Gas boiler for heating the apartment. Installation features

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Published: 04/04/2020

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According to existing urban planning standards, installing a gas boiler in an apartment in a multi-storey building instead of central heating is quite acceptable.

Experienced owners of an autonomous boiler room say that in order to obtain official permission to operate a boiler in an apartment building, they will need to go through several stages of registration and approval of a package of documents with regulatory agencies, draw up technical specifications, prepare a project for gasification of the boiler room and purchase equipment according to design specifications.

• 1 Standards for installing gas equipment in an apartment
• 2 Number of floors and other requirements for gasification
• 3 Procedure for registration of technical specifications
• 4 Project design
• 5 Room requirements 5.1 Best location for installation
• 5.2 Requirements for the chimney

Standards for installing gas equipment in an apartment

If a multi-storey building has central heating, then the subscriber first of all needs to terminate the contract for heating services with the supplier.

And the administration of central heating networks will not always do this on a voluntary basis; one must prepare for the fact that the procedure for terminating the contract will have to be carried out through the courts.

The subscriber must also understand that in this case the supply of hot water to the apartment will be turned off and he must take care of the source of the hot water supply in advance.

Basic provisions for the conversion of living space with the installation of a gas boiler in an apartment in an apartment building are included in Part 1 of Article 25 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, as well as Resolution No. 170 of the specialized committee for construction and housing and communal services dated September 27, 2003.

The current SNIiP establishes the dimensions of the furnace room and the height dimensions of the room. In addition, he requires the boiler owners to change the size of the smoke ventilation ducts, since initially they were designed in the apartment only to remove combustion products during food preparation.

Basic requirements for gas ducts for gas boilers equipped in an apartment building:

1. The cross-section of the smoke exhaust duct cannot be less than the cross-section of the smoke boiler pipe;
2. gas boilers with an upper smoke exhaust are equipped with a vertical smoke exhaust with a length of at least 250 mm, and only then bends are allowed;
3. no more than three bends may be installed along the full length of the gas duct;
4. between the flue outlet through the wall, the distance to the ceiling must be at least 200 mm.

Gas boilers for heating an apartment - basics of choice

According to the type of installation, gas boilers can be wall-mounted or floor-mounted. Both can be installed in apartments. Wall-mounted options are more acceptable from an aesthetic point of view and ease of placement. They have dimensions comparable to the dimensions of wall kitchen cabinets and fit well into the interior. The installation of floor-standing boilers is somewhat more complicated - not all of them can be installed close to the wall, although there are such options. It all depends on the location of the chimney pipe. If it comes out at the top, then the unit can be moved towards the wall.

A floor-standing gas boiler looks a little worse

There are also single-circuit and double-circuit models. Single-circuit ones work only for heating. Double-circuit - both for heating and for heating water for hot water supply. If your water is heated by another device, a single-circuit boiler will suit you. If you are going to heat the water with a gas boiler, you will have to choose another heating method: a flow-through coil or an indirect heating boiler. Both options have disadvantages. When using a coil (flow-through water heating), not all boilers stably “hold” the set temperature. To maintain it, it is necessary to set special operating modes (called differently in different boilers, for example, “hot water priority” in Navien, Beretta or “comfort” in Ferrolli). Boiler heating has one drawback: a certain amount of gas is spent to maintain a constant temperature of the water in the tank. Therefore, fuel consumption is higher. In addition, the hot water reserve is limited. And after it is used up, you have to wait for a new batch to heat up. Whichever method of heating water suits you best, choose that one. When using flow heating, be guided by the output of hot water per minute, and when using boiler heating, by the volume of the tank.

The gas boiler can be single-circuit or double-circuit

Gas boilers differ in the type of burner used: they are single-position, two-position and modulating. The cheapest are single-position, but they are also the most wasteful, since they are always turned on at 100% power. Two-position ones are a little more economical - they can work at 100% power and at 50%. The best ones are modulated. They have many operating modes and therefore save fuel. Their performance is controlled by automation, which supplies exactly the amount of gas that is currently required to maintain the specified temperature.

