Why is it cold in the apartment - perhaps the most common question that many ask with the onset of cold weather. In fact, there are many reasons why the room is not just cool, but even frosty. There is also a possibility that the thermal insulation of the room is not well insulated and the air is blowing from the cracks. Each of these reasons requires attention. Start with the simplest and most basic: check the tightness of door and window openings, pay attention to the walls, floor and ceiling, check the ventilation system.
Violation of the temperature regime in apartments is a long-standing problem of all residential buildings. Very often, residents wonder: why are the top floors cold? Understanding this issue is not so difficult.
The reason for the violation of the temperature regime in the apartment may be a malfunction of the heating system. The most common malfunction is the formation of an air lock in the radiators. This problem is especially relevant for residents of upper floors. The easiest way to get rid of the problem is to blow out the battery. To do this, you need to open the valve on the battery and release air and some water. This procedure must be repeated with all batteries in the apartment.
What temperature is considered normal for a home?
Payment for heating in full can be made if a stable temperature is maintained in the apartment throughout the entire month. There are standards that indicate how warm your home should be in winter.
In accordance with the law of the Russian Federation, the temperature in the apartment must be maintained from 18 to 20 degrees, if the temperature outside is -30. When the thermometer readings are within -31 and below, heating of apartments should increase to 20-22 degrees Celsius.
It is also worth considering that during emergency work, your home cannot be left without heating for more than a day. One-time shutdowns of radiators are allowed for no more than 16 hours, and the average temperature in the apartment should not fall below 12 degrees.
The law provides for minor deviations from the standards. Temperature increases are allowed within 4 degrees. It can be 3 degrees colder in the apartment only at night, strictly until 5 o’clock in the morning.
Heating quality standards
According to the “Rules for the provision of utility services to citizens”, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 307 of May 23, 2006, the temperature in a residential area should be no less than +18 degrees, and in corner rooms – no lower than +20. In cold regions, where the temperature of the coldest five-day period of the year is –31 °C and below, the temperature of residential premises should not be less than +20 degrees. But at the same time, the room must be well insulated, and the temperature is measured in the center of the largest room in the apartment at a height of 1 m. The deviation cannot exceed 3 degrees at night, while the permissible excess is no more than 4 degrees. During the daytime, temperature deviation is unacceptable. Accordingly, you need to measure the temperature correctly. To do this, you need to take a thermometer and hold it one meter from the outer wall and one and a half meters from the floor. The measurement takes 10 minutes. It is most effective to make a temperature graph by the hour. If you have recorded a violation of the temperature regime, you have every reason to contact the housing organization with a complaint.
First you need to notify the emergency dispatch service. It must be specified by the managing organization. The appeal can be either oral, including by telephone, or in writing.
The tenant must indicate his first name, last name, patronymic, residential address and describe the problem - the room temperature does not meet the standards. In turn, the service employee is also obliged to provide his last name, first name, patronymic, registration number of the application and time of its receipt. If the emergency dispatcher knows the reason why your home is cold, they should notify you. Thus, the management organization acknowledges the fact of non-provision of the service or its inadequate quality. This must be recorded in the log book. This mark serves as the basis for recalculating the payment for heating.
If he is not aware of the problem, then he must agree on the exact time of establishing the fact of non-provision of the service. This should happen within three business days. An inspection must then be conducted with the participation of the utility representative and the applicant. Based on its results, an act is drawn up that they must sign. This act also serves as a document according to which you have the right to request a recalculation. But management organizations often do not admit guilt and do not agree with the applicant’s claims. In this case, a secondary check must be carried out. Representatives of the state housing inspectorate and public association of consumers have already been invited to attend. And based on its results, an act is also drawn up signed by the consumer, executor, inspector and public representative. Having this act in hand, the consumer already has every right to demand recalculation. The act must indicate the violation of quality parameters, the time and date of the beginning of the non-provision of utility services.
It's cold in the apartment: reasons
What to do if the temperature in your home is lower than specified in the regulations? First you need to find the causes and eliminate them.
