Who should replace the water supply risers in the apartment

Often old houses are a continuous emergency with communications. This is especially true for a cast-iron water supply system. If the problem is ignored, the result can be disastrous due to flooding of an apartment on one floor, level 1 inclusive. Communication needs to be changed. In order to replace the water supply riser in an apartment according to the law, you need to know the basic provisions and principles regarding this procedure.

When you need to replace the riser

It is necessary to change pipes in such situations:

• Scheduled repair of communications in the house, when the cast-iron plumbing elements have served their purpose. They show a shelf life of 25 years. The system will be in disrepair after 30 years. Even if externally the pipes are not damaged, this does not mean that the need for repairs can be ignored. Over time, such a riser will surprise you. The planned replacement of water pipes also applies to the overhaul of the plumbing room. It is not rational to leave old communications with complete new equipment.
• Emergency replacement. Such repairs are carried out if fistulas or leaks have formed in the tubes. Most of all, pipes suffer in interfloor ceilings. Therefore, the new elements are joined with the old ones from the bottom and top of the residents.

If the house is very old, it is advisable to negotiate with the neighbors and completely change the riser from the basement to the exit to the attic. Otherwise, the weak point of the system is shifted from one apartment to another.

RF legislation

According to the law of the Russian Federation, the riser of each apartment to the valve is the property of the Management Company, the ZhEK, and condominiums. The property is communal. It is the utility company that is responsible for it. Accordingly, its employees should replace the risers of hot and cold water supply in an apartment during major repairs. There is no need for additional surcharges from the tenants of the apartment.

All bills have a column called "Service and maintenance". It is for these needs that tenants transfer a certain amount of money every month. From them, the management company draws resources for the maintenance of risers as well. Even if there are a lot of hard-core defaulters at the entrance, the Management Company has no right to justify this refusal to replace the water pipes. If, nevertheless, the Criminal Code refuses to fulfill its duties, you can first write a statement to the housing inspectorate. And if there is no reaction from this side, go to court.

At his own expense, the owner of the apartment changes only the wiring of the plumbing networks after the valve. If the shut-off valve in the plumbing room is not provided initially, the rest of the pipes are also considered common property, they are changed by the specialists of the Criminal Code. This point is worth paying close attention to when flooding occurs. If the pipe breaks through to the valve (along the riser), this is the fault of the Criminal Code and it is she who must pay the moral, material damage to the neighbor from below. If the malfunction occurs after the valve, the owner of the apartment is to blame. From him and the demand.

To attract specialists from the housing office or the management company to perform the work, the residents of the riser must write a statement. It indicates the nature of the problem and the request for replacement of worn pipes.

If the pipes are not in an emergency condition (a few years ago there was a repair), then the homeowner is obliged to agree with the Criminal Code on the possibility of replacing the pipes with others. In this case, the repair is carried out at the personal expense of the owner of the apartment and only after receiving written permission from the Management Company. To carry out the work, you can invite third-party qualified specialists or use the services of the ZhEK plumbers.

Required materials and tools

To carry out the work, you need to prepare the following materials and tools:

• Water pipes. It is advisable to take PVC or polypropylene. They have a smooth inner wall, are easy to assemble, serve for 50 years or more. These materials are well suited for both hot and cold water supply systems.
• Fittings and adapters of the appropriate diameter.
• Stopcock.
• Special couplings if polymer pipes are supposed to be joined with adjacent metal ones.
• Silicone sealant.
• Pipe cutter or grinder.
• Gas and adjustable wrenches.
• Screwdrivers.
• Hammer and chisel.
• Roulette, construction pencil.
• Scrap.

Additionally, it is recommended to prepare a special soldering iron for polypropylene pipes. Means of protection will not be superfluous: a hat, glasses, a respirator.

It is recommended to carry out work on changing the communication from 10:00 to 15:00. At this time, most of the neighbors are at work. The inconvenience of not being able to use water will be minimized.

Turn off the water before carrying out repairs. The cost of shutting down the water supply riser is out of the question. Even if work is carried out in one apartment at the personal request of its owner and in agreement with the Criminal Code, the water is shut off free of charge.

The sequence of actions when replacing a water supply riser in an apartment

Before changing the riser to water, it is advisable to negotiate with the neighbors and install new pipes on all floors in one fell swoop. Or at least get permission from the upper and lower tenants to dock new elements in their apartments. If the neighbors do not make contact, you will have to connect polymer tubes with metal ones at your floor level and under the ceiling.

The works are performed in the following sequence:

1. Cold and hot water overlaps in the riser. The fluid is drained from the systems. The riser should be disconnected by the specialists of the housing office or the management company.
2. Dismantling of old elements is in progress. To do this, make a cut with a grinder at a level of 15-20 cm from the floor and ceiling. Long stretches are removed immediately. Short ones are taken out of the ceilings. If necessary, you can use a sledgehammer to push the stuck cast iron.
3. If polymer pipes will be joined with the upper / lower metal pipes, then the cast-iron edges are well cleaned with emery.
4. Couplings / cuffs are put on the prepared tubes, which will hold the polypropylene or PVC lines. Fittings are tightened well with a gas wrench.
5. New pipes are lowered through a hole in the floor to the neighbors and joined with the coupling. The same is done from above.
6. All polypropylene elements are connected using a soldering iron with nozzles. Previously, the ends of the pipes must be treated with a special alcohol composition.
7. A mark is made on the vertical riser to form the bifurcation. At this point, the pipe is cut and wiring is made using a tee fitting.
8. Be sure to install a shut-off valve before wiring.

The finished system is checked for leaks no earlier than an hour later. If there are no leaks, the work has been done correctly.

If the landlord wants to attract a third-party master to carry out the repair, the price for replacing the water supply risers will vary from 3,000 to 15,000 rubles. depending on the number of floors involved in the process.