Individual heating in the apartment: can it be done?

Many do not even suspect that it is possible to equip individual heating in the apartment, as well as in a private house. However, for some apartment owners, the issue of heating is so acute that they are seriously considering this option. We will find out how realistic this is, what permissions will be required, and which autonomous heating system to prefer.

What makes residents of high-rise buildings think about refusing central heating and connecting an autonomous heating system? There are many reasons for this:

• unjustified cost of utility bills;
• low-quality heating, which can not cope with maintaining a comfortable temperature in the home in the cold season without the use of additional heat sources;
• disadvantageous location of the apartment, requiring more heat - corner room, ground floor;
• dependence on the established dates for the beginning and end of the heating season, which makes it freeze in autumn and suffer from heat in spring;
• the need to maintain the desired temperature at any time, giving money only for actual heat consumption.

Advantages and disadvantages of independent heating

To understand if it makes sense to abandon central heating in favor of an autonomous one, it is worth weighing all the pros and cons of a separate option.

Benefits:

• Substantial savings. According to the reviews of owners who switched to autonomous gas heating, the cost of heating an apartment is reduced by 6–7 times.
• Complete independence from the timing of the beginning and end of the heating season.
• The ability to adjust the temperature at your discretion. Some systems allow you to set the desired mode in which the heating intensity changes at predetermined intervals. For example, when all family members are at work or school, the temperature drops by several degrees, and in the evening rises again. This allows for even greater savings.
• Uninterrupted supply of hot water.
• Free choice of radiators. Any batteries are suitable for an individual system, since there is no likelihood of water hammer.

Disadvantages:

• The high cost of equipment.
• The dependence of modern boiler models on power supply.
• The need to install a new heating circuit.
• In many cases - the need for a suitable exhaust duct.

You can learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of autonomous heating in an apartment of a multi-storey building from the words of the owners by watching the video.

What is autonomous heating?

The transition to individual heating of the apartment involves the rejection of the use of a common house heating system and the dismantling of radiators and pipes related to it. Instead, new lines and batteries are installed that are connected to the heater. Two types of installations are traditionally used in apartments - gas and electric boilers. The principle of operation of the device is simple: it increases the degree of water and makes it circulate through the system, heating the room in the desired mode.

Types of Boilers

All devices can also be divided into two types:

• single-circuit - working exclusively for heating;
• double-circuit - additionally providing hot water supply.

Depending on the installation method, boilers for heating can be wall-mounted (as in the following photo) and floor-standing. The former are more popular because of their compactness and lower price. The latter have great power and a long service life.

Electric boilers

Electric power plants are notable for their affordable cost and high level of safety. They are allowed to be installed anywhere in the apartment. Unfortunately, such a unit is not suitable for a house with old wiring because of the risk of constant knocking out of traffic jams.

Gas boilers

Gas appliances are more expensive, but they serve for a long time and quickly pay off during operation, because they use a cheaper source of energy. The gas-fired heater has a special chamber for burning fuel and a smoke exhaust system, which avoids any inconvenience to the inhabitants of the apartment.

The choice of the boiler depends on many conditions, including the size of the housing, therefore, its choice must be approached very responsibly.

Tip. It is believed that for heating a standard room with a three-meter-high ceiling, the area of ​​which is 10 m2, 1 kW of heating boiler power is needed. To calculate the required resource of the heating device, divide the area by 10.

Heating circuit

In district heating, a one-pipe scheme is used, which is inferior in efficiency double pipe. The one-pipe system is used only for a small number of radiators in a situation where you need to save money.

The best choice for individual heating is a two-pipe scheme. It has the following advantages:

• the use of pipes and fittings of smaller diameter;
• high pressure stability in the system;
• the ability to install automatic flow controllers on all batteries that will work without affecting the heating of others radiators;
• independent connection of each heating section, allowing it to be removed for maintenance or gaining access to a niche during repair.

Is installation of an individual heating system legal?

On the topic of the legality of the equipment of an autonomous heat supply in a separate apartment, there are many disputes and litigation. It all started with the fact that in 2010 the Government of the Russian Federation banned disconnection from the general heat supply and transfer to individual heating systems, forcing many people to give up. However, already in 2012, a new resolution was adopted regarding the procedure for connecting heating systems. It provides a list of heat sources that are prohibited for use in apartments. This list of modern certified heating boilers are not included. Therefore, the legislation does not prohibit the installation of own heating, and all restrictions apply only to the technical characteristics of heating devices.

This does not mean that the owner of the premises can freely make individual heating. Before you start re-equipment, you need to get permission from local authorities. If the administration refuses to issue it on the basis of Art. 14 of the Federal Law "On Heat Supply", you can safely go to court, since such a refusal is illegal.

How to get permission

For a sanction on the arrangement of autonomous heating, they turn to the district administration, or rather to the interdepartmental commission responsible for the use of the housing stock. Not later than a month and a half later, officials give an official response. The administration can take a list of papers that must be submitted to obtain permission.

Sample list of documents

Since the installation of a private heating system refers to the conversion of a residential building, the list will include:

• application drawn up in a special form;
• documents establishing the right to ownership of housing: certificate of state registration, act of transfer to property, deed of gift, document confirming the right of inheritance (originals or copies certified by notary public);
• certified copies for each owner and a statement signed by all owners (in case the apartment is in shared ownership);
• copy of the room data sheet;
• the consent of the family members of the tenant and the residents of the apartment building, drawn up in the form of a protocol of the meeting of apartment owners (if the area is municipal);
• conclusion of the body responsible for the protection of monuments of architecture, historical or cultural heritage about the possibility of redevelopment (if the house is architectural, cultural or historical value).

The most difficult will be to prepare and provide technical documentation. It includes:

• redevelopment project for the installation of a gas boiler, including the gasification of the room and the introduction of changes to the district heating system;
• a copy of the passport for the electric boiler, technical specifications, an agreement confirming the permission of the maximum power that exceeds the capacity of the boiler (when choosing an electric heating device);
• TU disconnection of wiring in the apartment from the common heating system;
• TU ventilation;
• TU supply of gas networks.

Where to get the necessary documents

Collecting the required papers can take a lot of time and effort, because you will have to contact many services and organizations.

1. For permission to disconnect the apartment from the communal heating, go to the city heating system. A refusal can be obtained only in one case: if the removal of radiators will lead to a malfunction of the equipment in neighboring apartments.
2. Technical specifications for the installation of a gas installation are provided by the gas service. To get them, you need to go to the district housing department, from where a request letter is sent to the department.
3. The conversion plan is handled by the design organization. This document should contain all information about the future system, technical solutions and calculations.
4. The finished redevelopment project requires coordination with the authorities from which technical specifications were obtained, as well as with the fire department and SES authorities.

What to do when permission is obtained

If everything is done correctly and a positive answer is obtained, the next step will be the purchase of equipment and the conclusion of an agreement with the organization that will be involved in the installation of autonomous heating.

When, finally, the re-equipment is completed, and all installation work for the new system has been completed, a few more city organizations will have to go through and get an acceptance certificate. This will be the end of the official design of the individual heating installation.

If there are no financial restrictions, you can save yourself from walking around the offices and for a separate fee entrust the design service with all the approvals and documents.

The following video discusses the operating features of the most popular heater model - a gas boiler.