The vast majority of residents of apartment buildings are not happy with the quality of central heating. The apartments are either cold or unbearably hot, plus constant breakdowns, breakthroughs and other troubles. Such heating can hardly be called comfortable, and you have to pay a lot for it. Therefore, it is not surprising that many want to abandon central heating and install their own - autonomous, with a lot of advantages. Individual heating in an apartment is always convenient, timely and economical. It gives the owner the opportunity to independently control the “weather in the house”: without unnecessary problems and intermediaries.
- 2 What difficulties will you face?
- 3 Individual heating - to be
- 4 Letter of the law: no amateur performances
- 5 Selecting the necessary equipment
The main advantages of such a system
If the energy supply is uninterrupted, then no external factors can prevent you from staying warm. The same cannot be said about central heating. Its normal operation is highly dependent not only on energy resources, but also on the nature and quality of installation of pipes through which heat is supplied to the house, the nuances of the functioning of the boiler room and many other points. That is, from anything, but not from a person - the direct consumer.
Thanks to individual heating in an apartment building, you can always receive as much heat as is needed at a given moment in time. Do you want +18°C? Please! Comfortable at +27°C? Great! Heat an apartment during a damp and rainy summer? No problem!
A thermostat helps maintain a certain temperature in the apartment with an accuracy of one degree. This device promotes maximum energy savings and ensures effective control of the microclimate in the house
There is no need to turn on an electric convector or an oil radiator if the heat is not enough or keep the vents open for days on end because the radiators are too hot. The house will always have a comfortable temperature, which you set yourself.
Energy resources in an autonomous heating system are used as rationally as possible. If the home is well insulated, heating costs are guaranteed to decrease significantly.
Such systems are usually implemented on the basis of double-circuit boilers, which are also “responsible” for hot water supply. Consequently, thanks to individual heating in apartment buildings, another problem is solved - dependence on “planned” and an endless number of “emergency” shutdowns of hot water. Double comfort, right?
To learn how to correctly calculate the power of a double-circuit boiler and choose the appropriate equipment, read our material: https://aqua-rmnt.com/otoplenie/kotly/dvuxkonturnyj-nastennyj-gazovyj-kotel.html.
Autonomous systems are also good for construction organizations, as they significantly simplify, shorten and reduce the cost of the construction process - they can be installed and launched much faster; In addition, there is no need to install heating networks.
Types of boilers for autonomous heating systems
- Single-channel - for heating only.
- Two-channel - additionally heats water for water supply.
By installation method:
- wall;
- floor;
- parapet.
Photo 1. Parapet wall-mounted boiler from, model KSG-17.5S, equipped with an automatic safety system.
By type of fuel used:
- gas;
- electrical;
- liquid fuel;
- on solid fuel.
The choice depends on the capabilities of the apartment and boilers that meet the legal requirements: with a closed combustion chamber and automatic security systems. The energy carrier temperature must not exceed 95 °C , the pressure in the system cannot exceed 1 MPa.
Wall-mounted boiler equipment is used to install the system. Since it is difficult to install chimneys required for solid fuel boilers in an apartment building, the following would be preferable:
- electrical;
- gas.
Photo 2. Wall-mounted gas boiler for individual heating, installed in the kitchen of the apartment.
It is advisable to connect a pump to the boiler for forced circulation, since the natural flow of coolant will not provide sufficient pressure in the system; Technically, it is difficult to meet all the conditions for installing gravity circulation in an apartment.
What difficulties will you face?
Despite the many obvious advantages, autonomous heating also has significant disadvantages. The shortcomings relate not to the system itself, but to the process of its “legitimization” and arrangement. If you live in an apartment building connected to centralized heating and hot water supply, then the decision to install an individual system will cost you quite a lot in all respects. It will require not only colossal financial expenses, but also a lot of time, enough perseverance and mental strength.
The most difficult and problematic moment in the implementation of an individual scheme is not the technical side of the issue, but the paper side. When preparing documents, you will have to deal with total bureaucracy and collect a lot of permitting papers.
In practice, saying goodbye to such a “luxury” as central heating turns out to be very difficult. The “okay” for disconnecting from the central heating supply and installing an individual system must be issued by local governments. They should, but, as a rule, they don’t want to. Why? Due to a possible decrease in temperature in neighboring apartments, a violation of the hydraulic regime, and problems with the heat balance of the house. Therefore, on the one hand, “refusals” are, as it were, legal.
The performance indicators of centralized heating that do not meet standards and expectations, the extremely high level of accidents in heating networks against the backdrop of the unreasonably high cost of the service - all this encourages residents of apartment buildings to think about the need to switch to individual heating systems
On the other hand, according to the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, the consumer has every right to “break” relations with the heat supply organization if he does not have any debts to it.
So, with due persistence, it is usually possible to resolve the issue positively.
Autonomous heating in an apartment: what will need to be done
Let’s say right away that you will have to spend money not only on purchasing the necessary equipment and the work of craftsmen, but also on drawing up a project and getting it approved by various authorities. However, it's usually worth it because autonomous heating can actually avoid heating problems in winter. So, you will not need to be afraid of planned and unscheduled outages (in case of an accident), since your apartment will become almost completely independent of the central network. The only problem that you may have to face is turning off gas and electricity. But this happens extremely rarely in cities, and breakdowns are repaired as quickly as possible.
