Q Why do we turn off our hot water every summer?

I have always been surprised by people in whose lives nothing interesting happens. So, I went out to the store - which is only 10 minutes away. And along the way there are so many interesting things: topics for posts are lying, standing, pouring down on my poor head, as if from a cornucopia.

What do you see in this photo? Some kind of yellow trailer of unknown purpose. But for knowledgeable person its purpose is very clear. And the presence of this thing near the heating point should delight thousands of residents of surrounding houses. This means that they will not be disconnected hot water.

This is a mobile boiler installation. Every summer our hot water supply is turned off. IN Soviet times They turned it off for a month, then they started turning it off for three weeks. Now, it seems, everything is done in 10 days. I don't really care about this. I installed an electric heater especially for this occasion. True, it takes up space in the corner - but then I always have hot water. Mother was not too lazy to calculate how much it costs us to heat the water ourselves - it turned out to be half the price of buying it from the city. There was a proposal to switch to self-service. I had to explain that no one would change the citywide order for our sake alone.

The water is turned off so that the mechanic can clean and put in order the heat exchangers-boilers in the heating point. But if such a mobile system is available, it is included in the network for the duration of professional services for the stationary one. The connection is made with flexible hoses through a specially made hatch. When the stationary heat exchanger is cleaned, the mobile system will be moved to the next heating point. Given the current standards in Moscow, such a system can serve 35 heating points per year. Why not 36? So you need to leave ten days for your own prevention. Another advantage of using such systems is that they can be used to clean stationary boilers. all year round. Today, in order not to turn off the heating, such work is carried out only in the summer. And instead of summer vacations, mechanics begin to work hard.

I don’t know how many heating points there are in our city, but, according to my estimates, about 15 thousand. That is, several hundred mobile systems are capable of fully covering the needs of a city of 10 million people. And then hot water outages will remain only in the memories of old people.

I also came across mobile boilers in the Soviet years. But then they worked not for results, but for ticks. The use of such new products did not add any ticks, but there was a few hours more additional work - to switch the water first from the hospital, and then back to the hospital. It was easier to leave the residents without hot water for a month. I remember one mobile boiler was lying around in our area for several years - until it rotted.

Today, hot water sellers do not want to lose money - hence the stricter deadlines for professional work and the use of mobile units. And that makes me happy. In the 21st century, washing in a 20-story building in the summer from a basin is nonsense.

“It seems that the Soviet Union has been gone for more than ten years, and the Communist Party has long ceased to lead and direct, and, as before, every year in the summer scheduled three-week shutdowns of hot water begin in houses. Every year, destroyed socialism reminds itself of itself with a small piece of paper on the entrance door: “In your house from such and such to such and such...” This is how, or almost this is how journalists begin articles devoted to summer hot water outages in Moscow.

Let's try to understand the question - why is this being done and whether it is possible to do without hot water shutdowns using the example of the Moscow heat supply system.

To do this, first, you need to understand the essence of the heat supply and supply system hot water Moscow.

The principle of heating your home using a fire or fireplace existed almost until the 20th century, and only industrially developing Germany first used what is now called centralized heating. In Moscow, Mosgorteplo uses heat and hot water supplied to the heat and water supply systems of houses and buildings for the preparation of heat and hot water. thermal energy, generated at the thermal power plant of Mosenergo OJSC. The process of “preparing” heat and hot water with the necessary parameters of pressure, temperature and composition of water, as well as accounting for thermal energy, takes place at centralized heating points (CHS) “Mosgorteplo”.

But human civilization is constantly developing, and what was once a breakthrough is today a vestige of the Soviet era of general centralization.

