How to properly change heating radiators in an apartment

Heating radiators provide comfortable temperature conditions in the apartment during the cold season. Traditionally, steel and cast iron heating devices were installed during the construction of a house and connected directly to the pipeline, without shut-off valves. In such situations, replacing batteries in an apartment involves additional hassle.

Replacing heating batteries in an apartment

Reasons for replacement

There are a number of reasons why heating appliances in an apartment building have to be changed. These include:

• Physical wear and tear of equipment
  . Old batteries deteriorate, lose their tightness, and during pressure testing of the system after emergency or seasonal maintenance work, or simply during operation, they leak.
• Insufficient heating
  . An old radiator differs from a new one in a thick layer of deposits inside the housing, which is why the coolant cannot fully transfer heat to the room.
• Insufficient power
  . In multi-apartment panel buildings, convectors can be installed, the power of which is not enough to fully heat large rooms.
• Unattractive appearance
  . The battery can be replaced for aesthetic reasons - modern models have an attractive, stylish design.

After making a decision to install new heating devices instead of physically or morally outdated ones, it is necessary to determine who will finance and carry out the work - the management company or the owner of the apartment.

Old cast iron battery

How to choose the right radiator

There are only 2 fundamental criteria: design and heat transfer. In terms of the second indicator, cast iron batteries remain unsurpassed, although aesthetically they look unattractive. But in modern stores you can also find artistic cast iron. Such devices are heavier than conventional ones, but they also heat better, and they don’t care about water hammer (sharp pressure drop), and besides, they look beautiful.

There is a growing popularity of bimetallic radiators, which perfectly resist corrosion and fit harmoniously into almost any interior. Manufacturers offer both wall-mounted and floor-mounted options. Such devices are connected using polypropylene pipes, the service life of which is 50 years. Elegant products look beautiful and last a long time.

To make the indoor microclimate comfortable, you will need to perform a simple calculation. First, the number of connecting devices is determined. For example, the area of ​​the room is 20 square meters. m. To heat every 2 meters, there is 1 section and 1 additional section for the entire room: 20: 2 + 1 = 11. A cast-iron device with so many elements will look cumbersome, a bimetallic one will look quite nice. But, if there are 2 windows in the room, it is better to place 2 batteries under them for 5 and 6 sections - this is the optimal solution.

Next, the amount of heat is calculated. It is different for each type of house.

The norm for heating one cubic meter of room is:

• for new buildings - 20 W;
• for brick buildings - 34 W;
• for panel buildings - 41 W.

Therefore, for the calculation it is necessary to know the heat transfer of one section. Let it be 100 W. We consider the volume of a room with an area of ​​20 square meters. m: 5 × 4 × 2.5 (ceiling height) = 50 m³. Let's say this is a new building. Then to heat the room you will need: 50 × 20 = 1000 W. We have 2 radiators with a total number of sections of 11. We multiply them by one hundred and get the result: 11 x 100 = 1100 W with the required 1000 W. Two batteries for 5 and 6 sections are quite enough to maintain a comfortable microclimate. Provided that there are no heat leaks through doors and windows.

Prices for heating radiators from different manufacturers

heating radiators

Whose responsibility is it to replace heating radiators in an apartment?

Let's figure out who should change the batteries in a privatized apartment. In accordance with Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 491 (came into force in August 2006), the entire heating system in an apartment building is classified as common property. Its composition (according to paragraph No. 6 of the Rules) includes heating network equipment, risers, valves (shut-off and for regulation), general house heat meters, as well as heating devices (radiators).

Accordingly, in the event of physical wear and tear of the batteries, leaks or overgrowth from the inside, the replacement of heating radiators in the apartment is carried out by the management company (ZhEK), to whose account residents receive monthly deductions for major repairs. It is the management company that is responsible for the maintenance and servicing of common property, part of which is the heating radiators in the apartments.

In practice, it is easier to achieve free replacement of emergency heating appliances in a municipal apartment. Housing office workers often force residents of privatized apartments to independently purchase a battery and pay for dismantling and installation work. But in accordance with current legislation, the purchase of a heating device and all work on its installation must be paid for from money collected for major repairs of the housing stock, regardless of whether the apartment is privatized or not.

In an effort to save money, management companies prefer to repair old batteries until they begin to crumble. Therefore, it may take a lot of effort to achieve free installation of new radiators to replace emergency ones.

Emergency heating radiator

If residents decide to install a new, modern heating device to replace an obsolete but serviceable one, they will have to resolve this issue on their own by paying for the purchase and installation.

Step-by-step instructions for filing a complaint about a heating shutdown

A well-drafted complaint is an effective tool for influencing organizations that are not performing their duties in good faith. The best option is to entrust the drafting of the document to a lawyer who has experience in such cases.

When filing a complaint about early heating shutdown on your own, you must remember to correctly fill out all official requests:

• the “header” of the document, the upper right corner of the sheet, must contain the following details: the full name of the structure to which the complainant is applying, its legal address, full name of the person (group of persons) on whose behalf the complaint is being filed, actual residential address, contact telephone number;
• in the central part of the face, the essence of the claim is stated directly, listing the measures taken and their consequences, the demands of the complainants are stated;
• Listed below are the attachments - inspection reports and other relevant documents, copies of which must be attached to the complaint;
• the document is certified by the signature(s) of the complainant(s), and the date of preparation is indicated.

The document is filled out in several copies, one of which is sent to the selected authority in the preferred way: by mail or via the Internet.

complaints about the lack of heating in an apartment/house can be found here.

Replacement of heating devices through the housing office

So, replacement of heating devices is carried out through the housing office only in situations where the established service life of the radiators has been exceeded, they are in disrepair and cannot be repaired. In other cases, when batteries leak, minor repairs are performed.

According to current standards, the service life of a cast iron radiator is 15-30 years when used in an open system and 30-40 years when used in a closed system. But, even if we are talking about an apartment building where the batteries were installed more than 40 years ago, the operating company is often limited to only repairing the radiator, since replacement is included in the list of major repairs, the timing of which may not yet be determined.

Replacing the battery using gas welding

To replace emergency batteries free of charge, residents must contact the Housing Office with a corresponding application. It is recommended to prepare two copies of the application and mark both as having been accepted by the responsible person at the housing office. The application and its copy are marked with the number, date and legible signature of the responsible person.

Duplicating the document will help if problems arise in the future related to the reluctance of the management company to change emergency batteries at the expense of the capital repair budget. But residents must defend their rights, since they paid for the replacement of old radiators through monthly payments for housing, maintenance and major repairs of the common property of the house.

Sample documents

As mentioned earlier, the citizen will have to write an application to the Housing Office. The form of the document is not established in current legislation. Therefore, it is permissible to write an application arbitrarily. However, it is important to follow generally accepted business practices. Experts advise reflecting the following information in the document:

• information about the organization to which the appeal is sent;
• personal data of the applicant and residential address;
• document's name;
• a statement of the specifics of the situation;
• a request made to the institution;
• date of document preparation and signature.

Handwritten paperwork is acceptable. The signature is affixed by hand. Having received an appeal, representatives of the authorized body are obliged to respond. If the decision is positive, it is permissible to turn off the heating.

Coordination of replacement of system elements

Replacing the heating system in an apartment requires approval from the utility company. You must obtain permission by contacting the administration of the operating organization servicing the house.

Even at the design stage of an apartment building, the heating system is calculated - the number and power of heating devices, their location, volume and temperature of the coolant, etc. are determined. Replacing heating batteries with models with different performance characteristics may result in deterioration of the heating system in the house. If unauthorized replacement heating batteries do not meet the design parameters, this provokes an emergency situation.

Removing the battery from the brackets

If you plan to change the heating radiators in the apartment yourself - at your own expense, you will need to submit a number of documents for consideration

:

• Application with attached technical passport for the apartment.
• A document confirming ownership of the apartment.
• Expertise-approved thermal calculations for new heating appliances.
• Certificates of conformity for all components (radiators, fittings, pipes, fittings, etc.).

Note! If the radiator is replaced with a similar heating device, permission is not required. In this case, the management company is only warned about the work being carried out.

Thermal calculation expertise is required if you plan to:

• change heating batteries by installing devices of a different type, with different technical characteristics;
• increase the power of the existing radiator by adding links;
• move the heating device to another part of the room.

An expert should check whether upgrading the heating system will not disrupt the thermal balance of the house. The examination is a paid service and is performed at the expense of the apartment owner.

From the moment the documents are submitted to the management organization until the permit is issued, it can take up to 2 months. After receiving permission, you must submit an application to turn off the riser and drain the coolant from the corresponding section of the system.

After replacing the heating batteries in the apartment, an application for technical examination is submitted - specialists and representatives of the management company check the correct installation and compliance of the heating devices with those that were approved for installation.

Considerations and possible consequences

<header class=”green”>Note

The complaint is considered, as a rule, within 10 to 30 business days from the date of its receipt. Based on the results of the analysis of the application, a higher authority may oblige the responsible organization to take measures to restore the heat supply, setting an acceptable time frame.

