Almost every individual building has gas-powered equipment. Blue fuel is one of the cheapest. That is why, when installing autonomous heating systems, the owners of private houses in the vast majority of cases prefer to install gas boilers. But this requires periodic maintenance of gas equipment in a private house.
Is a contract necessary or not?
Today we will consider issues related to this procedure. But before dwelling on the technical side of the matter, let us clarify whether the mandatory maintenance of gas equipment in a private house is so necessary. Is it always required of "private traders" to conclude an agreement on it?
The views on this matter are directly opposite. Someone considers this mandatory, others are of the opinion that the main thing here is the desire of the owner. Let's try to clarify. The Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 549, issued in 2008, states that the right of a resource-supplying organization (that is, gas workers) is to stop supplying gas in the absence of such a document.
This is where the sources of confusion lie. In this case, a valid contract is implied, that is, drawn up before the above date and not expired according to the deadline. If there is a valid contract, the owner is not required to sign a new one. But if one is not available, it must be concluded.
This must be done at least for security reasons. Gas technology refers to equipment of high complexity. Proper servicing or self-repair is subject only to a person who is a professional in this field. Ordinary citizens are not able to carry out high-quality maintenance of gas equipment in private homes, not knowing all its methods and nuances.
What is checked during maintenance
This procedure includes a number of complex technological operations. What exactly will you need to check when conducting maintenance of gas equipment in a private house?
With the help of gas analyzers, masters control the tightness of the line, not hoping for their own sense of smell. Verification is subject to verification of the operability of equipment, that is, its technical condition in all modes that are provided. They are interested in the degree of deterioration of all components and their suitability for subsequent operation. To do this, the equipment is subjected to complete or partial disassembly and inspected in order to identify signs of resource development.
You can check the readiness of protection systems by making them work in conditions that simulate various emergency situations.
Be alert
All the available set of gas boilers differs not only in brand, appearance and set of parameters, but also in their design solutions. And therefore, for the maintenance of a particular model, the list may differ from another similar one.
That is why it makes no sense to give an exact list of operations. But to know the approximate composition of them is necessary in order to trace the integrity of the actions of a specialist. The list of necessary operations is given in the documentation attached to the unit.
With whom is a contract for servicing the gas equipment of a private house?
This question is one of the most important. The best option would be to conclude it with the organization that deals with the supply of gas. In this case, all claims identified during the inspection of the system, its employees will be presented to their own colleagues. Suppliers usually have their own service units.
It is sometimes more convenient to conclude an agreement with a structure that works closely with the boiler supplier. This option is preferable in rural areas, where the call of gas workers sometimes turns into a problem.
There are also companies whose specialization is the provision of such services. In this and in the previous case, a number of important points should be clarified: does such a structure have certification not for maintenance of gas equipment as a whole, but for specific brands of products. The contractor should also be interested in the material base.
What else is important
The presence of good specialists who are able to assemble-disassemble the unit and identify a malfunction is not enough. Sometimes one cannot do without complicated and expensive equipment - it is impossible to carry out part of the gas equipment maintenance work in a private house "on site".
For example, we can talk about cleaning the internal cavities of heat exchangers. If your device is one of the warranty ones, take an interest in the right to organize maintenance during this period. You should also be interested in the terms in which applications are executed, and the periods of warranty after repair.
It will be useful to collect feedback from people who have experience working with this organization. And also important factors are the price of servicing gas equipment in a private house and the list of those services that are free. Before making a choice, it will be useful to compare the conditions with those adopted in other organizations.
Issue price
Unfortunately, as part of a separate article, we cannot provide the reader with detailed information regarding the specific prices of a particular supplier organization. As already mentioned, in connection with competition in the era of a market economy, the number of those providing such services is not one or two. And for each of them, the price list consists of a long list of positions.
You can navigate this issue by comparing the prices of private suppliers with those that can be found on the website of Gazprom Gas Distribution, which is familiar to all of us and most demanded by JSC, according to a single price list for the population. We repeat, we don’t have the opportunity to list the entire list of tariffs (23 sheets) - the reader will easily find the relevant information by visiting the supplier’s office or the corresponding Internet resource.
But for general orientation, we give typical prices for maintenance of intra-house or in-house gas equipment. The exact amount contained in the contract will depend on the composition of the household equipment that is used in each specific case (gas stove, gas instantaneous water heaters, gas meter, internal gas pipeline, gas shut-off valve, etc.). The cost of maintenance services is:
- for the hob - 334.74 rubles;
- for the oven - 203.56 rubles .;
- for a stove with two burners - 334.74 rubles, with three - 389.02 rubles, four - 443.31 rubles .;
- for a water heater - 890.06 rubles;
- for a boiler with power up to 30 kW - 913.37 rubles, from 31 to 60 kW - 1079.87 rubles, from 61 to 140 kW - 1079.87 rubles.