The fact is that the Soviet system district heating at one time was developed without taking into account the conditions in which it would be used in our country. Parameters were laid down for water quality, temperature, the quality of the same pipes, and the regulation regime, which did not exist in reality. In fact, the water is completely different, it is active, it destroys the pipes. The pipes were also made from the wrong metal; they deteriorate much faster than expected. The methods of laying pipes were not optimal - because of this, huge heat losses occur. The very principle of laying heating mains was very simple: steel pipes were wrapped mineral wool and were placed underground in special concrete “cases” - trays. At the same time, hot water supply pipes were laid in the trays. We will leave the important issue of huge heat losses and significant costs for installing heating mains with such a system for another information material. Here we note another factor in the quality of water supply - increased corrosion of internal surfaces steel pipes, often giving hot water a yellowish tint. As a result of all this, it turned out that the system was wearing out “several times” faster than expected. The aging periods of systems turned out to be much shorter. And since this coincided with well-known problems in our economy and the almost complete stop in the 90s of investment programs for the transition to modern technologies, this has led to the fact that today the heat supply system requires constant, regular reconstruction.

Let us highlight two main reasons summer shutdown hot water in citizens' apartments:

Repair and maintenance work at thermal power plants and main networks of Mosenergo OJSC

Work on the reconstruction of heat distribution networks and the Mosgorteplo central heating station

Preventive work on hydrotesting of existing and reconstructed heating networks and thermal inputs "Mosgorteplo", verification, installation, replacement of equipment at central heating stations.

All this work is called preparation for the new heating season. And all of them are aimed at maintaining the centralized heating system in working order in winter period, that is, trouble-free operation throughout the entire heating season from October to April inclusive. This task is a priority for any heat supply organization in Russia.

State Unitary Enterprise Mosgorteplo is responsible for approximately 5,000 km of pipelines and 5,200 central heating stations. Every year, reconstruction work is required on approximately 10% of the entire length of heating networks. At the same time, it is necessary to constantly conduct hydrotests of heating networks to identify emergency and problem areas. During hydrotests this summer alone, 1,397 damages were identified and repaired - sources of potential accidents in winter. Added to this is work at heating points. In preparation for the 2003-2004 heating season. 226 central heating stations were seriously reconstructed.

The law establishes that the duration of repair and maintenance work and associated hot water outages cannot exceed 21 days. Mosenergo OJSC coordinates with Mosgorteplo a schedule of shutdowns and work completion by dates and areas. It is during these periods and exactly according to the approved schedule that hot water is turned off in apartments. Failure to complete work within the established time frame and increase the shutdown period is a state of emergency. Such a case will be the subject of analysis at the highest city level. The issue of accuracy of work and compliance with deadlines when turning off hot water is always the subject of special control by the Moscow city authorities.

But is it possible, at least in the future, to refuse to turn off hot water in summer period?

There are several directions in solving this issue. All of them, like almost everyone in our world, even if it sounds banal, depend on money.

The first path that Mosgorteplo is already taking is modernization everywhere existing system centralized heating by:

Applications modern systems pipelines using polymer materials, designed for long-term, up to 50 years of operation. In addition to a significant reduction in heat losses, which contributes to the stabilization of tariffs and the absence of corrosion, these pipelines allow you to “forget” about them for many years. Already this year, Mosgorteplo is using 60% of such pipelines when reconstructing heating networks, despite the significantly higher price than steel pipelines.

Introduction of automation and dispatch systems for the centralized heat supply system, which allows you to quickly monitor, predict and manage the situation in heat supply systems. This system currently covers 950 central heating stations out of 5,200. And it is planned to completely combine the Mosgorteplo distribution networks into one control system by 2006.

All these measures will make it easier, reduce the timing and number of facilities shut down in the summer, but will not fundamentally change the situation.

The solution is to diversify the heat supply system, to gradually move away from the very cumbersome centralized heat supply systems that are now being built everywhere, and to move towards greater variety.

The current experience of European countries clearly demonstrates that a system of only centralized heat supply to buildings is ineffective in principle. To remodel the heat supply infrastructure, it is necessary to build many small boiler houses (for each apartment building or in each microdistrict) for backup or even main heating supply, depending on the specific conditions of each house. That is, build a backup heat supply system. For example, the heat supply system in Stockholm has been solved.

