Who should change the heating batteries in the apartment: ZHEK or the owner

Question battery replacement after the start of the heating season, sometimes it gets up very sharply. Often, radiators in old houses are in poor condition, and local services are in no hurry to overhaul the heating system. We will try to give answers to the most common questions and find out who should change old batteries in a privatized apartment.

1. If the radiator is leaking, who is required by law to change it? At whose expense is the installation and purchase of new equipment?
2. If you want to install a more modern heating system in the apartment after privatization, who should do this? Does it need special permission?
3. Who is responsible for the leak if the neighbors are flooded with water?

To answer these questions, you need to study Russian law and understand the legal aspects.

Heating radiators - public or private property?

To understand who should deal with the replacement of failed heating appliances in a privatized apartment, you can only establish what ownership they are in. In August 2006, RF Government Resolution No. 491 adopted rules governing the composition of common property in an apartment building. According to the 6th paragraph of these rules, this property includes a heating system located inside the house. It includes:

• risers;
• fittings (regulating and locking);
• heating elements (radiators);
• common house heat meters;
• other types of equipment that is part of the heating system.

Unfortunately, when situations arise regarding the replacement of heating appliances in apartments, both parties interpret these rules in their interests. Homeowners believe that since the heating system belongs to the common property, the house management organization should deal with the replacement of faulty equipment. Housing office workers, in turn, argue that only risers and batteries belong to the common property, that go through several living spaces, such as those on stairwells. When contacting utilities, residents often hear that all pipes and radiatorslocated within their apartment is the problem of its owners.

Who is right: tenants or housing office?

Due to frequent appeals to the court and the Housing and Utilities Department in 2007, the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation clarified the situation and reported that the heating elements located in private apartments are part of a common property of the house.

It follows that if a battery leaks due to a high degree of wear or as a result of an accident, the organization must change it, which receives monthly money from residents in the form of deductions for overhaul and is responsible for the maintenance and maintenance of the house property.

Management organizations are not interested in bringing this information to the attention of apartment owners, therefore, so far tenants are forced to pay for the dismantling and installation of a new heating device, which, among other things, must be purchased by yourself.

Repair and replacement of leaked battery

We found out that the heating system is part of the common property of an apartment building and also includes radiators located in the apartments. It follows that, regardless of whether the area is privatized or is a municipal property, repair or change the battery, which is in disrepair, is required by the managing organization, HOA or HBC. At the same time, no additional fee is taken from the owner of the housing.

In other words, if the battery runs out, then you need to call the master who is servicing the house, and he will replace the failed heater for free.

In practice, things are not so simple. Housing office workers may claim that they do not have a replacement battery, so they will repair the old one or, even worse, remove the radiator, put in the plugs and ask them to wait. Since this expectation can last for months, the owner of the apartment is simply forced to buy new equipment on their own, because no one wants to freeze in winter without heating.

There are times when tenants, without waiting for a replacement, purchase a radiator at their own expense and hope that the DUK will pay them compensation. Counting on this is definitely not worth it, since even judicial practice suggests that the house management organization is not obliged to do this.

Replacing old radiators

If the batteries in the apartment not in disrepair, but I want to replace them, because they do not heat well or are just outdated, you will have to solve this issue at your own expense. No organization will provide services for free. What should be done in this case?

Replacement Approval

The first thing to do in order not to have unpleasant consequences in the future is to coordinate your actions.

• When replacing radiators of the same type, it is enough to simply notify the management organization of upcoming work.
• When replacing batteries with another type, including the possibility of a different configuration and an increase in area heating should be consulted by a specialist for examination regarding the possibility of installing new batteries. This is necessary because sometimes the installation of other radiators negatively affects the heat balance of the house. The examination is paid at the expense of the owner of the apartment.
• When transferring heating equipment, expertise is also required.

Important! Sometimes a change in the configuration of heating appliances and an increase in their number is perceived as a re-equipment of the premises, as amended by the data sheet of the apartment. In fact, the replacement of the battery is not reflected in the technical passport in any way, since only the type of heat source is indicated there without specifying specific heating devices.

Who should replace heating equipment?

The owner of the apartment can choose one of three options.

1. Self-replacement of radiators (everywhere batteries are changed with their own hands, but according to the law membership in the SRO is mandatory).
2. Appeal to third-party specialists (must be in SRO).
3. Call the master from the service organization.

Despite the fact that employees of a private company can make better installation of new equipment, knowledgeable people recommend calling a local master. This is due to the fact that in case of possible problems in the future you will know who to ask. If an accident occurs, the responsibility for poor-quality installation of equipment that entails damage to the property of other residents will not be borne by you.

Emergency Responsibility

If the battery or heating pipe leaking in the apartment floods the residents from below, the authorized organization should be responsible for the consequences, if it is established that there is no fault of the owner.

These proceedings await those who arbitrarily without approval in the relevant organization changed the radiators in their apartment. Even if the leak was not the fault of the tenant and was not connected with the installation of new equipment, utilities can make the landlord guilty of what happened.

In addition, even if the installation of new batteries was agreed upon, but was performed by craftsmen not from the management company, the owner will also have to answer for the consequences.

What batteries to install instead of old

If you still decide to replace the radiators, you need to take care of choosing new equipment. Modern batteries can be:

• cast iron;
• steel;
• aluminum;
• bimetallic.

Cast iron

Good old cast iron radiators continue to be popular. If such batteries were installed in the house and it was decided to replace them with new devices from the same material, then you will not have to spend money and time on conducting an examination before installation.

Advantages of cast iron batteries:

• durability and reliability;
• corrosion resistance;
• resistance to hydraulic shock.

Disadvantages:

• heavy weight;
• limited design.

Steel

Batteries made of steel can be of two types:

• sectional;
• panel.

Advantages of such radiators:

• long term of operation;
• ability to withstand high working pressure - 16 atmospheres.

Disadvantages:

• low resistance to hydraulic shock or mechanical stress.

Aluminum

Instruments of this type may vary in functionality and form.

Advantages of aluminum batteries:

• variety of product options;
• light weight, allowing the installation of radiators alone;
• quick response to changes in coolant temperature.

Disadvantages:

• the need for air exhaust;
• Inadmissibility of contact with other metals due to the threat of destruction due to a chemical reaction.

Bimetallic

The most modern heating appliances are bimetal radiators. Outside they are made of aluminum, the core is made of high strength steel.

Advantages of bimetallic systems:

• increased wear resistance;
• chemical stability, allowing to connect the radiator with copper pipes;
• high level of heat transfer;
• presentable appearance.

Disadvantages:

• high cost;
• intolerance to frequent drains of water.