Low hot water temperature - detailed instructions for action

What standards are set?

Sanitary regulations oblige to ensure biological and chemical safety, cleanliness and transparency of hot water.

Requirements of sanitary and epidemiological laws for the quality of supplied water

Hot water supplied to residential buildings must meet the criteria of sanitary rules and regulations to ensure its safety:

• do not contain pathogens of dangerous infections;
• include a specified minimum of chlorine compounds;
• exclude skin diseases due to poor quality composition.

The temperature of hot water in the places where it is used should not depend on the design of the water supply system. Hygienic requirements do not allow the use of process water.

In centralized hot water supply systems, it is allowed to use only products that have passed the sanitary and epidemiological examination of institutions accredited for such types of work.

Reasons for decreasing water temperature

Now that we’ve sorted out the legislative basis, it’s time to understand what caused such deviations, which lead to the owners of apartment buildings not receiving quality resources, and the resource supplying organization not receiving part of their income.

The reasons can be very different . Let's start with those hidden in the homes of consumers themselves. For example, it often happens that due to the design features of the water supply system, circulation is disrupted. As a result, the water stagnates in the risers, cooling down overnight.

This situation may arise due to the fact that the water supply does not regularly flush the system. If this is not done in a timely manner, the pipes become clogged with foreign debris, interfering with the quality water supply.

Incorrect installation of water heating devices, faucets, etc. can lead to a similar result . In all these situations, no matter how hard the resource supply organization tries, the problem of underheating in a given house will remain no matter what.

It is more serious when the water is below the required temperature due to external reasons. For example, the house is the end of a water supply branch. In this case, if the water supply line is not looped, then you are a “dead-end” recipient of water.

By the time the water reaches your address, it has lost its temperature and is no longer as hot, this problem is especially acute in the morning. The only way out in this situation is to change the water supply line, but this is too expensive a “pleasure”.

A decrease in the hot water outlet temperature can also occur because the resource supply organization does not carefully monitor the outlet water temperature . This is the most common option; as a rule, in this case, one call is enough to change the situation for the better.

Hot water parameters law

SanPiN establishes the permissible temperature range of hot water supplied to the population: 60o C – 75o C.

Hot water must be supplied to the premises of residential buildings without interruption throughout the year.

Reference. In emergency circumstances, interruption of the resource supply for 8 hours is allowed. in general for a month and one-time for 4 hours. In case of an emergency on a dead-end main, the hot water supply is allowed to be shut off for 24 hours in a row.

If the established time of stoppages in the supply of hot resources increases, the payment for it should be revised according to certain algorithms. For every 60 min. exceeding the permitted break from that calculated as a whole for the billing period, the amount presented for payment is reduced by 0.15% of the payment volume.

Hot water. Deception. How to avoid paying too much? Online calculator. Counters that make life easier

Permissible fluctuations in values

Draining water from the tap at the point where the temperature of the hot stream is measured is allowed for no more than 3 minutes.

Deviations from the hot water temperature standards established by the laws of the Russian Federation are allowed:

• at night in the period from midnight to 5 o’clock - no more than 5o C;
• during the day from 5 to midnight - no more than 3o C.

For every 3 degrees of deviation from the permitted tolerances, the payment for hot water is reduced by 0.1% for each hour of deviation from the norms as a whole for the billing period.

Attention! If the supplied water is heated below 40o C, for each hour of its total supply for the billing month, payment is made at prices for cold water.

Under what circumstances can hot water be slightly heated?

Violation of temperature regulations for hot water delivery occurs for various reasons.

1. The resource supplier does not provide heating to standard levels.
2. Defects in the design of hot water supply pipelines. Hot water does not circulate in a closed circle with additional heating at the heating point. With weak analysis, the water cools down and it takes a long time to drain it. The management system is responsible for the circulation of fluid through intra-house systems. The organization that owns the utility networks is responsible for the serviceability of the forward and return pipelines outside the house.
3. Sometimes the hot water cycle is ensured, but a lukewarm stream of water still flows from the shower. The reason may be a closed valve along the apartment riser in the basement or on the upper technical floor.
4. Insufficient pressure in the main pipeline. At the central heating station, the heat supply organization is required to install hot water pumps.
5. Stopping the flow of water is possible due to clogging of the underlying section of the hot pipe.
6. An incorrectly connected water heating boiler installed in one of the apartments along the hot water riser. A working heater blocks the movement of the hot flow.

