the pre-trial format for resolving the dispute.

First of all, a notice of the presence of arrears is sent - as a rule, the text is indicated on the payment receipt. If there is no payment from the owner, a claim is filed.

In addition to the required details, the text of the document contains the following information:

• legal grounds for claims;
• legal consequences in the form of accrual of penalties in accordance with Article No. 155 of Part No. 14 of the Housing Code of Russia.

In this case, the debtor can react in different ways - ignoring, counterclaiming, complaining about the absence of batteries in the apartment, etc. In each situation, experts recommend consulting with a lawyer about the legality of the requirements of the Criminal Code or RSO.

But if the claim is legitimate, then the debt should be paid in order to avoid litigation, since by decision of the authorities the company has the right to forcibly collect the arrears.

Statute of limitations

An example of calculating heating fees according to PP 354.
When a debt collector goes to court against the owner of an apartment with a debt, he must comply with the limitation period. This period is 3 years from the date of the last payment. In this case, for each payment the time is calculated separately. If the plaintiff misses the specified period, the defendant has the right to file a petition to apply the statute of limitations.

Collection of heating arrears from pensioners and orphans

The Russian Housing Code does not provide for exemption from utility bills for pensioners and orphans. Article No. 155, clause No. 11 of the Housing Code also establishes that non-use of an apartment is not grounds for non-payment of bills. Elderly persons have the right to apply to social authorities to receive benefits in the amount of 50% of the amount of receipts for housing and communal services.

On 04/06/19, Russian Government Order No. 656-r came into force, which, along with Federal Law No. 48, regulates that representatives of orphans are obliged to take steps to preserve the housing of the ward. Thus, the guardian must take care of the child’s property and prevent its value from decreasing.

Additionally, a representative of a minor has the right to facilitate the extraction of profit from such property. Consequently, payment for heating and other utilities is carried out at the expense of the child’s income. Debt collection proceeds in the standard manner.

If the heating is turned off ahead of schedule

In winter, it is forbidden to turn off the heat in houses. Failure to pay for housing and communal services is not grounds for ending the heating season.

Government Decree No. 354 of 2011 indicates that the supply of water and heat is provided regardless of payment for these services.

valid reasons for temporarily stopping the supply of a resource in the middle of the season . For example, this is a serious breakdown of networks. At the same time, emergency shutdown must meet the requirements of the above Resolution.

This act establishes the following deadlines:

• if the room temperature is set within 12-18 °C - the maximum shutdown duration is 16 hours;
• at a temperature of 10-12 °C – 8 hours;
• when the room is 8-10 °C – 4 hours.

Immediately after stopping the heat supply, you need to draw up a report recording the temperature in the apartment. The cost of housing and communal services for hours while there was no heating is subject to compensation. In this case, payment is made for each hour of absence of heat.

Important! Residents should immediately contact utility services and call employees, otherwise temperature recording will not be legal. The document is generated in 2 copies.

If heat is not supplied within the established time frame, the citizen can contact the management company or the housing inspectorate. If there is no response to the appeal, residents turn to higher authorities.

Decision is made. How to disconnect from the heating plant

In this case, it is necessary to build on the provisions set out in the “Rules for the provision of services for centralized water and heat supply”, which are approved by the Government Resolution. In accordance with the rules, you have the right to refuse the services of the energy company in the supply of heat and hot water. The refusal procedure is based on the provisions of the existing agreement between the apartment owner and the heat supplier company. Any contract can be terminated. True or fictitious reasons for terminating a contract for the supply of hot water and heating can always be found. Today, most companies operating in the heat supply market systematically violate contractual terms, not to mention neglecting existing sanitary norms and rules.

If you decide to abandon centralized heating, then you will find the following:

• carry out, at your own expense and on your own, the re-equipment of the system to provide adjacent residential premises with heating and hot water supply in full;
• carry out work to restore normal operation of ventilation and drainage systems in adjacent apartments.

All work is provided for by the relevant SNiPs (41-01-2003, 23-02-2003 and 31-01-2003). It is prohibited to carry out technical work without the consent of neighbors and other residents of your home.

Industry Orders and Directives become a significant obstacle to realizing your desire to become independent from service providers.