Also, the organization, due to whose actions the heat supply was stopped, is obliged to recalculate payments. Charges for the period of absence of heating or its limited supply cannot be considered legal.

As a rule, in order to return funds misappropriated by the company, residents must independently apply for a recalculation of funds for the entire time when the premises were not heated, contrary to legal norms.

Convenient time for work

The period of time when it is better to change heating batteries is the period between the end of one heating period and the beginning of another. During the heating interval, hydraulic tests of the system can be carried out. It is important to obtain information in advance from the management company about the timing of the tests in order to schedule battery replacement for other days.

It is better to change radiators in the summer

Due to an emergency situation, it may be necessary to quickly change heating devices. For a privatized apartment, emergency replacement of radiators is a paid service, since their performance must be monitored by the owner of the apartment and promptly notified to the operating company about leaks or physical wear and tear of old batteries that have expired.

Price

Replacing batteries in an apartment during the heating season requires significantly higher costs. The cost of the procedure is affected by:

• the region in which the premises are located;
• an institution that will deal with battery replacement;
• equipment used.

In federal cities, the cost of services is much higher. Plumbers from private companies ask for about 5,000 rubles.

However, the management company will give permission if its specialist is involved in the replacement procedure. Due to the presence of a monopoly on plumbing services, prices are inflated. As a result, the management company employees ask for 8,000 rubles.

A number of organizations propose to carry out the replacement procedure without disconnecting the entire entrance from the heating. For this purpose, a pipe freezing unit is used. This is a rather massive and expensive instrument. It will lead to an increase in cost by at least another 1000 rubles. At the same time, there is a risk that the riser will freeze in the neighboring apartment. This may give rise to a complaint and subsequent proceedings.

We change batteries ourselves

Before replacing the heating device with a new one, decide on the scope of work. If the battery is connected to horizontal pipes that come out of the wall, only the heating device itself is changed. In other cases, it is desirable to replace the riser so as not to cut metal pipes.

To replace the riser, you will need to negotiate with the neighbors above and below the floor - in this case, the pipeline is connected to their heating devices. If the neighbors do not want to start repairs, you can choose one of three options:

• cut the riser from top and bottom, cut external threads and install a new pipeline from modern materials;
• cut off the supply pipes next to the old radiator and connect the new heating device to the old pipeline;
• cut the supply pipes at the bend and connect new supply pipes with a bypass to the vertical sections of the riser.

Replacing heating radiators using welding
Steel pipes require installation using gas welding, for which you should hire professionals with the appropriate equipment. When installing a heating radiator yourself, it is more convenient to use metal-plastic pipes (a prerequisite is press fittings, not threaded connections), galvanized steel frames with installation on bends, corrugated or ordinary stainless steel pipes.

Removing old batteries

Before changing the batteries in the apartment, it is important to make sure that the management company employees have shut off the coolant supply and emptied the riser. Residents replacing radiators should have a convenient container ready to drain any remaining water from the radiator during dismantling.

If a decision is made to replace the heating radiator along with the riser or only with the supply pipes, then the pipeline is simply cut in the selected places. In the case when a new battery is installed to replace the old one, the heating device is removed according to the following scheme

:

• twist the locknut on the drive until it stops (it is what secures the battery), the operation is performed on the upper and lower connections;
• determine the cutting locations on the supply pipes, and it is necessary to leave at least a centimeter of thread;
• marks are made using a level - the cut must be vertical and even, otherwise it will be difficult to install a new battery;
• cut the pipes according to the marks and remove the battery to be replaced from the wall brackets;
• remove the brackets;
• If necessary, the edges of threaded pipes are trimmed by tightening the locknut and removing burrs.

Removing the old plate battery

Preparation for installation

At the stage of preparing to modernize the heating system in an apartment with your own hands, you should develop a connection diagram, determine the length and diameter of all sections of the pipeline, the number and type of components. The list of materials used must be approved by the specialists issuing permission to replace the battery. The scheme necessarily provides for the installation of shut-off valves on the supply line and a bypass - a jumper that allows you to turn off the radiator without blocking the flow of coolant in the house system.

Work on installing a new radiator begins after the location of the heating device has been determined:

• the gap between the floor and the lower edge of the radiator is at least 10-15 cm;
• distance from the top edge of the battery to the window sill - from 15 cm;
• a gap of 3-4 cm is left between the wall and the housing of the heating device (adjustable when installing the brackets).

Pipes, taps, fittings for battery installation

Note! Failure to comply with the recommended distances impairs the circulation of heated air and reduces the thermal efficiency of the radiator.

