Maintenance planning for heating systems: regulations, examples of contracts

The normal operation of the heating system depends on many factors - correctly selected materials and components, the compliance of its parameters with the characteristics of the house. But even the most reliable circuit loses its performance over time. Therefore, timely maintenance of heating systems should be carried out: regulations, examples of contracts of which are mandatory elements of the entire system.

Heating operation principles

For each owner of a private house or apartment, sooner or later the question arises - to conclude a contract for the maintenance of heating systems or to carry out all the work on their own. The answer to it largely depends on the complexity of the scheme, the characteristics of its elements and personal free time, as well as the technical "savvy" of the owner of the house.

Any contract for the maintenance of the heating system is an additional financial cost. Therefore, the decision to sign it must be balanced. To do this, you need to be guided by the following factors:

• Financial opportunity. The cost of maintenance depends on the complexity of the system and the responsibilities of the contractor. You can choose the "minimum" package, which includes the elimination of emergencies and the procedure for starting heating before the heating season;
• It is best if the installation and maintenance of heating systems is carried out by the same company. So you can not only optimize costs, but also get a truly high-quality system. It will be in the interests of the contractor to do everything correctly, according to the recommendations of experts and regulatory documents;
• The principle of heating the coolant. The more complex the equipment, the more expensive the heating service of a country house. This is especially true for heat pumps, solar collectors and other alternative energy sources.

Only after this analysis can a decision be made about ordering a heating service. But even with an integrated approach, the owner must know the main stages of its implementation.

The efficiency of a heating system directly depends on its complexity. Therefore, you need to choose the "golden mean" in order to minimize maintenance costs.

Scheduling heating maintenance

Professional maintenance of heating systems begins with scheduling operational activities. It directly depends on the scheme and the complexity of the installed elements. If the work involves automatic devices for regulating the temperature of the coolant, then additional testing of their work should be carried out.

But regardless of this, there are a number of measures, the implementation of which is included in the mandatory maintenance of heating:

• Visual inspection of pipelines to detect leaks and damage - once a month;
• Checking the condition of key elements - pumps, valves, thermometers and manometers, automation devices. Performed at least once a week;
• Timely maintenance of heating radiators should be done before each heating season;
• Removal of air plugs - at each change of the coolant, after the elimination of emergencies or maintenance of batteries and heating boilers;
• Full maintenance of the building heating system - before commissioning or after major repairs or modernization.

Ideally, the schedule is based on the performance of each component. To do this, you need to study the instructions for use and the characteristics provided by the manufacturer. Based on these data, an optimal maintenance schedule for the heating system can be drawn up.

The temporary table should take into account possible changes in external factors - outdoor temperatures, energy quality, etc. Based on this, it is necessary to make adjustments to the service schedule.

Selecting a Responsible Contractor

If you need to choose a responsible company for servicing the heating of a country house, you need to follow simple rules. The main one is a long time of work in this service market. Customer reviews are also important. But here it is important to determine whether they are real or "custom-made", which is not always possible. First of all, you need to pay attention to the clauses of the contract for the maintenance of heating systems.

The list of services may be different and directly depends on the complexity of the scheme and its performance. All this must be taken into account in the contract for the maintenance of the heating system. It is recommended to describe all components and their characteristics in a separate appendix.

The main point of the agreement is the maintenance and control of the boiler. Most of the problems arise with gas models, since their functioning depends on the quality of the fuel. Therefore, the list of measures for the maintenance of heating systems should include the following items:

• Procedures for regulating the parameters of the boiler burner to the required values;
• Traction quality control. To do this, you need to periodically check the condition of the chimney;
• Testing the work of the security group, including the maintenance of heating radiators - removing air locks, pressure testing after filling the system with a coolant, etc.;
• Qualified replacement of faulty elements. It is important to determine the degree of their maintainability;
• Time of departure of the service team from the moment of receipt of the application;
• Expenses for components to replace failed ones. It is best to ask in advance the cost of possible heating elements.

To perform high-quality installation and maintenance of complex heating systems with your own hands, you will need a lot of effort, both temporary and financial. Therefore, it is recommended to use the services of specialized companies.

To reduce the cost of maintenance, it is possible to negotiate in advance the situations that fall under the contract for the maintenance of heating. But you need to be prepared for additional costs if the company's specialists will be involved in work that is not included in the contract.

DIY heating service

Often, after drawing up a professional regulation for the maintenance of the heating system, the owners decide to carry out some of them on their own. It is not always possible to do this correctly, which entails high costs and additional problems.

It is possible to decide on the possibility of self-maintenance of the heating system only after a detailed analysis of possible problems. Based on the experience of professionals, a number of operational activities have been identified that can be done by hand.

Radiator service

Often, batteries are not included in the heating maintenance contract. The maximum that the consumer can count on is replacing a failed radiator with a new one. Therefore, you need to draw up a schedule in advance for mandatory events, which include the following points:

• Visual inspection of the battery. Control of uniform heat distribution over its entire surface;
• Timely self-service of radiators in the heating system - removing air plugs using a Mayevsky crane, painting the surface to protect against corrosion;
• Bypass operation control - check valves.

All this can be done on your own without concluding a heating service contract. Together with the observance of the regulations for the technical control of the state of the system, simple measures will reduce the likelihood of emergencies.

The frequency of maintenance of the heating system, and in particular of the radiators, depends on their initially correct installation. During this work, the installation technology must be observed.

Repairing leaks temporarily

What to do if the heating pipe unexpectedly bursts? The first is to shut off the coolant supply in this area. It is important that the temperature of the water in other parts of the system does not rise. Then you should install the temporary clamp and service the rest of the heating system.

Most often, a large amount of air enters the pipeline during a leak. Therefore, you should take the following actions:

• Check the operation of the safety group - air vent and drain valve;
• Add a coolant to the system, having previously unscrewed the Mayevsky taps on the radiators;
• Wait until the air locks come out and turn off the water supply.

Such work is not included in the maintenance of the heating system of a country cottage. But you need to be always ready to carry out prompt repair work. To do this, you should purchase a set of pipe clamps, and in the circuit itself, provide for the possibility of shutting off the coolant supply in the most critical areas.

What else do you need to know for high-quality maintenance of heating systems, in addition to regulations and examples of contracts? Do not rely only on the representatives of the service company. The owner of the house should always have a minimum set of tools and materials to perform at least temporary repairs. On the issue of its configuration, you can consult with the organization with which a service contract has been concluded.

As an example, you can watch the video, which describes the procedure for checking the operation of a gas heating boiler: