The use of modern technologies in the manufacture of elements of the heating system allows not only high-quality heating of the premises, but also the efficient use of energy resources. Used for more than 20 years, cast-iron batteries have long exhausted their resources, in this regard, the replacement of heating radiators in an apartment is currently becoming an urgent task for many residents of old buildings.
Time of work
Any work related to the heating system must be carried out during the inter-heating period. In this case, an exception is emergency situations. It is important to consider that privatized apartments are maintained only at the expense of their owners. That is, free replacement of heating radiators in this situation is impossible. In accordance with numerous legislative acts, the owner of the apartment must independently prepare it for the heating season. You must monitor the health of the radiators. And if it is necessary to repair them, contact the operating company.
The main reasons for replacing
Since the replacement of radiators is connected with the heating system
other apartments, then this procedure is quite serious. At the same time, it is important to know that the replacement of heating radiators through the housing office is carried out only if the
heating devices are out of order and their service life is exceeded.
In all other situations, the operating company carries out only minor repairs. According to current standards, the life of cast iron batteries is 15-30 years (open heating systems) and 30-40 years (closed systems).
If cast-iron radiators have seen your great-grandmothers, then you can safely demand from ZhEK to replace heating devices. However, it is worth considering that this type of work belongs to the category of overhaul. And when they do it, even the operating organization itself does not know.
Replacing radiators through the housing office
So, the replacement of heating radiators through the housing office begins, as a rule, with the submission of an application. It is far from a secret that communicating with such organizations requires unlimited patience. Therefore, it is worth preparing a statement in duplicate. On your copy, the responsible person of the operating organization should make a mark of acceptance. You need to make sure that there is an incoming number, date and legible signature of the person who accepted your application. You will need all this for further disassembly with this organization. And they will be necessary if you are determined.
You can also remind ZhEKu that if the battery breaks, then the compensation for material damage in this case will be assigned to the service company. In general, it is worth preparing for a long struggle. Not everyone wants to contact the Housing Office. However, so that your communication does not come down solely to paying for services, you need to know your rights, at least superficially.
The choice of heating appliances
No matter
how will the heating radiators be replaced - through the housing office, with the help of a contractor or on your own, you will need to choose the type of heating device. After all, they not only have to perform heating functions, but also harmoniously fit into the interior. Therefore, when choosing, the following should be considered:
- The number of heating appliances - one section should be in 2 m 2 and in addition one more section for the entire area of the room.
- The amount of heat required to heat the room - 1 m 3 in a brick house should account for 34 watts of thermal energy, in a panel house - 41 watts, in a new building - 20 watts. Based on this, the required amount of heat for the room is determined.
Which radiators are better
Today, steel and cast iron radiators are in great demand. They are perfect for central heating of multi-storey buildings. The material has a high heat transfer, is resistant to temperature and pressure drops, as well as an aggressive environment. In this case, the replacement of heating radiators for gas welding will reliably connect the metal elements of the system. However, in terms of aesthetics of appearance, this option is a bit dubious.
More recently, bimetal radiators have appeared on the market. They have already managed to gain consumer recognition. Radiators in their characteristics practically do not differ from monometallic heating devices, however, in appearance they surpass them.
Where to begin
Before replacing heating radiators in an apartment, it is important to know the following: according to the law, the additional installation of heating devices must be agreed with the administration of the operating organization. Since the heating system is calculated individually for each house (number of connected devices, temperature and volume of coolant, rated power , etc.). If the work is not coordinated, a decrease in the overall quality of heating is possible.
If replacing heating radiators through the housing office is not your option, then for permission you will need to submit the following documents for consideration:
- Application, it is necessary to attach a technical passport to the apartment, a certificate of ownership will also be required.
- Thermal calculation of new heating elements.
- Certificates of conformity for all components (valves, pipes, fittings, radiators, etc.).
It may take 2 months to review the documents and issue a permit. You will also need to additionally write a statement about the need to drain from pipelines and turn off the riser. After the heating radiators are replaced, you will need to write a statement about the technical expertise.
Replacing heaters
Replacing heating appliances consists of several main stages:
- Dismantling the old radiator. To do this, you need to unscrew the threaded connection or cut the welding with a grinder. In any case, work is recommended to be done carefully.
- Next, the fitting and canopy of the new heater is performed. It is important to correctly align the vertical and horizontal, to exclude possible distortions and other defects. To replace the radiators correctlyIn the apartment, it is necessary to use the construction level.
- The assembly kit is being assembled. For high-quality and maximum efficient operation of the system, it is necessary to prepare ball valves, plugs, Mayevsky valves and installation of bypasses.
- Using special tools, threading is carried out on the riser. This step is not always required and depends only on the option of connecting the heating device to the riser.
- The connection of the radiator from the risers. Today, you can replace the heating radiator and attach it to the system in various ways. Still, welding remains the most popular.
Heating system start
In order to avoid rupture of the heating device and water hammer during pressure testing, it is necessary to close the air release valve and all shut-off valves. Wait until the coolant fills the system and the pipelines become hot. Then slowly open the shutoff valves, carefully unscrew the air valve head and keep it open until water appears. This means that the radiator is completely filled with water and there is no air lock in it. As soon as water appears, the valve will need to be closed.