This situation is a widespread phenomenon and significantly limits our legal rights to dispose of our property. We become dependent on the wishes of other homeowners in an apartment building, who are satisfied with the state of things, and they do not intend to make changes to the existing situation for various reasons. If you seek protection of your owner's rights through the court, there is a chance to win the case, however, this procedure can take a lot of time. Arguments for refusing to issue a disconnection permit may include technical reasons that explain the impossibility of carrying out disconnection work without disrupting the functionality of the entire central heating and hot water supply system.

Heat suppliers are monopolists in the heat supply market, who try by all means to maintain their sphere of influence over the housing stock.

Reasons

In 2021, you can make a claim to the management company even if there is a complete absence of heat, or if the heating is weak.

There are established sanitary standards for temperature in residential premises, which heating suppliers must adhere to. What are these standards?

• In living rooms the temperature must be maintained at 18 degrees. If the room is corner, it should be at least 20 degrees.
• The kitchen must also be at least 18 degrees .
• The norm for a bathroom is 25 degrees Celsius.
• There are also temperature standards in non-residential premises.

When the operation of the heating system cannot provide such comfort, this is a reason to draw up a statement regarding the poor quality of the service and recalculate the payment for heat. Apartment residents can first measure the temperature in different rooms themselves; if it does not correspond to the norm, they should call a commission from the management company or housing office to confirm this fact.

ATTENTION! Such a commission will draw up a report on the absence of heat, on cold radiators; on the basis of this report, a recalculation of payments for heating should be made. And the service provider must correct the defect and ensure compliance with all temperature standards.

The act must be drawn up in the presence of housing office employees, but in order for them to arrive on site (or at least one of the employees), a letter must be drawn up to the Criminal Code.

Technical aspects of the issue

Having received the necessary permits, you can begin the technical implementation of the project. Dismantling of elements of the old heating system should only be carried out by specialists. Of course, you can cut the batteries yourself, but it’s better not to risk it. After dismantling the old system, all that remains is to install autonomous heating. In general, the implementation of such a project is no different from the installation of boiler equipment in country houses and cottages.

Despite the fact that such work, as a rule, does not cause difficulties, you should know a few nuances regarding the installation of heating systems specifically in apartments:

• To install autonomous heating in apartments, as a rule, wall-mounted boiler equipment is used. Such a boiler is located above the level of the radiators, so it is impossible to ensure natural circulation of coolant in the system.
• There are two ways to ensure forced circulation - by installing a circulation pump or a modern boiler, in the body of which all the necessary elements are already installed. These are pumping equipment, a safety group and an expansion tank. The second method is preferable.
• The type of boiler must comply with the law, that is, have a closed combustion chamber and automatic safety systems. The coolant temperature should be no more than 95 degrees, and the pressure in the system should be no more than 1 MPa.
• It is better to choose aluminum radiators for autonomous systems. They are not only reliable, but also have good heat dissipation. Plastic pipes are well suited for the piping system - they are inexpensive and easy to install.
• The wiring is selected based on the characteristics of the apartment. It is easier and cheaper to make a single-pipe Leningrad wiring with parallel connection of radiators. The optimal type of wiring from an operational point of view is radial, but it cannot always be implemented in apartments with low ceilings, since the floor will have to be raised.

When disconnecting a separate apartment from central utility networks, it is not always possible to completely redo the wiring. In most cases, it is not possible to shut off the riser, so only radiators can be disconnected from the circuit. This method of disconnection has its own nuances. The apartment will still receive heat from the sun loungers and risers of the central system, and you will have to pay for it. The presence of common water circuit pipes in an apartment is always considered residual heating, and by law you must pay for it. This problem does not happen in houses where risers were originally installed in the entrance. In practice, such a water circuit does not occur very often.

Radiators can be connected with or without bypass. In the first case, the coolant will circulate through the bypass, which allows you to turn off some of the batteries. Such systems have proven themselves well with single-pipe wiring with parallel connection of radiators. After all, a reduction in the number of the latter leads to an increase in the temperature of the coolant in the system. Connecting batteries without using a bypass is actually a way to plug the circuit. This method can be used in risers.

What the law says

The law does not prohibit residents of apartment buildings from refusing central heating services. But before shutting down the system, legal issues need to be resolved. The main nuance facing apartment owners who want to use modern autonomous systems lies in the features of the building's improvement.