Some useful tips
Remember that, as in any area of ​​service provision, there is a phenomenon called unhealthy competition. Among organizations, it is customary to attract customers, taking advantage of the population’s ignorance of technical issues and sometimes even resorting to intimidation. In the case of an unexpired document, it makes sense to call those with whom your contract for servicing gas equipment in a private house is currently concluded (the telephone of gas workers should always be at hand). You will inform them about the visit of competitors and new offers.
Sometimes representatives of the service department put forward more than persistent proposals to renegotiate the contract due to the increased cost of servicing gas equipment in a private house. Often this phenomenon can be found in the rural outback, where the population is much less informed. You should not be "led" to such actions. Until the document has expired, any prices remain the same (at the same time they should not be confused with gas supply tariffs).
Sometimes you can hear about the substitution of the concepts of maintenance and repair. According to the contract, the owner’s duty is to pay only for maintenance (we are talking about the visit of the master and a small scale of work related to diagnostics, cleaning, flushing, etc.). If the issue of troubleshooting is raised, especially with the replacement of spare parts, the procedure is subject to a separate payment.
You bought a gas boiler - what's next?
When purchasing a gas boiler, we remember its advantages - hot water supply and reliable heating throughout the year. At the same time, gas boilers belong to complex household appliances that are directly related to two energy carriers - electricity and gas. And the latter in the event of a malfunction of the gas pipeline or the boiler itself can become a source of danger to the lives of people and household property.
That is why the frequency of maintenance of gas equipment in a private house and diagnostics are extremely important. Regularly checking it for serviceability, you can identify emerging problems and not bring the condition of the equipment to a dangerous level.
Maintenance of a gas boiler - what is meant?
What is included in the concept of service in order to ensure the health of the unit and the safety of its operation? The answer depends on the degree of complexity of the device and the set of functions performed. The boiler can only serve for heating or hot water supply, or at the same time both. It is also important that certain additional functions and protection systems are provided for by its design.
A complete list of necessary checks and the frequency of their implementation can be found in the instructions for each specific boiler model. This document is your guide to the process of concluding a service contract with a contractor. You should be prepared for the fact that not the entire list of operations required by the instruction is among the free mandatory procedures of the organization you have chosen. Part of the checks is considered an additional service and is provided only on the basis of an additional payment. You should try to insist on including them in the main list of the contract.
What is an approximate list of works on maintenance of gas equipment in a private house?
In the most general case, the wall gas boiler maintenance procedure consists of:
- Burner cleaning. Particular attention is paid to those details that determine the composition, direction and intensity of the flame. These include:
- retaining washer that regulates the position of the torch of the burner and the measure of its contact with the heat exchanger;
- a pipe through which gas is supplied to the burner (it is removed during inspection, disassembled and blown, then all its parts are cleaned); if necessary, filters that fail, are replaced with subsequent installation in place;
- flame sensor and electrodes;
- the device fuse;
- an air sensor whose task is to regulate the preparation of the gas-air mixture.
- Cleaning the combustion chamber and freeing all parts of the apparatus from dirt that are exposed to an open flame during operation.
- Checking the integrity of the entire structure and the correctness of its work. If necessary, the built-in hot water boiler is regulated.
- Cleaning the internal channels through which gas is supplied and discharged.
- Checking the degree of contamination of the chimney. This is usually done for a separate price.
- Integrated Electronics Checks.
- Adjustment of all units of the units to be adjusted.
In addition, the composition of the gas in the combustion chamber is specified by the composition, completeness and amount of carbon monoxide emitted. The health of the shutdown automation is also monitored by modeling an emergency. The most important safety device is a shut-off valve, which must be completely tight. The inlet gas pipeline throughout the entire section of the apartment or house (homestead) must maintain integrity, special attention when examining it is paid to the joints of the outer pipe sections.
No amateur performances!
The above list at first glance does not contain anything particularly complicated. It may seem that such a job is within the power of any homeowner. But this impression is very misleading. An inexperienced person may miss the tiniest signs that the boiler, water supply and gas pipeline do not meet strict requirements.
In the event of an unforeseen situation, not everyone can quickly react to prevent irreparable consequences. At the same time, the specialist not only has the necessary qualifications and experience for carrying out such work, but also bears personal responsibility for the quality of the audit. Confirmation of this is his signature in the documents on the boiler, which you must necessarily require from him at the end of the maintenance.