Measuring water temperature yourself

Measuring water temperature
To determine the exact temperature characteristics of the hot water flowing from the mixer, you need to measure its temperature yourself:

1. Turn off the hot water valve completely.
2. Wait five minutes.
3. Take water into a glass jar.
4. Place an alcohol thermometer with a centigrade scale into the collected liquid.
5. After a couple of minutes, take the actual temperature of the hot water entering the apartment.

Important! The results of measurements cannot serve as evidence of non-compliance with the procedure for providing utility services to require recalculation of payments. They only serve as a reason to contact the management company and the water supplier with a request to create a commission for measurements and draw up an appropriate act.

It should record violations in the supply of hot resources, their duration, identify the culprit of the deviations, and propose measures to eliminate them.

If independent research shows the temperature is below 60°, the owner of the apartment contacts the management company and the contractor with a claim for the provision of a utility product of inadequate quality. The application is submitted in writing in two copies, one of which remains with the applicant after registration of acceptance.

Measurements, sample report

In the absence of objective reasons for poor quality service provision, the management company and the resource supplying organization agree on a time and place of meeting to carry out control measurements and draw up a report.

Attention! The testing time is determined in accordance with paragraph 108 of Regulation No. 354: no later than 2 hours from the moment of delivery of the application from the hot water consumer.

Sample act of checking the quality of hot water
If the members of the commission do not come to a consensus on the fact of a violation of the quality of the service provided, any interested person has the right to initiate an examination of the quality of the supplied hot water.

What to do if cool water flows from a hot tap

What to do if cold water comes instead of hot water? Where to go in this case?

First of all, we call the management company and invite its representatives in order to record deviations from the norm. Remember, you can talk about recalculation only if there is an act in which this deviation is recorded.

In the event that specialists have recorded deviations from the norm, then starting from the day the report is drawn up, the legal requirement to reduce payment comes into force. This procedure for paying for hot water will continue until the commission draws up the next act, which will clearly indicate that the supplied water meets the required parameters.

This procedure corresponds to the ideal state of affairs . But what to do if the dispatcher at the management company does not want to respond to the request? Or was the act drawn up, but it never resulted in a positive reaction?

In this case, there is only one answer - we go to the GZHI - the state housing inspection. The latter has its own levers of influence on a negligent utility organization - a decision on a fine, revocation of a license, initiation of a lawsuit, etc.

You can, bypassing the State Property Committee, directly go to court on your own . In this case, the court will consider the claim for recovery of material damage in favor of the plaintiff. In this case, you can count on both material and moral damage. But get ready for the fact that there will be no quick decision from the court; the case will be considered for more than one week. As a rule, the court considers such cases in favor of the plaintiffs.

Another option to record violations of the temperature regime of the supplied water is to install meters with temperature sensors. This is expensive and not always justified, but temperature recording is carried out automatically around the clock. But keep in mind, this testimony will not be evidence of violations, it is just a reason to contact the management company.

If you do not have a meter with a temperature sensor, you can take measurements in another, cheaper way . Open the tap, run the water for 3-5 minutes, fill a small container with water and lower the thermometer into it, evaluate the result after a few minutes. If there are deviations from the norm, call the dispatcher. These measurements must be recorded. Please note that in accordance with Decree No. 354 of the Government of the Russian Federation, clause 108, measurements must be taken no later than two hours after receipt of the application.

The result of the commission's visit should be several copies of the act. One of which remains in the hands of the resource consumer. The commission may come after a longer period of time, but with mutual agreement.