In simple terms, the central heating system of an apartment building is a single network that has common risers, pipelines, fittings and heat meters. As a result, disconnecting one apartment from such a network leads to disruption of the system as a whole. In order to disconnect one unit, a fundamental reorganization and restructuring of the entire network is required.

The elements of the central heating system of a building are its property, and its composition is determined by the owners, management companies, etc. The issue of the possibility of abandoning central heating should be decided at a general meeting of residents if the property has been determined to belong to the house. This requirement is laid down in the Housing Code of the Russian Federation. In accordance with Art. 36, disconnecting one apartment from general communications leads to a reduction in the total property of the building. This requires serious reconstruction, so the issue cannot be resolved individually.

You cannot disconnect from general utility networks without permission, that is, without obtaining permission. Dismantling of heating elements and disconnecting an individual apartment from the water circuit should be carried out by specialists based on the decision made.

Individual shutdown

Until recently, legislation clearly prohibited the disconnection of individual apartments from the CSO.
But in the new edition there is no direct ban.

This is what is said in paragraph 15 of Article 14 of Federal Law No. 190 “On Heat Supply”: “The transition to an individual heating scheme using heat sources, the list of which is determined by the current connection rules... excluding cases arising from the heat supply scheme,” is prohibited.

That is, the transition to “autonomy” is not prohibited at all, but only in the case of using “wrong” heat sources. What requirements must the “correct” equipment meet? You can find out about this from paragraph 44 of Resolution No. 307 of April 6, 2012. This is what this document prescribes:

1. The combustion chamber of the boiler must be closed (combustion air is taken from outside).
2. It is mandatory to have protection against overheating of the coolant and gas leakage in the event of spontaneous extinguishing of the burner.
3. The coolant temperature should not rise above 95 degrees, and the pressure should not exceed 10 atm.

So, if the apartment owner uses equipment that meets the requirements of regulatory documents, the authorities no longer have the right to prohibit him from disconnecting from the central heating system and switching to individual heating. If they still refuse, this decision can be appealed in court.

To date, there are already several cases where residents in court managed to defend their right to install an autonomous (individual) heating system in their apartment.

However, you should be prepared for the fact that the local administration and the organization servicing the heating networks will do their best to prevent the owner of one apartment from intending to disconnect from the central heating system.

Autonomous heating in the apartment

There are good reasons for this:

1. A multi-storey building is a single structure, and not a set of rooms isolated from each other. If a self-sufficient tenant, for reasons of economy or because he is away, switches his heating system to a low-temperature mode or turns it off altogether, the residents of neighboring apartments will freeze. But if this problem can still be solved by using electric heaters, then the appearance of condensation on a frozen ceiling cannot be prevented. Also, when setting an inadequately low temperature, the outer walls of the apartment itself with autonomous heating will freeze and become damp. And this will affect their service life, which will certainly be a problem for the entire house.
2. Uneven heating of a building leads to undesirable processes in supporting structures, peeling of plaster, etc.
3. There is no way to check whether the autonomous tenant has not unauthorizedly connected to the common heating circuit in order to use the heat supply for free.

This possibility cannot be completely excluded, since it is not possible to remove risers from a disconnected apartment.

Illegal shutdown of heating

If the heating shutdown is unlawful, then the debtor, if there are grounds, has the opportunity to challenge the actions of the supplier. In the absence of legitimate reasons, the defaulter is obliged to pay the debt or submit a request for an installment plan. After this, documents are submitted to the supplier’s manager with a receipt and a connection application attached.

Where to complain about unauthorized shutdown of heat

If the heating was turned off illegally, you should complain to the supervisory authorities:

• state inspection;
• prosecutor's office;
• court.

In the application, indicate the reason for filing the claim, the circumstances of the case with a description of the offenses.

In order for a complaint to be accepted for consideration, the following documents must be attached:

• photocopy of the property certificate;
• a certificate from the house register about the composition of the family;
• if a person with disabilities lives in the apartment, attach information about the disabled person.

The letter is handed over personally to the regulatory authority or sent by Russian Post. Additionally, you can use the official website of government agencies - State Services.

The penalty for illegally stopping the heat supply in winter is fines. If turning off the heating caused moral or material damage, then these losses are included in the cost of the claim. To obtain compensation, you must go to court.

Samples of claims to regulatory authorities

To complain about the RSO to the supervisory authorities, you must write a letter.

