What could be the reasons that the battery in the apartment does not heat up — we tell you how to diagnose the problem, where to complain and how to achieve a recalculation
One of the most frequent communal complaints in the winter is: “The battery in our apartment does not heat up!”. But what to do with it, where to complain and whether it is possible to receive some kind of compensation, many do not know. To help understand the nuances of housing and communal services, Komsomolskaya Pravda has prepared instructions. We tell you what to do if the battery in the apartment does not heat up.
Why batteries may not heat in the apartment
— In our practice, we often encounter the human factor, which becomes the root cause of non-working batteries. Simply put, people do not know or forget that they have a closed coolant supply valve — a running valve. They are often indulged in by small children. Or adults in the spring, when the thaw came, closed it and forgot, — explains management company employeeViktor Vlasov.
If you live in a new house or have a new radiator, it’s enough to experiment with a rotating mechanism. If it goes well, then spin it in different directions and observe after a couple of hours whether the temperature has changed.
>
>
Old batteries are also equipped with a three-way valve: a rod nut on which a lever is put on. But sometimes it is lost and you can only turn it with a plumbing key. It is better not to climb with pliers — the mechanism is fragile, you can easily crush it. Before starting work, lay a rag on the floor, as water may begin to drip. You need to find a balance: unscrew it so that nothing spills onto the floor.
However, if the mechanism is rusted and does not want to rotate in any way, then it is worth calling the master. It is best if this is a specialist from your management company, since he is probably familiar with the heating system in the house and this type of battery.
- Often problems arise after the installation of new radiators. Residents mount them themselves or call incompetent specialists. As a result, the installation was done incorrectly — the battery does not work, — the interlocutor of KP shared.
If the installation is normal, the tap is turned correctly, then at least some part of the radiator should still heat up. A serviceable device is heated entirely. But if only one part of it is hot, then you have a blockage or an air lock. Air can be released through a special valve. It is enough to carefully turn it with your fingers, if there is a lever. Or a screwdriver — if there is a screw. Even the dispatchers of your emergency gang can often tell you by phone.
“However, in this case, it is often necessary to call an emergency team, which will diagnose the problem and fix it. It is possible that the radiator is out of order and will have to be replaced. But during the heating season, this can only be done when the weather is good, since you need to apply for turning off the heating. In this regard, the residents of new buildings with horizontal heating distribution were lucky. They do not need to turn off the entire riser from top to bottom, — says Viktor Vlasov.
Where to go in case of poor heating in the apartment
1. Find out with whom you pay for heating. In other words, who is the service provider: a management company or a resource supply organization. To find out, the easiest way is to call the reception of your Criminal Code and ask.
2. Call the dispatching company-executor and leave a complaint. An emergency team will be sent to you. She’ll inspect your radiators. If they are defective, they will advise repair. If everything is fine, but the apartment is not warm enough, the air temperature should be measured. After that, an act is drawn up.
3. If the problem is not with the batteries, but with a low-quality service, then there are 14 days to eliminate the deficiencies, after which they must again come with measurements.
4. If you haven’t done anything, then write appeals to the prosecutor’s office, the State Housing Inspectorate and Rospotrebnadzor. The text is in free form, but try to be less lyrics, more facts: the exact address, the dates of the emergency team call, the time, the temperature in the apartment, a copy of the temperature measurement report. Everything can be sent electronically to the post office of the department or through the Internet reception on the official website.
Popular questions and answers
How many degrees should be in the apartment?
There is GOST R 51617–2000, which specifies all the standards. At night, they can deviate to a smaller side, but not more than three degrees Celsius. You can exceed them, but not more than four degrees Celsius.
In the living room: +18 degrees Celsius.
In the living room on the corner of the house: + 20 degrees Celsius.
In the kitchen and in the toilet: +18 degrees Celsius.
In the bathroom, including the combined bathroom: + 25 degrees Celsius.
In a living room in the northern regions, when the temperature outside the window is ‑31 degrees Celsius and below for more than five days: +20 degrees Celsius (+22 degrees Celsius for a corner room).
How to get a recalculation?
A conscientious heating contractor will make the recalculation himself. Sometimes they forget and a call to the accruals department is enough. In Moscow, you can apply for recalculation at the offices of the MFC “My Documents”. The regions may have their own practice. You will definitely need an act of measuring the temperature in the room, which was carried out by the emergency team.
The recalculation is calculated as follows: 0.15% X every hour of X deviations for each degree below the norm. It is produced separately for night and day hours, since during the day deviations to the smaller side are completely unacceptable, and at night they can reach three degrees Celsius.
Note that you can apply for recalculation for heating only once a year. But recalculation can and refuse to do. If you are sure that you are right, you will have to seek a change in payment through the courts.
How to reduce heating bills?
- I repeat once again that people who live in new buildings with horizontal heating distribution are lucky. They install individual meters for each apartment. The coolant supply can be reduced or turned off completely and not paid. For all other residents of old houses, there is only one recommendation: install an automated heating metering system with a single meter. The decision on this is made at the general meeting of homeowners. Such a system regulates the temperature of the batteries itself, based on the air temperature outside the window, says an employee of the management company Viktor Vlasov.