Heat loss is facilitated by:
- old windows, the cracks of which let the cold in;
- insufficiently insulated balcony;
- thin walls prone to freezing at low outside temperatures;
- worn out old type batteries;
- very cold floor or ceiling;
- poorly installed front door;
- drafts;
- insufficient heat supply to the boiler room.
Replacing batteries
If you show persistence and patience, you will eventually be able to receive a recalculation for heating. But this will not make the apartment warmer, especially if the problem is in thermal communications. Therefore, you need to take independent steps. If you know for sure that the reason for the low temperature is that the batteries do not last, you will have to change them. This can be easily checked - if the temperature of the battery is significantly lower than the temperature of the riser, then the batteries are slagged. Experts advise either flushing the radiator or replacing it with a more modern one with the ability to regulate the temperature. Here you should also consult with an engineer from the management company.
But you need to remember that replacing batteries requires disconnecting the risers. You need to submit a corresponding application to the Criminal Code. If this happens during the heating season, you may be faced with the reluctance of the management company to turn off the risers, since the rules prohibit this. Here you need to be persistent, citing your desire to live in an apartment for elderly people or small children. Again, if the problem is of a collective nature, then by cooperating with neighbors it will be much easier to achieve a solution to the problem. In any case, the best option would be to replace the batteries in advance during the non-heating season.
We replace old windows
Wooden structures of the old type have already become obsolete. Such windows have impressive gaps, and even closed windows fit so loosely that in a strong wind you can see the curtains fluttering. Here we have found one of the reasons why it is cold in the apartment. What to do? Of course, it is worth replacing the old window frames.
Modern double-glazed windows can protect your home from drafts, low temperatures and retain heat. You should not install them yourself - in this case, there is a high probability of incorrect installation, which will lead to their depressurization and the formation of cracks - trust the professionals.
If you already have plastic windows, but there are clear signs of drafts, you should call a professional. Perhaps there is some kind of defect, or the reason lies in the destruction of the mounting foam from the outside under the influence of precipitation. The rubber seal or any structural element may also be deformed. All these problems are easily eliminated and can be corrected.
Wooden window
If it is not possible to install high-quality double-glazed windows, you can try to insulate the old window. The simplest, but short-lived method is to use cotton wool and ordinary tape. Very easy and economical. Cotton wool is carefully pushed into all the cracks, and tape is placed on top of the cleaned and dry window.
Also, adhesive foam insulation will help in the fight against heat leakage from windows. It is also easy to use. All problematic window joints must be sealed with insulation, pressing it well. This ordinary material is capable of retaining heat efficiently, but has a significant drawback - its strength is destroyed under the influence of moisture.
You can also try using silicone caulk, window putty, or rubber sealant. These are more reliable ways to retain heat.
Is it still cold in the apartment? What to do? The best thing to do would be to install new plastic windows or look for another cause of the leak.
Wall insulation
A cold apartment can cause a lot of trouble. What should residents do? Think about high-quality wall insulation. They can be finished both inside and outside. And it is best to carry out this work during repairs.
Insulation is glued to clean, dried surfaces at the junctions of ceilings and walls. This procedure should be done in all corners. If there are visible gaps between the panels, they should be sealed with cement, foam or gypsum mortar. Tow is packed tightly into very large recesses, and a layer of plaster or foam is applied on top.
External insulation is carried out only by specialists - industrial climbers. The procedure is carried out using polystyrene foam and mesh, which are attached to the wall with special glue. A layer of high-quality façade paint is applied on top.
Problem – cold balcony?
Do you feel constant drafts and don’t know what to do? If the apartment is cold, pay attention to the balcony - most likely the problem is there.
Contact a reliable company that will take care of the heat in your home. The balcony is covered with foam plastic from the outside and inside. First, they sheathe its facade, and then insulate the internal walls. Also, some companies choose mineral wool or expanded polystyrene as materials that will perform heat-saving functions.
On the balcony, the areas under the window, floor, ceiling and walls are mainly subject to insulation. The procedure is carried out simultaneously with glazing the window with high-quality double-glazed windows, which will retain heat in the apartment for a long time and eliminate the appearance of any drafts.