In the event that specialists refuse to go to the address to take measurements, the owner of the apartment can independently draw up a report; this document must be signed by at least three witnesses. This act has exactly the same force as one drawn up by specialists and also serves as the basis for recalculation.

In this case, the period for ending the violation also ends with the corresponding fixation . Acts drawn up independently can be sent to the management company, Rospotrebnadzor, the prosecutor's office, or the magistrate's court.

There is only one conclusion - if you are regularly supplied with a low-quality resource, do not leave this situation without due attention and solve the current problem. In this case, the result will definitely be achieved.

How to properly file a claim

There is no single standard for filing a claim for the supply of hot water with a temperature below the established standards. When drawing up a complaint, they are guided by generally accepted standards for writing statements.

The header of the appeal indicates the full name of the addressee, last name, first name, patronymic of the applicant, place of residence, status in relation to the occupied premises (owner, tenant), telephone number.

Request for recalculation or change in service tariffs

The text of the statement succinctly sets out the essence of the claims being made with reference to the relevant legislative norms. If the complaint concerns the low temperature coming from a hot water tap, they write exactly about this, indicating any deviations from standard indicators.

In the final part of the claim, they are asked to organize an authoritative commission to conduct an on-site inspection of the stated facts, draw up a report, eliminate existing violations, and recalculate utility bills for the required period.

Sample claim requesting recalculation of payments for hot water supply

How can a water heater help?

It is possible that the answer to the question: why cold water runs instead of hot water and what to do in such a situation will be the transition to an autonomous water supply. That is, installing an electric boiler.

The heating device consumes a moderate amount of energy. With low consumption of heated liquid, its maintenance will cost the same as a centralized hot water supply. The volume of the tank is limited to a certain displacement, so when the heated H2O is completely drained from the tank, you have to wait until the next batch of water resource is heated.

One caveat. If there is no hot water metering device, you must install a plug on the riser, officially sealing it. Otherwise, bills for use will continue to arrive. Having a meter is another matter. There is no need to plug the pipe or put a seal. It is enough to close the valve at the inlet and make sure that the liquid medium from the electric boiler does not enter the system.

Where to complain when hot water is not up to standard

If there is no action taken by the management company or heat supply organization after filing a complaint, consumers have grounds to send a complaint to higher authorities.

General procedure for filing a complaint

Drawing up a complaint according to an exact template is not required; a free style of presentation is allowed. The document must include the following information:

• name of the recipient organization;
• position, surname, initials of its leader;
• personal data of the applicant, his address, telephone number;
• information about the legal relations connecting the applicant and the legal entity, but which he is complaining about, their rights and obligations regarding the supply of hot water;
• a brief summary of the violation, by whom and when it was recorded with reference to the relevant laws;
• applicant's requirements.

A copy of the commission's inspection report and a copy of the complaint sent to the offending organization are attached to the complaint.

Filing a complaint with the State Housing Inspectorate

The most effective way would be to contact the State Housing Inspectorate. Her responsibilities include monitoring compliance with the procedure for providing utility services.

Reference. GZHI has the right to oblige the management company or supplier to recalculate payments due to poor quality of service. In case of failure to comply with the order issued by the housing inspectorate, it has the right to apply penalties to the violator.

Time limits for consideration of a complaint

The legislation provides for a one-month period for the State Housing Property Inspectorate to respond to a complaint from the apartment owner.

Open and closed water supply networks

Both schemes differ significantly from each other. In the first case, in order to be heated, the liquid must interact directly with the coolant. In the second, heating is carried out due to heat exchange. Accordingly, the reasons why cold water flows from a hot tap are also different.

WWTPs are more susceptible to emergency situations, which is explained by the nature of their location. At the moment of a serious breakdown, H2O stops being supplied to the network completely. With ZSV everything is different. The aqueous solution continues to flow into residents' apartments, bypassing damaged areas of the pipeline.

In open systems, the liquid medium cools much faster due to the instability of analysis. In closed ones, the temperature is maintained at a certain level, and therefore communications do not fail so often.