Below you can download samples for each instance:

1. Application form to the Criminal Code for violation of the standard temperature in a hot riser or radiators.
2. Complaint to GZHI about poor-quality provision of thermal energy.
3. Complaint to the heating prosecutor's office.

Litigation in case of illegal shutdown of heat

Turning off the heating for non-payment during the heating season entails legal consequences for the RSO or the management company. Therefore, if the conditions for supplying the resource are violated, the owner of the premises has the right to refuse payment and demand a recalculation.

Low temperature conditions in batteries are grounds for non-fulfillment of the contract. In a living room in winter, the temperature must be maintained at least +18 degrees (Section VI of Appendix No. 1 of PP 354). Otherwise, the owner may complain to the head of the service provider organization.

If the problem is not resolved, it is allowed to write a refusal to pay for services with subsequent appeal to the judicial authorities. RSO bears a similar responsibility for compliance with pressure standards in systems.

Statement of claim to court for lack of heat or non-compliance with standards (sample)

If the supplier refuses to comply with the court order, the owners of the apartment building have the right to re-apply to the authorities.

In such a situation, the head of the RSO faces prosecution under the Code of Administrative Offenses or the Criminal Code of Russia:

1. Both the Civil Housing Inspectorate and the court have the right to punish a negligent organization. In case of violations in the field of heat supply (Article 7.23 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation) or arbitrariness (Article 19.1), sanctions are imposed in the amount of up to 1000 rubles. for an official and 10,000 rubles for a company - .
2. As measures under the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, utility companies for unauthorized shutdown of heating are provided with a fine of up to 200,000 rubles, and in particularly difficult situations - imprisonment for up to 5 years (Article 330 of the Criminal Code of Russia).

Form with an example of an application for recalculation of money for heat supply.

How to heat water?

Modern boilers solve the problem of heating water for household needs in different ways. There are 2-circuit units that, in parallel with the main function, operate as instantaneous water heaters.

But in order to provide a more or less acceptable supply of hot water, a device of this type must produce at least 25 kW of heat, and for the heating circuit of an average apartment such power will be unreasonably high.

Indirect heating boiler

It is better to install a boiler with an indirect heating boiler. Unlike a “flow tank”, it cannot supply unlimited quantities of hot water, but this is not required for domestic needs.

Where to call if the heating is turned off - hotline for complaints

You should initially call about heating to the office of the management company and the district emergency service. Sometimes the service organization has no information that the heating supply to the house has been suspended. In other situations, management company employees do not respond to complaints.

In this case, you need to call special hotlines about heating.

The following services operate in Moscow and Moscow Region to regulate the situation with heat supply:

Table 1.

A complaint can be submitted remotely through the websites of local municipalities: Table 2.

Result

According to the law, the provider of the service for supplying heat to apartments in an apartment building, after receiving a complaint, must correct shortcomings in his work. He can also receive an application for connection if the apartment was previously disconnected from the general system for debts or for other reasons.

In any case, the heating system must ensure normal temperature conditions in the apartment . What to do if the management company or heat supplier does not respond to the complaint?

IMPORTANT! If the UE fails to act, the utility consumer has the right to contact the regulatory authorities.

The Criminal Code is given a week to resolve problems with an application or complaint. Who can be classified as the regulatory authorities solving problems with heat supply?

• This is Rospotrebnadzor .
• Housing inspection.
• Authorities in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation , which are authorized to resolve issues in the public utilities sector.
• You can also contact the prosecutor's office.
• The final authority is the court.

Each of the listed organizations is given a month to consider the complaint and take measures to ensure quality heating in the apartments. Residents have the right to demand normal functioning of the public utilities sector, especially since they pay for this work.

It is important to protect your rights, act confidently, boldly
.
The rights of service consumers are protected by many state laws; you just need to use them correctly. To contact the Management Company, use the standard template for filling out this document. It is recommended to register the application so that it is not ignored . After receiving a complaint from the management company, a specialist comes who draws up an opinion on the operation of the system and eliminates, if possible, the shortcomings of its operation.

If the master does not want to do anything and refuses to draw up a conclusion, the apartment owner has every right to contact, for example, Rospotrebnadzor or the State Housing Inspectorate.

The work of the Housing Inspectorate is aimed at monitoring the quality of housing and communal services provided to the population, considering complaints from citizens, and monitoring the deadlines for eliminating violations in the operation of utility companies.

