We are accustomed to the amenities that are available in our homes. Electricity, heating, gas - all this an integral part of our comfort.
Hot water is one of the most requested services. You are especially aware of this in summer season planned water shutdown, but it lasts a short period.
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What if during the year from the tap instead hot waterarrives slightly warm? And what temperature should the tap water be? apartment building? We will talk about the standards for the temperature of hot water in the apartment below.
What is the service life of gas meter according to the law, and what to do if it is overdue? find out right now.
What should be the quality?
What do SNIPs, GOSTs and SanPins say? In accordance with the Decree of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Service (SanPiN 2.1.4.2496-09 paragraph 2.4) certain rules have been introduced on the temperature mode of delivery of water to residential premises.
This document indicates the temperature limits for water supplied to apartments. They range from 60°С to 75°С.
It is this range that was not chosen in vain. If the temperature at the entrance to a residential building is above 75 ° C, then the likelihood of getting burn injuries will increase several times. This is especially true for children's and medical institutions.
At a threshold below 60°С growth risk infectious agents , such as legionella, increases in a warm environment. At 70°C-80°C, complete disinfection occurs. An indicator of 40 ° C contributes to the best reproduction of this bacterium.
In the SanPiN Decree, paragraph 2.2, it is written that the water supplied to residential buildings must be of high quality: without an unpleasant odor, without any taste.
Must comply compliance with sanitary and epidemiological standards. In case of violations, organizations supplying utilities need to establish the cause of the supply and eliminate it.
Permissible deviation at the draw-off point
Government Decree No. 354 adopted the permissible deviation rates for the temperature regime of hot water supply:
- for night time from 00:00 to 05:00 they correspond to 5°С;
- for daytime from 05:00 to 00:00 - no more than 3°С.
Moreover, if the deviation from the norm is greater than these values, then for every 3 ° C it is possible demand a reduction in utility bills by 0.1% per hour deviation.
If the device shows a temperature of 40 ° C and below, then payment must be made according to the standards cold water. But for this it is necessary to have an official measurement certificate confirming the deviation from the norms.
How to write a complaint?
At repeated violation the temperature regime for the supply of hot water should be supplied to utilities.
It is important that this document is written correctly and reasoned.
In the header of the document, you should correctly indicate which organization and, if the specific name of the responsible person is known, to whom the complaint is directed.
The heading of the complaint is written:
- Statement of Violation of Regulations providing the population with public services in accordance with Federal Law No. 195, article 7.23
- The text of the statement states crux of the problem. It is obligatory to mention the measurement carried out and information from the drawn up act is entered: the date of the measurement, the name of the employee who carried out the measurement, the water temperature.
- At the end of the text of the complaint, a requirement is written to eliminate the causes that cause failures in the supply of hot water. It is worth pointing out the need to inform the applicant about the work carried out.
- The document ends with the indication of the date of its compilation and the signature of the applicant.
It is important to set a period for which recalculation is to be made.
The beginning of the period is considered the date specified in the official act, and the end should be the date when final check done after eliminating the reasons for the supply of water that does not meet temperature standards.
In case of refusal to recalculate, you should either apply to the court.
In cases of violations in accordance with Federal Law No. 195, article 7.23, persons those responsible may be subject to penalties.: for officials the amount of the fine will be from 500 to 1,000 rubles, for an organization - from 5,000 rubles to 10,000 rubles.
When paying for utilities, any user wants to receive a quality product for their money. That is why you should not give up if lukewarm water flows out of the tap.
Knowing the hot water temperature standards, you can try to affect the services providing utilities: take measurements, draw up an act, recalculate, file a complaint with a higher authority.
About providing public service on hot water supply of inadequate quality and reduction of payment for hot water.
About how management companies profit from the supply of hot water is not enough high temperature you can learn from the video:
The presence of a hot water supply system is a prerequisite for any modern comfortable housing. For this reason, it is important for every owner of residential real estate to know what temperature of hot water in the tap, according to the 2016 SNP standard, should be in the tap.
It should be noted that hot water supply plays the most important function for consumers. With its help, the likelihood of the formation of viruses and infections, the development of pandemics and epidemiological diseases is reduced. Also, hot water is a convenience that allows you to maintain cleanliness in the apartment and not experience discomfort while living in it.
Each person can measure the temperature of incoming water using a conventional thermometer. Therefore, it is important to know the hot water standards approved by government regulations:
- closed systems - from 50 degrees;
- open systems - from 60 degrees;
- joint systems - from 75 degrees.
Having figured out what temperature of hot water should be in the apartment according to the law, you can safely defend your rights before utilities. At the same time, it is important that there are no deviations in both directions: insufficient temperature will not kill harmful bacteria, and excessively heated water can cause a burn.