In addition, WWS are characterized by the presence of a rather low pressure. Therefore, residents of the upper floors are often left without liquid heated to the established values. The solution to the problem in this case is special (boost) pumps. WSW, in turn, also has a noticeable drawback - large water losses. Therefore, it is necessary to install pumping stations for pumping.

Inadequate quality of hot water – grounds for challenge in court

The most effective way to achieve a recalculation of payments or restoration of faulty communications is to go to court.

Claim to a judicial authority

The statement of claim is written according to the rules of Article 131 of the Code of Civil Procedure; it is mandatory to indicate the following data:

• name of the court and its address;
• personal data of the plaintiff, his place of registration, telephone, email. mail;
• name of the defendant, his legal and actual address;
• cost of claims
• legal grounds for filing a claim;
• the essence of the requirements, evidence confirming the violation of the rights of the plaintiff by the defendant;
• claim of the plaintiff against the defendant.

Copies of the following documents are attached to the statement of claim to the court:

• agreements for the provision of housing and communal services;
• act of temperature readings of hot water;
• claim sent to the defendant;
• calculating the amount to be recovered;
• extracts from the State Register of ownership of housing or social tenancy agreements;
• extracts from the house register;
• payment notice for hot water payment.

Important! When filing a claim related to a violation of the rights of a consumer of a service, no state fee is charged.

The claim is sent to the court at the location of the defendant. If the cost of the claim is up to 50 thousand rubles. the statement of claim is considered in the magistrate's court; in case of recovery of a larger amount, the trial takes place in the district court.

What explains this non-compliance with standards?

There are a number of explanations for a problem so familiar to all Russians. Among the main ones:

• increased concentration of polluting particles in the heat exchanger (a device in which heat is exchanged between two environments that differ in temperature);
• direct failure of this technical unit;
• rust that has clogged the internal cavity of the pipeline;
• corrosion that occurs inside risers.

In addition, the possible shutdown of the heat exchange device in the house cannot be ruled out. As a rule, the need for deactivation arises during repair work or emergency situations at external points of the pipeline.

Actions for the future: meter with temperature sensor

Hot water meter with a temperature sensor
There is an effective way not to pay for cold water that is drained at the price of hot water: purchase and install a hot water meter with a temperature sensor. It measures the volume of water divided by tariff and temperature. Water with a temperature above 50o C is paid at the full rate. Water with a temperature below 40°C is charged at the cold water supply tariff. The advantages of installing a multi-tariff meter with a temperature sensor include:

• reducing the cost of paying for hot water;
• encouraging the supplier to eliminate violations.

The disadvantage of such a metering device: high cost. The purchase will be justified only if there are constant problems with hot water supply standards. If the Criminal Code refuses to seal the meter with a temperature sensor, the issue will have to be resolved in court.

How to pay less for hot water. Part 1. Multi-tariff hot water meter “Archimedes” in Russia.

How to solve the problem yourself?

The fight against public utilities may drag on for years, but it will never be resolved. But this problem can be solved independently.

We install a heat meter

You can install a thermometer. This device only records water that corresponds to the declared temperature. Anything below the norm is not taken into account. But be prepared for the fact that this device entails a number of difficulties.

The principle of operation of such a device is as follows: it distinguishes between the consumption of hot water and that which is below the required temperature. He transfers cool water into the cold water consumption column:

1. A recalculation cannot be carried out on the basis of such a device; a recalculation can only be carried out on the basis of an act drawn up by the commission.
2. To install such a meter, it is necessary to obtain permission from utility companies, who may not take such a step and not seal this device;
3. Accounting for the consumption of hot water as cold water will most likely fall on the other residents, which they may also not like;
4. This device will not solve the problem of underheating; the water will continue to flow intermittently.

Installing a boiler

There is another, more radical way to solve the problem - install a boiler . With reasonable resource consumption, in a few years you will pay for the purchase of the boiler and at the same time receive stable hot water. But there are some nuances in this issue.