Total insulation
If the problem is not in the batteries, or it is not possible to replace them, you will have to carry out global insulation of the apartment. There are ways known to everyone, for example, to install plastic double-glazed windows. This will dramatically reduce the flow of cold air through the windows. According to the most conservative estimates, up to 25 to 50% of energy is lost through windows during the cold period. The most effective solution would be to install windows with low-emission coatings, which have the following advantages:
- They are much warmer, which allows you to save on heating costs.
- Energy-saving windows can create a comfortable microclimate indoors in the summer, due to which you can save on air conditioning.
- This design implies the presence of one chamber, which will more than surpass two chambers of a conventional double-glazed window, while reducing the weight of the structure, and therefore increasing the service life of the fittings and the window as a whole.
- Glass prevents wallpaper, furniture, carpets and other interior items from fading.
But if there is no money to replace the windows, then at a minimum you need to seal the window joints with sealant, provide the windows with sealants, and seal the junction of the glass and frame with sealant. External doors should also be equipped with a seal. Foam rubber is suitable for this purpose.
If you have a balcony, it would be a good idea to glaze it. Sometimes this measure leads to 15 percent savings in heat in the apartment. Another fairly simple remedy could be scraping the paint off the radiator and then painting it black, this will increase heat transfer. You can put a foil screen between the wall and the radiator; then, due to reflection, the battery will work more to heat the room rather than the wall. If the radiators are obscured by curtains, tables or other furniture, all this needs to be moved or removed. Then warm air will flow into the room without obstacles. You can throw a carpet on the floor. In principle, in Soviet times, and even now this is not uncommon, carpets are also hung on the wall. This method was used by the Mongols and other tribes in their tents precisely for the purpose of insulating the room. If the aesthetic side of the issue does not bother you, then you can use this solution.
But these are all improvised methods and do not require significant effort or investment. If you want to resolve the issue once and for all, there are more serious methods. To insulate the walls, you need to remove the baseboards, tear off the wallpaper, whitewash, plaster, and expose the walls. Wall joints must be sealed with sealant. Don’t be surprised if you find cracks; they need to be treated with foam, and if they are too deep, you’ll have to resort to tow or plaster. It can also leak from under the window sill; the joints there should also be treated. Experts recommend insulating walls with slabs of mineral wool or expanded polystyrene. They will make the apartment much warmer and quieter. But keep in mind that the apartment will become three centimeters smaller around the entire perimeter of the walls. Plus, all this work will cost money. Naturally, if you turn to the services of specialists, you will have to pay not only for the materials, but also for their work. In fact, all this work is comparable to carrying out repairs. But most importantly, after insulating yourself, do not forget to ventilate the room. The “volley” method works very well - when all the windows in the room open at once. In a short period of time, with this approach, the air is replaced without freezing the room.
High-quality radiators - comfort and warmth in your home
The cause of a constant lack of heat may be old batteries. What to do? If the apartment is cold and the radiators are barely warm, it is better to replace them. It is better to opt for cast iron or bimetallic products. These radiators are very strong, durable, and corrosion resistant. They are distinguished by high power, dissipate heat well and have a temperature regulator.
Good radiators can quickly solve the cold problem in your apartment. In addition, the service life of some of their types reaches 50 years. By replacing radiators just once, you will enjoy the warmth and will forever forget the time when you saw cold radiators in your apartment. What to do and what products to choose is up to you to decide.
Why is the apartment damp and cold?
On the first floors it can be damp and cold due to the cold floor. Why is the floor in the apartment cold? The reason is that there are basements under the apartment that are not heated. There is only one solution - insulating the floor.
Agree, you want to walk around the apartment in light clothes not only in the summer, but also in the winter. Have the opportunity to enjoy the warmth and at the same time fresh air from an open window all year round. But, unfortunately, not every tenant or homeowner can afford this. With the onset of cold weather, many apartments become cool; in more advanced cases, excess humidity appears, the walls begin to freeze, and mold and mildew can be seen on them.
Cold from the ceiling and floor
It happens that even with new radiators, windows and an insulated balcony, the temperature in the room still remains low. What to do? If your apartment is cold in winter, heat may be lost due to a thin ceiling or floor. This is especially true for the first and last floors of houses.