This is how a modulating burner burns in a gas boiler

The burner is located in the combustion chamber. The chamber can be open or closed. In open-type chambers, oxygen for gas combustion is taken from the room, and combustion products are discharged through an atmospheric chimney. Closed-type chambers are equipped with a coaxial chimney (pipe in a pipe), and oxygen for combustion is taken from the street: combustion products are discharged along the central contour of the coaxial chimney, and air enters through the outer one.

Floor-standing gas boilers can have an inflatable or atmospheric burner. In apartments, models with an atmospheric burner are allowed to be installed (when using an inflatable burner, a separate room is required). Most floor modifications use a closed combustion chamber and, accordingly, are equipped with a turbine and a coaxial chimney.

Number of storeys and other requirements for gasification

In accordance with the current SNiP and SP, installation or relocation of a gas boiler in an apartment building is permitted if there is the required space and a reliable smoke exhaust system that complies with the rules for the safe operation of gas equipment.

Such equipment is installed only in non-residential rooms: the kitchen or auxiliary rooms with a window, door and reliable ventilation.

The number of floors is of great importance for obtaining permission. Previously, limits were set for the installation of gas boilers from 5 to 9 floors.

Now the standards for installing a gas boiler have been clarified by clause 5.18 of SP 402-1325800/18, it is allowed to install an autonomous boiler in residential buildings up to 28 m high.

About the types of gas equipment

Installation of gas boilers
Installation of gas equipment in any case will require going through the authorities, obtaining the necessary permits and a whole heap of various documents. Both the devices and the room itself must meet the requirements and standards laid down in the regulatory documentation. Installation of units must be carried out according to the rules. However, before you start visiting regulatory organizations, it is worth understanding the types of gas equipment used for heating and hot water supply.

To create a complete heating and hot water supply system, you will need to install a double-circuit boiler. The unit must have all the necessary automation. Such devices are expensive, and their installation should only be carried out by specialists.

The budget option is to use gas equipment only to produce hot water. That is, we are talking about a gas water heater. Compared to electric heaters, it is more efficient and cheaper to operate. Even an expensive device will pay for itself in about a year and a half. Here you need to take into account that its installation is not permissible in all apartments. The advantage of water heaters is that you can easily install them yourself. You need to decide which option to choose based on specific conditions.

The procedure for drawing up technical specifications

Technical specifications are obtained from the regional branch of the gas supply organization. This is the most important document; without it, starting work on arranging an autonomous heating source is simply pointless.

The gas supplier must accept the application, determine whether it is possible to install a gas boiler in the apartment, issue the technical specifications to the customer, or give a written refusal with reasoning.

The owner of the premises can appeal the actions of the monopolist in court.

It is better to entrust the preparation of an application to a specialist, because the initially incorrect indicated boiler power will later cause poor-quality heat supply.

Considering that not all customers today are technically able to prepare the necessary documents, there are organizations that undertake to install a gas boiler in an apartment on a turnkey basis, from the moment they receive the specifications until they put it into operation. It will be a little more expensive, but with a guarantee of results.

To obtain permits for the development of project documentation, you will need to obtain an opinion from the fire department, housing and communal services on the condition of the ventilation systems.

If the ventilation cannot ensure the operation of the boiler, especially for structures with open fireboxes, the inspection issues an order for the reconstruction of the ventilation systems.

Project design

The project is developed taking into account the actual condition of the apartment and all the pros and cons of the boiler, as well as the conditions noted in the technical specifications. The creation of a project can only be carried out by specialists who have a license to carry out the relevant work.

Next, the finished project is sent for approval to the regional branches of the supervisory departments that control the safe operation of gas equipment: Gorgaz, fire inspection, SES, management company, architecture and other interested organizations involved in the operation of utility networks of an apartment building. A list of approvals can be obtained from the municipal architecture department.