The next obvious advantage of individual heating is the ability of the consumer to regulate heat transfer, and therefore save money when the temperature rises. According to statistics, this way you can save almost twice. And if hot water supply is also connected to the boiler, then the savings on this resource are even threefold. Therefore, no matter how expensive it may seem to you to install a boiler, radiators and pipes, it will definitely pay off over time.
So, what will be required to install autonomous heating, and what will the funds be spent on? In general, before doing anything, you should familiarize yourself with the legal framework, this is especially true if autonomous heating is installed in an apartment building. But there are no prohibitions on individual heating as such in the legislation. There are only restrictions on the installation of certain individual sources of thermal energy, which are not suitable for operation in apartment buildings. Therefore, you just need to collect the necessary package of documents specified in Article 26 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation to carry out the reconstruction of residential premises. So, this package includes:
- title documents for the apartment (notarized copies or originals);
- application for reorganization;
- technical certificate;
- apartment renovation project;
- written consent of all family members;
- conclusion of the body involved in the protection of architectural monuments on the possibility of such reconstruction.
We recommend: Advantages of autonomous gas heating
Next, we will take a closer look at connecting individual gas heating - since this is the most convenient and popular option in Russia.
After considering your application, the management company issues written permission to disconnect the apartment from central heating. Moreover, you will need this document to order technical specifications (TU) for installing individual heating. Let us add that if you also need a gas connection - when installing a gas boiler - you will have to contact the gas service. Within ten days after applying, the technical specifications must be issued to you. There is, of course, a chance of being refused, but only in those regions where there is no gasification and it is impossible to purchase gas fuel in cylinders.
Next, you should purchase a certified boiler. And then contact the organization that issues projects. The latter, for a fee, will make a project for installing the boiler, taking into account its technical characteristics and the issued specifications. The next step will be to receive a project for disconnecting from central heating; you can obtain it from the heat supply organization based on the above-mentioned letter from the management company or HOA. Next, you will need to contact the local branch of the VDPO (All-Russian Voluntary Firefighting Society), the organization that issues the fire safety certificate for the facility, with the project documentation. If necessary, you can also make a project for arranging a chimney.
At the last stage, all collected documentation will also have to be approved by the local administration. According to the law, officials must issue a conclusion on approval within forty-five days, or refuse. However, the administration can refuse only if all documents are not provided. Let us add that in each specific region the list of documents may differ slightly, and therefore it is better to immediately clarify everything with the administration.
Individual heating boiler
Individual heating - to be
Since the in-house heating system is part of the common property in an apartment building, any actions to reconstruct it are possible only with the consent of the owners of all apartments. So the “green light” on the path to an individual heating system depends not only on local governments, but also on “good-natured neighbors.”
To get a positive decision, it is also very important to choose heating equipment wisely. It must be of high quality, must be approved for use by Rostekhnadzor, have the appropriate certificates, and a sanitary and epidemiological conclusion.
A good, high-quality, well-chosen boiler will provide you with warmth and comfort for many years: don’t try to save money on it, and certainly don’t buy a used unit
To obtain a decision on the possibility of transferring an apartment to individual heating, the applicant must submit the following documents to the local administration:
- application in the approved form;
- developed project;
- technical documentation package for system installation.
Project development should be trusted exclusively to trusted licensed organizations. It must contain calculations and conclusions confirming that turning off central heating in this particular apartment will not in any way affect the operation of the entire system in the house, and that the thermal-hydraulic regime of the building will remain within normal limits.
The decision must be made by the commission within one and a half months. In case of a “positive answer”, the applicant is issued a document authorizing him to carry out all the repair actions described in the project.
Second option: electricity
Autonomous heating in an apartment using electricity as fuel can be organized by installing:
- electric boiler, the same double-circuit version;
- heated floor;
- infrared heaters;
- and a heat pump.
With an electric water heating boiler, the same sequence of actions is used as with a gas analogue. There is just no need to install ventilation and a chimney.
Heating elements of a warm floor evenly warm up the floor covering, which then releases heat to the air. IR devices emit waves that heat the floor, walls and furniture. The air in the room is already heated by them. Compared to traditional heat radiators, these methods require significantly less to create comfortable temperatures.
But heat pumps will bring the greatest benefit to your apartment. Electricity is spent only on the operation of pumps that pump street air to extract thermal energy from it. In fact, this is a type of air conditioner, only aimed at heating indoor air or water in a heat exchanger. You should also install high-quality air conditioners in your home. The cost of installing an air conditioner varies depending on the amount of work you need.
This is a purely renewable source of heat energy. But you need to know that this equipment is effective only in climatic zones where street temperatures do not fall below minus 20-25 C.
Results
How to install autonomous heating in an apartment, which option to prefer can only be decided by the owner of the home.
In warm areas, a heat pump will be most beneficial. And although it is much more expensive than other options, it all pays off over time. In cities with harsh winters, a gas boiler is preferable. You can also combine gas heating with electric heaters. When it's cold, heat it with gas, and when it warms up, turn on a heat pump or other electrical heating device.
Letter of the law: no amateur performances
It is strictly prohibited to carry out such a complex reconstruction as the installation of an individual heating system without approval or even with minimal “deviations” from the project. Such amateur activity entails a fine. And, one way or another, you will have to return the living space to its previous condition within the prescribed period. If you do not want to incur double losses and get into trouble with the law, carry out all work exclusively in accordance with the available documentation.
Calculation of individual heating for an apartment should be carried out only by qualified specialists. The selection of equipment is carried out on the basis of the climatic characteristics of the region, heat loss of premises, room area, etc. - you are unlikely to be able to objectively take into account all the factors yourself