There are websites of the Inspectorate through which you can submit complaints, you can also take the letter in person or send it by email. The Housing Inspectorate is given a month to consider the application. During this time, it must issue an order that will oblige the violator to eliminate the existing shortcomings.

The work of the Consumer Rights Protection Society (CPS) is effective. Lawyers of this public organization help draw up complaints, and can also act as representatives of citizens in the fight against unscrupulous utility companies.

Proper disconnection of radiators

The owner of a private house with an autonomous heating system has the opportunity to turn off the boiler at any time, depending on the weather outside or based on other considerations.

For those who live in houses with central heating, questions about how to turn off the radiator usually arise in two cases:

• if the weather is warm outside and the central heating has not yet been turned off, since the heating season has not officially ended;
• if necessary, replace, repair or paint the radiator, repair the wall behind the radiator.

In this case, one should take into account this point: there is always a coolant inside the battery. It is drained only in case of repair work in the system. This is due to the fact that the main part of the heating devices installed in old houses, as well as the intra-house wiring, are made of steel

This is due to the fact that the main part of the heating devices installed in old houses, as well as the intra-house wiring, are made of steel.

The liquid inside the heating battery contains a certain amount of oxygen in dissolved form, which over time completely reacts with the metal, as a result of which corrosion stops.

You cannot leave the system or a separate heating device unfilled for a long time - moisture remains on the inner surface of the steel or cast iron battery, which does not evaporate for a long time in a confined space. This significantly accelerates the corrosion process. Thus, the coolant is drained only in exceptional cases.

Is it possible to refuse heating and what is needed for this?

To exit the centralized system, it is impossible to simply write a statement and cap the batteries. It is necessary to collect a lot of documents and obtain conclusions about the technical feasibility of disconnecting a specific apartment or entrance from the central system.

All components of the heating system (pipes, risers, valves, etc.) are defined as property of the house. Therefore, first of all, you need to obtain written consent from all residents of the entrance to the redevelopment of the system. Perhaps at this stage you will find like-minded people; it will be easier to come to an agreement with your neighbors as a team. Or, if everyone is categorically against it, you won’t incur unnecessary expenses on preparing the redevelopment. You can do without neighbors only when the system is not the property of the entire house. You can clarify this point with the management company.

What documents are needed in addition to the consent of the residents:

1. Application for redevelopment.
2. Registration certificate for the apartment. Be prepared to make changes to it. Disabling and removing the batteries and installing a new heating system is a complete redevelopment of the apartment.
3. Document of title (sale and purchase agreement, gift, inheritance, etc.).
4. Reconstruction project and conclusion on the technical feasibility of the work. The project is carried out by specialists with engineering and technical education, who will take measurements, evaluate the capabilities of a particular system and issue a conclusion. You need to contact a specialized company.
5. If you plan to organize gas heating, you also need permission from the gas service.

Package of documents

Art. 26 of the Housing Code states that any owner of an apartment in an apartment building has the right to disconnect from central utilities. To do this, a number of documents must be submitted to the approving authorities:

• Statement. You can write it in any form.
• Technical passport of the disconnected apartment.
• Title documents for housing.
• Consent of all adult residents living in the apartment in writing.
• Conclusion on the possibility of refurbishment.

This package of documents must be accompanied by a reconstruction project, which must be developed by specialists and also agreed upon with the relevant authorities.

Project

The reconstruction project is a serious technical documentation. It is impossible to draw up such a document yourself. It will be necessary to contact specialists. The basis for developing a reconstruction project are calculations showing the influence of the elements of the heating system located in the apartment being switched off on the functioning of communications as a whole.

In addition to this, the following is performed:

• Thermohydraulic calculations.
• Calculation of residual heating from risers and sunbeds.

If calculations show that it is technically possible to disconnect, the project can be submitted for approval. But if changes made to the communications of the house can have a negative impact on the level of thermal conditions in other apartments, the project most likely will not be approved.

Collective shutdown

Usually there is only one entrance at the elevator hub. If it has hot water connections, the elevator is not completely disconnected, but only from the heating system, while the valves are closed with plugs and sealed.