The ceiling may freeze due to insufficient insulation of the attic or deformation of the roof. Due to these factors, water may seep into the room, leading to mold and mildew. To solve this problem, you need to repair the roof and insulate the ceiling on both sides.
The problem of cold floors is solved in the same way. It must be insulated or the coating must be replaced with a warmer one. The best option to keep the floor warm is to install a modern heating system.
Checking the door design
If the front door does not fit well and there are gaps in it, about 40% of the heat can be lost. And in most cases, this is precisely why the apartment is cold. What to do in such a situation?
It is urgent to warm yourself, otherwise the winter cold will take you by surprise. First you need to make the door itself airtight. To do this, its inner lining is removed, and the empty space is filled with insulation.
Finishing a single-layer metal door is done in the same way, only in this case a layer of material or foam is glued to its surface, and fiberboard or plywood is laid on top.
Eliminating drafts
The door leaf is insulated, but it’s still cold in the apartment? What and how to do next? Proceed with insulation of other areas of the structure. It is necessary to seal cracks and gaps. Most often they occur when the door is installed incorrectly or when the building shrinks. The resulting space can be finished with a rubberized sealant by gluing it to the frame.
To prevent the cold from penetrating into your home, it is very important to choose the right material for sealing cracks. Buy a seal of optimal thickness - too thin will have no effect, and a large width of the material will not allow the door to close.
All insulation procedures have been completed, but it’s still cold in the apartment? What to do? Solve this problem with utility services.
Why is it cold in the apartment on the top floor?
If you live on the top floor, then the close location of the attic is added to the list of possible low temperature options. Or rather, insufficient thermal insulation of the ceiling. In this case, you can contact the HOA with a request to take action. So, for example, you can agree on repairing the attic on your own, keeping the receipts, and then receive compensation. But if the ceiling is insulated, then why is it cold in the apartment on the 5th floor? The reason is simple: cold radiators due to an airlock. It is necessary to resolve the problem together with your neighbors.
What to do if there are cold radiators in the house?
Before running to the utility workers, you should talk to your neighbors. This problem may only occur in your home.
If there is a sudden shutdown of heat in the entire entrance, immediately call the housing and communal services department. Perhaps there was an accident on the heating mains, and utility workers were forced to turn off the heating to carry out repair work.
If the temperature has dropped only in your apartment, you should take this situation seriously. Most likely, the problem is related to a malfunction of the heating system in your area. Where to go if it’s cold in the apartment? Apply to the company that services your home.
After receiving the signal, a technician is sent to the problem apartment to inspect the heating system and find out the reason for the lack of heat. If minor problems can be eliminated, they are repaired immediately. By law, utility workers are given 24 hours to do this.
More complex problems are corrected within a week, after which heat should be supplied to the apartment within the standards.
What to do if the apartment is cold?
Why is it cold in an apartment with individual heating? This is also a common question among residents. If the radiators in the apartment are cold, make sure that the valves for supplying hot water are open.
If the air is deflated, the valves are open, and the radiators remain cold and it’s cold in the apartment, you need to contact the HOA or the company servicing the house. It is possible that the reason for cold batteries lies in a malfunction of the heating system as a whole and hot water does not flow into the batteries. Perhaps hot water simply does not reach the apartment through the radiators and it is necessary to increase the pressure in the heating system. Another reason why it is cold in apartments on the upper floors is insufficient insulation of the roof and attic. This situation occurs in old houses where the roof insulation has already been destroyed by nature - rains, frosts and other natural causes. It is almost impossible to cope with this problem alone, therefore, to ensure that it is not colder in the apartment than outside, you need to contact an office that monitors the improvement of this house.
Another common problem in all houses is cold walls. This may also be the answer to the question why it is very cold in the apartment on the 1st and last floor. Cold walls can occur for a number of reasons, and not all of them can be eliminated on your own:
- One of the reasons is the north side. For this reason, the apartment can be cold even in summer. Here you will need to insulate the cold wall in the apartment from the inside, for example, with polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, or simply hang a carpet on this wall.
- Another reason for cold walls is that most of the apartment is located at the end of the building - the so-called corner apartments. Here the way out is the same - insulate the walls from the inside.