The water heater is installed on a cold water supply pipe, which according to regulations is much cheaper. To eliminate potential questions about why hot water consumption in your apartment has dropped sharply, it is better to seal it in advance and shut off the hot riser by the management company.

Be prepared for the fact that switching to autonomous hot water supply will lead to an increase in your hot water bill. Therefore, before purchasing a boiler, it is necessary to study this issue in detail and choose a device with optimal energy consumption.

It is best to choose a boiler with a capacity of up to 200 liters with heating element . Such a water heater provides heating of water inside the device and, thanks to the thermal insulation layer, retains heat well, preventing the water from cooling quickly.

With reasonable use of such a device, heating occurs gradually and the price is comparable to centralized water supply.

But you need to understand that in the case of a boiler, pouring water like from a hot tap will no longer work, since the capacity of the water heater is limited . Therefore, when the water is completely drained from the boiler, it takes time to heat up again to the desired temperature.

When installing a boiler, it is not necessary to shut off the hot water riser if the apartment has meters; this procedure is necessary only if there is no device and the calculation is carried out according to standards.

Thermal sensor in a measuring device

A good device that allows you to reduce the cost of heated liquid. It actually records H2O corresponding to certain indicators. The unit separately takes into account the amount of actually hot water resource and what is supplied from the hot water tap, but does not correspond to the temperature required by the standards.

AMETHYST - 02 M up to 2 cubic meters/day.

Aeration unit AS-1054 VO-90

Main table dispenser AquaPro 919H/RO (hot and cold water)

The volume that was not heated to the required t will be added to the cold water supply and paid at the established cost for this category of services.

Of course, using a temperature meter offers tangible benefits, but also causes some inconvenience. Thus, according to the law, automatic recalculation is prohibited. That is, the owner will have to invite a representative of the management company, who will carry out control measurements and draw up the necessary document confirming the fact of the violation. It won't be faster.

In addition, the purchased and installed device must be pre-sealed and put into operation. Again, this cannot be done without the assistance of a management company employee.

And one more unpleasant moment (from an ethical point of view). By counting the heated liquid at the price of hot water, the apartment owner shifts the responsibility to pay for this “discounted” volume of hot water to other residents. Since the expense goes to general house needs.

How to write a complaint?

So, you have received an act and don’t know what to do with it and where to turn if utility employees are inactive. You can:

• Write a paper to the State Housing Inspectorate. If the document is collective, the inspectorate will respond to it faster. The claim is sent by registered mail with notification or submitted to the inspection. Next you need to wait for a response. If the answer does not satisfy the applicant, you can contact other authorities;
• Rospotrebnadzor is the next organization where you should apply. You attach to it a statement of non-compliance with the service and a response from the housing inspection;
• The prosecutor's office will help if no one has taken measures to solve the problem;
• A lawsuit is filed after you have gone through all previous authorities.

The supply of hot water that does not meet the requirements and standards may be the result of the action or inaction of the management company, or the housing office, as well as the organization providing the heat supply service. The statement of claim is filed in court at the place of residence.

When residents initially file a complaint, it is important to adhere to existing guidelines for this type of correspondence. The document is supported by references to current regulations. This is Article 7.23 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, as well as SanPiN 2.1.4.2496-09, or Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354. Rude phrases, swear words, emotional connotations or threats in the text are unacceptable. Such a complaint will not be accepted for consideration. The document must be informative, the approximate length is 2000 characters.

The law has not established a form for this appeal, but the document must always contain:

• The name of the organization to which the complaint is being sent;
• House address;
• Number of apartments in the building;
• The date when the problems started;
• Listing of measures taken;
• Justification indicating laws;
• Requirements and deadlines within which residents expect a response;
• Personal data and signatures of applicants.

Make several copies of the complaint. Each structure will receive its own copy. A copy with notes indicating acceptance of the document remains with you. The submitted application samples will help you prepare the paper correctly.

Complaint form for hot water not meeting established standards WORD 12.34 KB

Sample complaint for discrepancy in hot water temperature WORD 14.02 KB