An approximate list of documents for obtaining approval for the installation of a gas boiler:

1. Project with diagrams and equipment specifications.
2. Technical data sheet of the boiler from the manufacturer.
3. Instructions for trouble-free boiler maintenance from the manufacturer.
4. Certificates for a gas boiler in an apartment and equipment for compliance with state quality standards, fire safety requirements and SES.

Premises requirements

The room allocated for installing a boiler in an apartment in an apartment building must meet fire safety and sanitary requirements.

Installation of gas boilers is permitted in non-residential premises of the permissible volume of a room with a door and window.

The wall for placing the boiler must be solid or additionally reinforced so that it can withstand the structure of the unit.

All surfaces adjacent to the boiler must be insulated with heat-resistant material, including the floor and ceiling. The front of the boiler must have a free space of at least 100 cm for its maintenance and repair.

Main characteristics of non-residential premises for installing a boiler in accordance with SNiP 42-01 and MDS 41.2-2000:

• minimum ceiling height - 2.5 m;
• window area at the rate of 0.03 m2 per 1 m3 of room volume;
• the design of the room elements must correspond to a fire resistance of at least REI 45;
• the door in the room must have a width of 80 cm and a bottom gap of 2 cm;
• the room must have supply and exhaust ventilation with 3 air changes per hour according to the volume of the room, plus additional volume for burning gas fuel in the boiler.

Best place to install

The most suitable room is the kitchen, especially since it already has a gas inlet. The minimum furnace area for placing a boiler unit with a closed firebox must be at least 4 m2.

If the owner has doubts about the placement of the boiler in an apartment in a multi-storey building, it is necessary to consult the gas service, which will check the technical capabilities of the existing rooms, especially since this study will be mandatory before issuing technical specifications.

Chimney requirements

Smoke exhaust and ventilation systems ensure the safe operation of gas boilers for heating an apartment, therefore they are subject to special requirements from the gas, fire inspection and SES.

In most cases, the ventilation system for apartments in low-rise buildings is not designed to remove boiler flue gases, so it is preferable to install a gas boiler with a closed combustion chamber, having a coaxial flue located horizontally with an outlet through the wall.

The advantage of this design is that air will be taken from outside the room through the external pipe of the coaxial system, that is, it will not affect the sanitary and epidemiological quality of the air in the living room.

The cross-sectional size of the coaxial chimney is determined by the boiler manufacturer and is indicated in the boiler equipment passport.

The procedure for installing a gas boiler in an apartment

The gas boiler is installed by a special installation organization that has permits for the right to carry out the relevant work. Work is carried out exclusively according to the approved project.

After the project is approved by regulatory authorities, the appropriate equipment is selected according to the specifications. Before installing the gas boiler, the completeness and serviceability of the purchased goods are checked.

Algorithm for performing installation work in an apartment with central heating in a multi-storey building:

1. Install a protective fire-resistant coating on the wall of the unit.
2. An anchor fastening is placed under the horizontal level; it usually comes complete with the boiler.
3. Hang the unit on the mount and check the horizontal level.
4. The boiler is connected to in-house engineering systems: water, heating pipes and electrical networks.
5. Connecting the boiler on the gas side with the installation of a commercial gas meter is carried out by a representative of Gorgaz.
6. Connecting the power supply and installing a protective grounding system from the gas boiler is carried out by electrical personnel.
7. Connect to electricity and check the functionality of the grounding system.
8. The first start-up after checking compliance with the rules for installing a gas boiler is carried out by a representative of Gorgaz.
9. An act of putting the boiler into operation is drawn up with representatives of the customer, the design and installation organization, as well as the fire inspectorate, the architecture department and the SES.

Gas boiler and safety

As soon as you decide to switch your apartment to autonomous heating, you need to carefully study all the nuances of this possibility, strictly adhering to safety rules. Remember: water and hot gases must flow countercurrently in the boiler heat exchanger, otherwise the device may explode with any automation. Therefore, during installation it is so important not to confuse cold and hot pipes.