At the same time, it is necessary to completely reconstruct and replace all heating networks with pipelines using modern materials.

The city authorities have an understanding of this problem, but it requires huge amounts of money. We must be realistic - we will have to follow this path for quite a long time and planned shutdowns of hot water in apartments in the summer will continue. But we are moving in the right direction. Today, the Moscow heat supply system is the most reliable and sustainable in Russia. Understanding the challenges at hand and planning to solve them, Mosgorteplo directs all its efforts, organizational and financial resources to turn these plans into reality. And it has achieved significant success in this direction. Confirmation of which, in addition to dry figures, is the work on heat supply to Moscow without any significant accidents, meeting the growing demand for heat and hot water, reducing losses, increasing the efficiency of heat supply and its quality. This is the reality of today and Mosgorteplo can be proud of it.

Often today the question of why hot water is turned off remains quite relevant. This is especially important in the summer, when there is no hot or cold water. During hot periods, you just need to take a shower. It’s easier to be left without electricity or gas. The lack of water is perceived as a natural disaster.

Today, many residents blame the relevant organizations for why hot water is turned off. But do not forget that any communications require repairs or preventive inspections, the condition of the pipes is checked, and this, in turn, requires turning off the water.

City residents constantly wonder why cold and hot water are turned off today and whether this is really necessary.

What are the reasons for turning off the cold water?

Before disconnecting, the organization providing these services is obliged to notify all residents of the reason and timing of the cessation of water supply. The announcement must only be in writing.

The reasons may lie in the full or partial debt of consumers for water supply services.

Attention! The main reason is repair and maintenance work.

Every year in the summer, planned work is carried out to improve and repair pipes and sewer systems(centralized or in-house). Schedules for such work can be viewed in advance on special websites; in other cases, residents are warned in advance.

Situations arise in which the supply cold water stops suddenly, without warning. This happens due to unforeseen situations - water supply accidents or natural disasters, as a result of which communications are disabled.

The cause of the breakdown must be eliminated immediately, otherwise it may cause significant losses. The water is turned off suddenly, in this case it is impossible to warn residents in time about the accident and the consequences.

Another reason for stopping water supply is illegal connection to the system. In such cases, all residents of the house may suffer, being left without water for an indefinite period.

Why can hot water be turned off today, what is the reason for this?

There are several reasons:

• renovation work on communications;
• preventive measures and other work, including inspection of old equipment;
• replacement of pipes and equipment in case of wear, which takes some time;
• test work.

Preparing your water supply system for the winter season is of great importance. This is necessary for good functioning during the heating season, in order to avoid accidents in the water supply during the coldest time of the year, when it becomes dangerous, as it threatens to turn off the heat.

Why is hot water turned off today for long periods of time, as people think? In fact, preventative work is carried out within 3 weeks. The authorities approve a schedule for turning off hot water for no more than 21 days; this is a legal basis for stopping water supply for a certain period. Water shutdowns are controlled by local authorities.

If possible deadlines are exceeded by more than long time, any of the residents of the house has the right to apply to the appropriate organization to find out the reasons for turning off the water.

On a note! If hot water is illegally turned off or its quality is poor, you should contact the organization servicing your home for further recalculation of the payment for hot water.

When hot water is turned off today in Ufa, a document is always submitted in writing, indicating why this happens in the summer, autumn and, if necessary, throughout the year. In addition, there are pre-made schedules for microdistricts, which do not exceed more than 2 weeks in individual houses (according to documents). Usually this period is quite enough for utility services to carry out preventive actions.

In addition, to the question of why hot water is being turned off in Petrozavodsk today, we can say that this is due to an examination of the safety of all heat supply facilities.

In Moscow, hot water is turned off annually from May to the end of August for maintenance work. The water shutdown schedule is drawn up and published before the start of the planned shutdown season. In 2019, this schedule will appear in April.