It should be noted that the temperature of hot water in apartment building in some cases may differ from the actual situation. Utilities have the right to reduce the temperature of the water supplied to the water supply for the following reasons:
- emergencies that occur on the highway or pumping station;
- failure of housing communications;
- carrying out planned and preventive work.
These reasons can lead to a suspension in the supply of hot water. However, the current regulations also describe the length of the period for stopping the supply of water to apartment buildings:
- up to 4 hours in a row;
- up to 8 hours per month;
- up to 24 hours in case of accidents.
In practice, utilities quite often allow violations of the established time. Homeowners themselves are not able to influence this situation, but they may require a recalculation of the tariff used for water heating. Economists have calculated that when hot water is turned off, the price should be reduced by 0.15%.
It will not be possible to immediately attract specialists to measure the temperature of water in a hot tap, since there is a clear verification algorithm. Only its observance will make it possible to draw up an act that will be recognized by public utilities and other authorities.
If the temperature of hot water in the apartment is not complied with the standard of 2016, then this fact can be proved by performing the following sequence of actions:
- open the faucet with hot water for 2-3 minutes to drain the liquid that has stagnated in the pipes;
- place a special glass under the jet to fill to a certain level;
- immerse a thermometer in a glass, which provides for measuring the temperature regime up to 100 degrees;
- record the results.
It must be borne in mind that a certain deviation is allowed in both directions from the standard temperature indicators:
- 00.01-05.00 - up to 5 degrees;
- 05.00-00.00 - up to 3 degrees.
- explain the reason for the deviation by carrying out any work with the water supply;
- take measures to eliminate the identified deviations.
If practical measures to remedy the situation are not taken within a week, you should contact the local authorities or the judicial authorities.
According to the rules of SanPiN (2.1.4.2496-09) for an apartment, the temperature of hot water in an apartment building from a tap is within the range of 60 ° C-75 ° C, regardless of the heat supply system. Decree (No. 354-PP RF) allows deviation:
- at night - within 5°C (0.00-5.00),
- during the day - within 3°C (5.00-00.00).
The temperature of the water in the batteries determines the temperature norm for the premises, which is -18 ° C for the living room, kitchen and separate toilet, 20 ° C for the corner room, and 25 ° C for the bathroom. In the daytime, downward deviation in the residential premises is not allowed, at night - within 3 ° C, and upward - limited to 4 ° С. At the same time, if the temperature regime is not observed, the consumer has the right to expect a reduction in the amount of payment. However, for this it is necessary to correctly measure and take into account a number of legally stipulated requirements.
Legal Requirements
Lower temperature limit for hot water supply, according to SanPiN, due to:
- prevention of infection with viruses and bacteria (in particular Legionella Pneumophila), which in an environment with
- minimizing the content of chloroform,
- prevention of skin diseases and pathological changes in the subcutaneous tissue.
If the temperature deviates more than the allowable limit, for every 3°C the amount of payment during the period of violations is reduced every hour by 0.1%. This time is calculated by the amount of time during the billing period. If temperature measurements show a value below 40°С, payment for hot water is made at cold water tariffs.
A possible break in DHW, after which the fee for each hour will be reduced by 0.15%, is:
- per month - 8 hours in total,
- at the same time - 4 hours,
- on a dead end highway in case of an accident - 24 hours.
For heating, for each hour of deviation from the norm and exceeding the allowable break, the payment is reduced by 0.15%, and the allowable break itself is:
- per month - 24 hours in total,
- at a time - depending on the temperature of residential premises: 4 hours (8-10°C), 8 hours (10-12°C) and 16 hours (from +12°C).
Detection of violation of the established temperature regime
To correctly determine compliance with the regulatory parameters at the point of draw-off (for example, from a tap), the cooled water is drained from the pipeline for 3 minutes (no more). It is assumed that the control measurement is made into a glass, where a thermometer with a scale of at least 100 ° C is then lowered. The presence of water-saving devices similar to modernized aerators (http://water-save.com/) does not affect the quality of the measurement.
Heating quality control is carried out:
- in the largest living room,
- at a height of a meter and at a distance of half a meter from the battery,
- in the center of planes that are half a meter away from the outer wall, and in the center of the room.
Owner's rights in case of deviation from the temperature range
For multi-apartment and residential buildings, the Rules governing the provision of public services in paragraph 31 determine that the maintenance company must carry out maintenance of engineering systems and recalculation for improper or untimely provision of services. That is, in the event of a violation of the temperature regime, the owners do not have to pay for the elimination of the causes of this violation.
If the state of heating or hot water differs from that in apartments in residential buildings beyond the agreed tolerances and represents a systemic problem, the consumer can:
- Notify the service organization about the problem and find out about its causes. At the same time, it is advisable to record the appeal and the data of the executor receiving the information.
