The housing administrator advises: time to prepare for the heating season

The housing administrator advises: time to prepare for the heating season

Summer is a great time to properly prepare for the new heating season. Apartment house owners living in mainly centrally heated apartment buildings are not inclined to take care of the upcoming heating season. However, in order to prepare for it properly, it is advisable to develop the habit of maintaining the heating system equipment in the apartments and to do so responsibly. Gintaras Arbačiauskas, a representative of Civinity, one of the largest building maintenance and engineering solutions groups in the Baltic States, is responsible for preparing for the heating season.

At the end of one heating season, the heating system supervisors and the home administrator start preparations for the next heating season, and the best time to do them is summer.

You have noticed that every summer, the occupants of apartment buildings have to live a day or longer without hot water until the hydraulic tests of the heating networks are carried out. True, the heating system and the hot water system are controlled at the same heating point. For this reason, maintenance work on hot water systems is carried out at the same time.

Heating system supervisors must perform hot water heat exchanger cleaning works at least once every 4 years, as well as hot water temperature increases, also called thermal shocks, up to 66 degrees, once a quarter. Inspections of the heating station are carried out twice a year, when seasonal inspections are carried out. Checking the condition of the heating station ensures the smooth operation of the heating station and the heating system during the next heating season.

The above-mentioned works are performed by experts after stopping the supply of hot water to the population. In turn, the home administrator must inform the residents of the apartment buildings about the planned works and their start by posting the information on the notice boards of the stairwells of the house and provide other information convenient for the resident, such as in the self-service system.

During the hydraulic tests, residents are asked to be in their homes and monitor for water leaks from the radiators. If residents notice any leaks, they must notify the home administrator as soon as possible.

Another important highlight – radiators. When planning to replace the radiators, it is mandatory to contact the administrator of your apartment building. The radiators in the flats are included in the engineering equipment of the general use house. According to the legislation, the installation, replacement or removal of residential engineering systems in apartments is considered to be simple repairs of a building. Changing radiators during the heating season is prohibited, so residents can do so before the start of the heating season. We recommend replacing the radiator by September 1st.

When replacing heating system devices, it is necessary to have a simple repair project. The compliance of the works with the simple repair project must be approved by the house administrator. It is important to understand that only after coordinating the simple repair project with the administrator of the apartment building, it is possible to start the replacement of heating devices in the apartment.

With the approval of the home administrator for the project, the heating and hot water system supervisor temporarily suspends the water supply during repairs to avoid emergency situations. When residents report the work done, the heating system supervisor conducts an inspection to check that the work has been carried out correctly, in accordance with the design requirements, and to check the tightness of the apartment.

In preparation for the heating season, residents often turn for non-warming snakes. It is necessary to contact the heating and hot water system supervisor before starting work. Upon arrival, the specialist will make sure that the new coil is suitable, turn on the water supply and make sure that the work has been done properly.

Civinity recommends that residents assess the condition of radiators and replace obsolete equipment to avoid future breakdowns or major inconveniences. If residents feel the appliances are not warming up properly or are old, rusty, they should be replaced with new ones. Typically, radiators that have been used in a house for more than 20 years are considered old high-risk devices.