2. Why is hot water turned off every year in Moscow?

Turning off hot water is a technical necessity to prepare communications for the heating season, in order to ensure reliable operation of all elements during the cold season complex system centralized heat supply - thermal stations, main and distribution heating networks, central and individual heating points. Carrying out preventive maintenance, as a rule, requires turning off hot water to consumers for a short period of time.

3. For how long is hot water turned off?

Today in Moscow the duration of outages is no more than 10 days. Moreover, in 2011 the water was turned off for 14 days, and even earlier - for 21 days. 10 days is a reasonable period for turning off hot water without loss of quality and reliability of the Moscow heat and power system.

In new microdistricts where new generation networks have been laid, modern heating points, the shutdown period can be reduced to the minimum necessary for carrying out preventive maintenance to ensure high-quality preparation of the equipment. Replacing older motors, pumps and heat exchangers requires more time and attention. For this reason, the shutdown period may vary in different areas, blocks and even neighboring houses.

The period for shutting off hot water for the period of maintenance work is indicated from the time and date of the start of the shutdown to the time and date of the end of the shutdown of hot water supply, but cannot exceed 10 days, that is, it must be less than 240 hours.

4. In which houses in Moscow is the hot water not turned off at all or is it turned off for a short period of time?

In homes with alternate piping, the hot water may not be turned off every year, or for a short period of time, because it is possible to check and repair the main system while hot water is flowing through the backup pipes. However, even the most modern equipment requires prevention, so completely refuse to turn off hot water in a metropolis with centralized system heating supply is not possible.

5. Why don't they turn off the cold water?

Cold water shutdown - emergency and planned, reasons and differences. How planned shutdowns are carried out, legal and illegal reasons for limiting water supply. How emergency shutdowns occur. How water supply payments are recalculated after a shutdown. Read our article - why there is no cold water.

from the article you will learn:

Uninterrupted water supply to houses and apartments connected to the central water supply is the responsibility of the resource supply organization. However, in some cases, turning off cold water is still possible. These situations are stipulated by law, and when they arise, the supplier acts in accordance with a certain algorithm.

Reasons for turning off cold water

There may be several answers to the question of why there is no cold water. It is usually disabled for the following reasons:

• Previously planned repair work is being carried out. In this situation, residents of the house must be notified of upcoming events 10 working days in advance. The responsibility for notification lies with the management company;
• accident on internal communications;
• failure on networks outside an apartment building.

If unpredictable emergency situations occur, cold water is turned off without notification.

1. The water supply in the apartment is in unsatisfactory condition and the owner of the property does not fix the problem. In such cases, the water is turned off in order to prevent flooding of the rooms below. The shutdown is not permanent; it is carried out urgently to carry out repair work.

2. An unauthorized connection to the water supply system was detected. This is a violation of the law, it is promptly stopped and punished with a fine.

3. Local or federal authorities have ordered that water supply to the property be interrupted. The supplier implements this decision, and in case of disagreement, it is not his actions that are appealed, but the order that determined them.

By sanitary standards turning off cold water for debt is prohibited, as is deprivation of heating during the cold season. Thus, drinking water can be turned off only in case of an accident, planned repairs, preventive maintenance and illegal connection to networks.

How long can cold water be turned off by law?

Temporary restrictions are established by law for planned and emergency water shutdowns. During one month, consumers can be left without water supply for a total of no more than 8 hours. The maximum duration of a one-time shutdown is 4 hours. This applies to all planned events.

In the event of an accident, water supply organizations must repair the breakdowns as a matter of urgency. In this case, the time standards will be different; they depend on the complexity of the accident, the depth of the pipelines and other factors.

If a planned shutdown of cold water occurs for a longer period of time, this indicates an inadequate quality of the services provided. In this situation, the citizen has the right to demand that the supplier recalculate payment for services.

A violation of the agreement on the supply of drinking water to apartments is not only its shutdown beyond the established time limit. This also includes reducing the pressure in the pipes. If it falls by 25% or more, then this also becomes a reason to recalculate the payment towards its reduction.