After hydropiping the system, carefully inspect it again. If antifreeze was poured into the heating system, be sure to drain it and rinse the pipes twice with clean water. Antifreeze in water is also very explosive.

Install filters for rough purification of passing water, which are placed at the lowest points of the system. Otherwise, there is a danger of dirt deposits accumulating between the fins of the heat exchanger, not to mention high gas consumption.

Sludge is drained through mud traps at the beginning and end of the heating season, simultaneously checking the condition of the entire system.

If your boiler has a built-in expansion tank and a deaeration system, then the previous expansion tank must be removed by tightly closing the air valve. Before performing the procedure, be sure to check its condition: air leaks can also create a dangerous situation.

Safety Compliance

When putting the boiler into operation, the city gas representative conducts initial training with adult users of gas equipment on the rules of safe operation.

During the instruction process, users are introduced to the requirements and prohibitions when operating the gas supply system, for example, the inadmissibility of unauthorized conversion of the gas supply system in the house.

Responsibilities of the owner of a gas boiler in an apartment:

1. It is necessary to carefully learn the rules for using the boiler and follow them during operation.
2. Carefully monitor the proper operation of the double-circuit gas boiler and auxiliary equipment according to the manufacturer’s regime maps.
3. Carry out periodic cleaning of the internal and external heating surfaces of the boiler from scale and soot, as well as cleaning of the gas exhaust channels.
4. Constantly monitor the presence of draft in the firebox.
5. Instantly notify the gas distribution department about problems in the apartment’s gas system.
6. If the gas supply suddenly stops, turn off all gas valves in the apartment and notify the service by calling 04.

In addition, when leaving the apartment for more than 30 days, you need to notify the gas service about the absence of residents and leave them your contact information for communication in case of emergencies on the gas line.

Installation of an autonomous heating system in an apartment step by step

Coordination of all planned alterations with the relevant organizations. Notifying neighbors that work is planned at a certain time. The time frame will need to be agreed upon in advance, since such repair work is always accompanied by loud noise. You don't want conflicts with your neighbors. If gas heating is planned, then a special chimney must be equipped in advance. If the device is electric, you will have to install a separate line of appropriate power in advance to power it. Where the heating device is installed, the floor finishing must be made of non-combustible material. According to the standards, a certain distance from walls and furnishings is provided. The next step will be to mark the boiler, pipes and radiators according to the prepared project. If the system operates with a gas boiler, you will need to install a gas flow meter. This is not required for electrical equipment. Buy and deliver the boiler to the installation site. While still in the store, check it for completeness, as well as for the absence of visible defects and damage. Even minor scratches on the body may indicate that the boiler was either transported incorrectly or was dropped by movers. And all this can lead to breakdowns that are not noticeable upon purchase and can only be discovered during operation. Installation of gas equipment

Particular attention should be paid to leveling the boiler horizontally and vertically; Only correct installation guarantees stable operation of such a heating device. Laying heating pipes according to the project diagram. As a rule, circuits with forced coolant circulation are used

Therefore, if a pump is not provided inside the gas boiler, then it will need to be purchased and installed. Boiler piping - connecting equipment to water supply and gas supply pipes. And also an exit to the chimney. Connecting heating radiators. If necessary, purchase and installation of new heating elements. Test launch of an autonomous heating system. It is necessary in order to find and eliminate possible leaks in joints, and check the performance of gas or electrical equipment, as well as the efficiency of the entire system.

An autonomous heating system is profitable and efficient. However, we should not forget that autonomous heating in an apartment with your own hands is an unsafe undertaking. Moreover, if you plan to use gas equipment, then only specialists should install it.

In general, we answered the question of whether it is possible to install autonomous heating in an apartment: not only is it possible, but it is often necessary. After all, utility bills are only growing every year, and heating bills are the highest.