To correctly perform a collective shutdown, do the following:

1. Organize a meeting of residents at which a decision on disconnection will be officially made and recorded in the minutes.
2. Initiate the creation of a conciliation commission in the local administration and submit to it an application to disconnect the facility from the CSO, attaching the minutes of the residents’ meeting.
3. If the application is approved, the commission must provide the representative of the residents' association with a list of organizations from which it is necessary to obtain technical conditions (TS) for the development of the project. Note that a positive decision is not at all mandatory: if the reorganization may negatively affect the work of the central distribution center or the gas supply system does not have sufficient capacity, the commission has the right to refuse it. The only way out in such a situation can be to re-equip the system, paid for by the residents, because of which the process has stalled.
4. Next, you need to order a project from a design organization, to which all collected specifications are transferred.

The finished project must be approved by organizations servicing utility networks. Here is their list:

• heating network: checks whether the implementation of design solutions will lead to a deterioration in the operation of the heat supply system;
• gas facilities: makes sure that when connecting all the gas equipment provided for in the project, the gas supply system will not be overloaded;
• architectural management: the visa of this institution means that the installation of coaxial chimneys will not disturb the appearance of the architectural monument;
• housing organization: confirms the safety of the technical solutions proposed in the project in relation to load-bearing structures and the technical possibility of disconnecting the facility from the central heating system.

If the project also provides for electric heating, it should be approved by the energy sales office.

Then you need to enter into an agreement with a licensed construction and installation organization to carry out all the work provided for in the project. After checking the correctness of their implementation, representatives of all mentioned organizations must give permission for commissioning.

How to obtain permission for individual heating of an apartment?

The procedure for individual transition to autonomous heating is described in paragraphs. and 26 of the Housing Code.

The home owner must provide the following documents to the conciliation commission:

• application for disconnection from the CSO;
• technical passport for the apartment;
• document confirming ownership;
• consent (written) of all adult residents registered in this apartment to be disconnected from the CSO;
• permission from the architecture department;
• detailed design of autonomous heating and a list of changes (with a diagram) made to the central heating system within this apartment.

Based on the permission received, you should contact the organization that maintains the house with a request to dismantle the heating devices and install jumpers instead. The owner of the apartment must pay for the work.

Heating season schedule in 2021

Period when heating will be turned on in 2021:

• Moscow - the heating season begins on September 25.
• St. Petersburg - start of inclusion from September 16 to October 1.
• Tver - starting from September 23, heating will be provided in public buildings; starting from September 26, heating will be provided to residential buildings.
• Vladimir - from September 23.
• Yaroslavl - starts on September 23-24 and the last inclusions will take place on October 1.

The table provides information when the heating was turned off in 2020:

Reasons for turning off the boiler

First you need to figure out what are the reasons for turning off the boiler in the summer and whether it needs to be done at all. They do this for reasons related to gas saving. But it seems so only at first glance: in fact, frequent boiler shutdowns affect the condition.

This increases wear on the equipment and can cause breakdowns:

• Firstly, the longer the system is idle in the cold, the lower the temperature of the coolant and the harder it will be to heat up when the boiler is ignited. In this case, fuel consumption will be significant.
• Secondly, the temperature of the heat exchanger decreases. When reheated, drops of water will accumulate on its surface. This is condensation, which can cause destruction and corrosion of the heat exchanger.
• Thirdly, drops of water also settle on the burner. This significantly reduces its operating efficiency and, as a result, increases fuel consumption.

Corrosion of the main components of the boiler structure requires their replacement in most cases. The possibility of repair by soldering is unlikely. Correct smooth startup of equipment after long periods of inactivity will help reduce the risk of such problems. Most boilers have special operating modes

If available, it is important to be able to turn them on correctly on various types of automation and units of different brands

Important! To save fuel, you can leave the boiler on during the summer. There are many ways to save

One of them is the use of modulating burners. When deciding whether or not to turn off the heating system in the summer, you need to evaluate the possible risk and the amount of gas saved.

Declaration of refusal

An application for refusal of services from a heat supply organization as a document does not have a unified form. Climatic conditions in the Russian Federation do not imply a complete abandonment of heat supply; we are usually talking about replacing central heating systems with local units. However, this procedure will already be considered reconstruction and redevelopment, therefore the form of the application is determined by the regulations in force in this area.

Form

The application form was approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated April 28, 2005 No. 266 and is a form that contains all information about the object, its owners, attached documents, etc.

How to write correctly?

When making an application, you will need to enter the following information into the form:

• the name of the departmental committee of local authorities authorized to resolve issues of refurbishment of premises;
• personal and contact details of the applicant;
• information about the exact address of the redevelopment object and its owners;
• expected duration and mode of repair work;
• information about living adult household members with a note indicating the presence of notarized consent from each of them;
• listing of attached documents with details (if any) and the number of sheets occupied;
• date of filing and signature of the applicant.

Download application

After downloading, you can print it out and fill it out by hand, or enter the necessary information (except signature) on your computer, and only then print it out.

You cannot switch to autonomous heating without approval from the municipality

Since intervention in engineering systems will require amendments to the technical passport of an apartment building, the transition to individual heating must be coordinated with the local administration. Removing central heating radiators and installing other equipment to heat the apartment is a refurbishment.

Subparagraph “c” of paragraph 35 of Rules No. 354 prohibits the consumer from arbitrarily dismantling or turning off heating elements, regulating indoor equipment used for the consumption of communal heating services, and performing other actions as a result of which the air temperature in the apartment building will be maintained below 12 degrees Celsius.

According to clause 1.7.1 of the Rules and Standards for the Technical Operation of the Housing Stock, approved by Resolution of the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Construction and Housing and Communal Sector dated September 27, 2003 No. 170, refurbishment of residential and non-residential premises in residential buildings is permitted after obtaining the appropriate permits in the prescribed manner.

The completion of the reconstruction and (or) redevelopment of the residential premises is confirmed by an act of the acceptance committee (clause 1 of Article 28 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation).

We wrote earlier how to legitimize planning or reconstruction.

The heating supply organization must be notified of the received permission for reconstruction and the refusal of central heating services.

Required Documentation

In order to obtain permission and turn off the central heating supply, you must provide the following to the public utility authorities:

• application for disconnection;
• technical documentation of the apartment;
• confirmation of ownership of the apartment;
• consent of all residents living in the apartment (in writing);
• written confirmation for technical re-equipment of the apartment;
• technical project with all calculations (the project must be of high quality and well-designed, otherwise it will be rejected to prevent disruption of the functionality of the heating system of the entire house).

Then the same package of documents is transferred to the fire safety authorities. And only after all the work has been approved by the latter, the apartment owner can switch from central to autonomous heating.

If the utility service has decided in favor of the transition, an engineering team will be sent to the apartment to indicate the location and method of placing the batteries.

Legal nuances when turning off central heating

There is a way to turn off central heating without having to obtain permission. Many of us have not even seen an agreement with utility services for the supply of heat to your home. Owners of multi-storey buildings automatically agree to the terms of supply of central heating services. Moreover, in every house you can find residents who independently disconnected from the heat supply and were able to provide their apartments with autonomous heating systems. There have been no cases of prosecution for spontaneous behavior, so everyone solves the problem at their own peril and risk.

Refusal of central heating without the consent of residents and neighbors

Apartment buildings often have incomplete technical documentation regarding heating systems. In view of this, it turns out that the parts of the heating system are not considered part of the property complex of the building. Despite the fact that in this case it will not be necessary to obtain consent from neighbors to reinstall heating systems, official permissions from authorities and service organizations are required.

We recommend: How to connect central heating in a private house?

Any intervention in engineering communications must be included in the technical documentation. Each house has a technical passport, which contains all the data on the operating heating system. Dismantling radiators, inserting and installing plugs in apartments - any changes must be noted in the technical passport. Based on Article 26 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, for further actions you need to collect the following package of documents:

• central heating shutdown statement;
• technical passport of the apartment;
• documents that confirm ownership of the apartment;
• written consent of all residents of the apartment;
• technical conclusion of specialists on the abandonment of central heating and further reinstallation of communications.

You also need to attach a re-equipment project, which is drawn up by specialists from the relevant organizations and authorities. Project documentation must consist of calculations proving the operation of the central heating system in the house in the absence of parts of the disconnected apartment. You also need to have a scheme for thermal-hydraulic calculations of the facility and an accurate calculation of residual heating.

Only a correctly completed project is considered the first step towards obtaining permission. But if the changes made can negatively affect the efficiency of providing heat to the entire house and provoke a violation of the temperature regime in the apartments of neighbors, then such a project will be rejected.

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