The consumer is obliged to regularly pay for water supply; violations are punishable by penalties and fines. At the same time, the supplier is also responsible for the quality of the services provided. All cold water shutdowns must be justified and carried out in accordance with the established procedure. Otherwise, the supplier will also face sanctions. Eat whole line cases in which turning off water supply is considered illegal:

• planned engineering works, but residents did not receive the necessary advance notices;
• the water supply is shut off for non-payment, even if there are actual debts. As we have already indicated above, drinking water cannot be turned off even for debtors. To combat them, utility companies must find other methods, for example, charging penalties and fines, going to court, limiting the supply of other resources;
• unreasonable interruption of water supply or reduction of its pressure in pipes;
• delay in turning on the water after the problems have been corrected.

Emergency shutdown of cold water

In the event of an accident, the water is turned off immediately to minimize negative consequences and eliminate the malfunction as quickly as possible. Utility services are obliged to carry out repairs and restore water supply as soon as possible. All forces are being thrown at this. The estimated time to eliminate accidents on the water supply system is determined in SNiP 2.04.02-84.

Emergency water shutdown is carried out not only in case of pipe breaks and other damage to the water transportation system. Another reason for this may be a significant decrease in the quality of drinking water. In this case, it is also disabled until the problem is resolved. This is a completely justified measure, since we are talking about the health of citizens.

IN emergency mode Cold water is also turned off when extinguishing fires, for which increased water volumes are sent. Fires are usually extinguished fairly quickly, so citizens do not experience any particular inconvenience.

A separate measure when water supply is limited is the supply of drinking water. It is delivered by road tankers in quantities corresponding to water consumption standards for citizens. The specific delivery time is not determined. However, there are certain rules that work here to minimize discomfort for the population.

If cold water is turned off as planned, then warned citizens make the necessary supplies at home. In this case, tank trucks are sent to the site only in situations where repair, restoration or preventive measures are delayed for more than a day. During an emergency shutdown, everything works differently. If the accident is not resolved within the next few hours, water will be supplied to ensure the current consumption of citizens.

Recalculation of water charges after disconnection

Resource supply organizations can adjust the amounts indicated in receipts upward or downward. In the case of turning off cold water, we are talking about lost resources. Payment here, naturally, should decrease. This is not done automatically; to make an adjustment, you need to submit an application for recalculation and support it with compelling reasons.

Recalculation is carried out not only for apartments in which meters are not installed and water supply is paid according to consumption standards. In housing with metering devices, amounts are also recalculated. This is one of the ways to influence the resource provider, who, when providing services poor quality receives less money for the cubic meters actually consumed by consumers.

We will describe three main cases related to shutting off cold water and other violations in which you can apply for recalculation.

1. Water is not supplied longer than the hours established by law. Let us remind you that this is 4 hours at a time or 8 hours in total over the course of a month. Additionally, a 24-hour shutdown is provided for dead-end highways. If these standards are exceeded, for each extra hour of outage in the billing month, the payment is reduced by 0.15%. The reduced amount can be calculated according to consumption standards or in accordance with meter readings.

2. The composition and properties of the water do not meet sanitary standards. This is an unacceptable violation for which the supplier will be severely penalized. If this occurs, then no fee will be charged for each day of supplying water of inadequate quality. The meter readings do not matter in this case.

3. The water pressure in the pipes decreases. Such a violation is also not allowed because it prevents citizens from partially or fully using the water supply. In the described situation, residents of apartments on the upper floors suffer the most. For them, this becomes tantamount to turning off the cold water.

If the pressure drops to 25% of the standard, then for each hour of operation of the water supply in this mode, the monthly payment amount is reduced by 0.1%. A drop in pressure of more than 25% is punished even more severely. In this case, for all days during which such a decrease in pressure was observed, water supply is not paid for. The meter readings here, again, do not matter.