Installing a new battery

If the heating system riser has been dismantled, first of all, external threads are cut on the protruding parts of the old pipes for fastening steel or metal-plastic pipes using appropriate fittings. A bypass jumper is installed between the supply and return pipes using tees. After the bypass, a ball valve with an American connection is mounted on each of the horizontal pipes.

Threaded connections are sealed with flax strands and silicone sealant (or oil paint). This sealing option is allowed for connecting cast iron radiators; unlike FUM tape or thread, the seal is not squeezed out or torn. Sealants that do not dry out tend to squeeze out, while sealants that harden tend to dry out, causing the battery to leak.

Installing a new battery

To connect a heating device to the system yourself, you must adhere to a certain work technology

:

• Assemble the radiator. The lower unused hole is closed with a standard plug, and a Mayevsky tap is mounted on the upper pipe (the drainer will help remove the air lock when filling a new heating device).
• Foot nuts with right-hand and left-hand threads are installed on the radiator inlets, using paronite seals for sealing (rubber seals can dry out and crack when exposed to high temperatures).
• The radiator is installed on a stand of suitable height so that the adapter nuts can be connected to the American ones on the ball valves.
• After fitting, markings are made on the wall for installing brackets, holes are drilled and all four fasteners are mounted. To ensure that the battery is secured correctly, check the position of the brackets with a level - it should be horizontal.
• The radiator is connected to the supply pipes (it is important to properly seal all connections) and hung on brackets.

Upon completion of the work, representatives of the management organization fill the system with coolant - at this stage, the tightness of the connections and the heating device itself is checked. Using the Mayevsky tap, bleed the air from the battery when filling the system. To do this, use a special key or screwdriver to turn a special element. When a trickle of water flows from the hole, close the tap.

Note! To replace radiators in the entire apartment, you need to turn off each involved riser one by one, and you need to notify the management company.

Go shopping

So, what will we replace the old battery with, and what additional materials will we need?

Radiator

The best choice for a central heating system will be bimetallic radiators with a maximum operating pressure of 25 kgf/cm2.

Please note: for the sake of cost reduction, bimetallic sections are often equipped only with steel cores in vertical channels; the manifolds remain entirely aluminum. Our choice is cores that completely eliminate contact of the coolant with the aluminum shell.

Why bimetal?

There are two reasons for this.

1. High probability of water hammer. A torn valve of a screw valve, a fallen valve cheek, or simply excessively rapid filling of the circuit can, under certain circumstances, lead to a short-term pressure surge to values ​​of 20-25 kgf/cm at a standard pressure of no more than 5. What happens in such conditions to devices designed for more gentle operating mode - it’s not difficult to guess.
2. In addition, the steel core eliminates electrochemical corrosion of aluminum. The fact is that this metal forms a galvanic couple with copper: when aluminum and copper electrodes are placed in an electrolyte, a constant weak current arises between them.

The transfer of ions leads to accelerated destruction of aluminum. If one of your housemates has installed a copper connection, this will greatly reduce the life of the aluminum battery in your home.

Copper and aluminum in the same heating circuit are a dangerous combination.

Compared to traditional cast iron and steel radiators, bimetallic radiators stand out primarily due to their high heat transfer per section, amounting to up to 205 watts. The price of domestically produced devices starts from approximately 500 rubles per section.

Pipes

The same main selection criterion applies here - strength.

The following can be used in conjunction with bimetallic batteries:

• Black steel pipes with welded joints.

The radiator replacement was made with black steel and welded.

• Galvanized pipes with threads. In this case, welding is not used because it violates the protective zinc coating in the seam area, destroying the main advantage of galvanizing - corrosion resistance.
• Stainless steel corrugated pipes. Their advantages compared to competitors are extremely simple installation using cheap hand tools and flexibility, which allows you to get by with very rough sizing. Corrugated stainless steel bends with a turning radius equal to its diameter.

An important point: if you install a bimetallic radiator instead of a cast iron one that has the same center-to-center distance between the collectors (500 mm), the connections do not need to be changed. Of course, if they are not damaged by corrosion.

Shut-off and control valves, fittings

Battery wiring may include:

• A pair of ball valves for complete disconnection from the circuit.
• Valve and throttle. This kit allows you to manually adjust the heat output of the device.
• Valve and thermal head. The latter makes the heat transfer adjustment automatic: a constant temperature will be maintained in the room.

To connect bimetallic batteries to a new connection, it is most convenient to use American ones - fittings with union nuts. They greatly simplify the installation and dismantling of devices, reducing the time required for these operations to one or two minutes.

The Americans will simplify and speed up installation operations.