- In the absence of measures taken, apply to government agencies in order to initiate an audit (according to Article 33 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation). For violations of utility standards, a fine is provided (Article 7.23 of the Code of Administrative Offenses).
- Fix the deadlines for receiving a response and eliminating the violation. Within 30 days, the official must send a response to citizens' appeals. (In the case of sending an appeal by mail, you must add the forwarding time). Lack of an answer threatens the official with a fine (Article 5.59 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). The terms for eliminating violations are not the same for different houses, however, on average, they are 45 days.
- Increase the flow of similar requests to increase the likelihood of execution. Relatives or friends can write, even if they do not live in the house.
- Contact the prosecutor's office if there are no actions aimed at correcting the situation on the part of authorized persons.
If the correction process is launched, then a commission (an employee of the REU and a representative of the heating network) should come to the consumer after the appeal to confirm the fact-reason for the appeal and draw up an appropriate act. After the problems are fixed, another act is drawn up confirming this.
Hot tap water can get colder by 10 degrees from March 2017 at the suggestion of Rospotrebnadzor, which considered it possible to reduce the cost of hot water supply in this way, the latest issue of the Izvestia newspaper reported.
Rospotrebnadzor is preparing a draft amendment to the sanitary rules and norms (SanPiN), which provides for the possibility of lowering the temperature of hot water at draw-off points to 50 degrees. If the amendment is adopted, then the safety of tap water will depend only on the strict observance of all the necessary technologies for its supply to the population.
According to Rospotrebnadzor, the requirements for the temperature of hot water are changing to “optimize the procedure for providing citizens with public services for hot water supply” and reduce the cost of this.
Currently, the rules and regulations oblige to maintain the temperature of hot tap water within 60-75 degrees, which is aimed at "preventing hot water pollution by highly contagious infectious pathogens of viral and bacterial origin, which can multiply at temperatures below 60 degrees, including Legionella Pneumophila" .
The minimum threshold of 60 degrees was set in 2009. In 2011, the government introduced permissible deviation rates of 3-5 degrees, followed by a recalculation of the cost of utilities, but in 2013 the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation canceled the amendments and returned a strict temperature norm.
According to epidemiologists, the temperature of hot tap water above 60 degrees (or even above 65 degrees) and cold water below 20 degrees are generally accepted international standards. They ensure its safety, above all by preventing the spread of Legionella Pneumophila, the causative agent of an acute infectious disease known as Legionnaires' disease.
Grigory Nisman, a leading ecologist at the EcoTestExpress independent testing laboratory, believes that chemical water treatment will be sufficient for safe use.
“If we take cold water, in which there are no microbes and viruses, and start heating it, then they will not appear. There is no microbiology in water pipes,” says Nisman.
According to Alexey Abramov, a specialist at the TestEco laboratory, he has come across cases of detection of microorganisms in samples taken from city apartments.
“The water supplier can strictly control the quality of the water, and microbes get into it when passing through the in-house distribution network. This can happen if the pipes are old or poorly maintained. Heating water to at least 60 degrees is an important element of consumer protection,” the expert believes.
Gennady Onishchenko, a former chief sanitary doctor and deputy of the State Duma of Russia, said that it was the case of infection with "legionnaires' disease" in Sverdlovsk in 1986 that caused the introduction of a minimum threshold of 60 degrees. The incident occurred due to a violation of the technology of water intake from a natural reservoir and had tragic consequences.
“We keep the temperature high only because we make allowances for someone's sloppiness. But heating such a volume of water that the population needs, especially in large cities, is a lot of money. I admit that it is possible to revise the standards. But at the same time, it is necessary to prescribe those technologies that will guarantee the quality of water for the population at a lower temperature, and ensure their strict observance,” he said.
The temperature of hot water in the tap according to the standard in 2019 is regulated by SNiP (building codes and regulations) N II-34-76 and SanPiN 2.1.4.2496-09. These documents determine the quality of water supplied to residential buildings for household and drinking needs.
Poor quality of tap water
In addition to temperature, hot water must meet parameters such as purity and pressure. What is the use of hot water if it runs in a thin stream or is dirty? Increased pressure is also not a reason for joy: it entails the breakdown of couplings, valves and other elements of the water supply system.
For hot water, pressure limits are set from 0.3 to 4.5 atmospheres. Going beyond these boundaries is a direct reason for applying to the Criminal Code for recalculation.
Impurities in the aquatic environment can be both organic and inorganic origin: rust, getting into the earth system, rotting wood, etc. If such cases are frequent and prolonged, it is necessary to file a complaint with the water utility with a request to inspect the treatment systems, which should be carried out jointly with the housing office.
How to file a complaint?