- Another reason for cold walls, and therefore a violation of the temperature regime, is the destruction of interpanel seams. This occurs either due to a violation of construction technology or due to the influence of time and natural factors. In both cases, you need to contact the company servicing the house and ask them the question: “Why is it cold in the apartment in the summer?”
Complaints and claims
If you are provided with low-quality services or after repairing the heating system in the apartment it does not become warmer, you need to make drastic decisions. You have the right to write a complaint and take it to the company responsible for supplying heat to your home.
After the phone call, you must make a written statement regarding your problem. It is usually provided in duplicate. Next, you need to go to an appointment with a company employee to consider your complaint.
You must keep one copy of the application for yourself. The second must contain notes on the date of submission of the document and the serial number of its consideration. These nuances are necessary in case you have to resolve your issue in higher authorities or judicial authorities.
Radical solutions
Many residents believe that it would be much more effective to completely abandon the use of the general heating system of the house, disconnect from it and install their own appliances. The most radical solution in this case would be the installation of gas equipment. But since the heating communications of an apartment building are a complex engineering system, disconnecting one apartment can lead to a disruption in the overall balance of this system. In addition, according to current regulations, the entire heating system, including heating radiators in apartments, belongs to the common property of the house. Therefore, you cannot decide to dismantle them on your own. And finally, there is Federal Law No. 190 “On Heat Supply”, which “prohibits the transition to heating residential premises in apartment buildings using individual apartment sources of thermal energy...” (Article 14, paragraph 15). Plus, the rules and regulations for the technical operation of the housing stock, prescribed in Resolution of the State Construction Committee of the Russian Federation No. 170 of September 27, 2003, do not allow the reconstruction of residential premises, leading to disruption of the operation of engineering systems and installed equipment.
In a word, if the problem is in the thermal communications of the house, and the radiators remain cold from year to year, then together with the neighbors you need to get the management company to replace the risers and equipment of the heating point. But it happens that the organization’s budget does not have funds to repair the in-house heating system and there is no way to get it to carry out such work. Well, in this case, you need to call a general meeting of owners and chip in. This may be quite expensive, but the problem will be solved.
Source communal-control.ru
Recalculating heating costs
According to the law of the Russian Federation, a written complaint is considered within three days. During this time, a specialist should visit your apartment and take the necessary heat measurements in each room. Please note that the measuring device must be located 1.5 meters from the floor and 1 meter from the walls. Based on the results obtained, an act is drawn up in two copies. This document is the main basis for recalculating heating costs in the event of poor quality work by the service company.
Despite the modern approach of many management companies to solving citizens’ problems related to heating, order in the housing and communal services sector will not be restored soon. Therefore, all residents need to know where to go if it’s cold in the apartment, how to properly resolve controversial situations and how to correctly fill out their applications.
Take care of the warmth in your home, because your comfort, mood and health depend on it!
Finding out the reasons
There can be many reasons why apartment heating is unsatisfactory.
Very often these are worn out communications. For Russia, especially disadvantaged regions, this problem remains extremely acute. The networks are decades old; in many settlements, not only have they been replaced, but even basic repairs have not been carried out. So the wear and tear of infrastructure and communications can be critical. Another common problem is an error in the design or installation of heating systems. This is a disease of the new Russia, where in the pursuit of the quantity of housing commissioned, its quality is often forgotten.
Another reason is the inept regulation of heat supply to apartment buildings. This is a question for the specialists who are responsible for the direction. They must be literate, knowledgeable and, no matter how funny it may seem, sober.
The low temperature in your apartment can also be caused by the activities of your neighbors, who, regardless of the other residents of the house, without agreement, increase the number of radiators, connect heated floors, and so on. That is, they simply transfer someone else’s heat onto themselves.
One way or another, the first thing you need to do in order to increase the temperature in the apartment is to concern the housing organization that manages your house. Here it would be nice to find out how things are going with your neighbors in the staircase, in the entrance and throughout the house. If the problem is widespread, it will be much easier to achieve a quick and effective response from the management company, and even more so from the HOA. In addition, you need to measure the temperature in your home. It is this data that can serve as the basis for contacting the Criminal Code.
