Causes of constant blockages of the basement sewerage system and flooding of the first floors.

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The sewer is clogged: what to do?

The occurrence of an emergency in the sewer main obliges the apartment owner:

shut off the water supply to the apartment, and, if necessary, to the entire house;
notify the residents of the house about the situation and call the emergency services. The use of sewerage must be stopped until the fault in the sewerage network is eliminated.

If the clogged sewer can be removed on your own, then you can involve other residents of the house in the work.

It is the responsibility of all property owners to comply with the rules for using the sewer network.

And the utility service, in turn, is obliged to keep the system operational, for which preventive and repair work should be carried out in a timely manner.

What to do if your apartment is flooded by sewerage?

First of all, let's figure out who is responsible for the sewage system?

According to paragraph 5 of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of August 13, 2006 N 491, the common property in an apartment building includes the in-house engineering drainage system, which consists of sewer outlets, fittings such as transitions, pipes, revisions, tees, crosses, risers, plugs, exhaust pipes and so on. The meaning here is clear, sewerage belongs to common property.

But why am I doing this?

Besides, someone must bear responsibility for the common property; all owners cannot now bear responsibility for it and everyone chip in a little to compensate for the damage, that would be absurd.

It all depends on the form of house management. Since, according to paragraph 42 of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of August 13, 2006 N 491, responsibility for the maintenance of common property in an apartment building lies with the management organizations directly managing the apartment building.

That is, we come to the conclusion that if your apartment was flooded due to a clogged sewer, and this means only one thing, the management organization was negligent in its responsibilities for maintaining the common property in proper condition, then we make all claims against the management company, that is, with the organization, This is usually a legal entity that maintains your home. This can be either a standard management organization or an HOA or housing cooperative.

What if the apartment was flooded due to the fault of the management company?

How to present your demands?

First of all, you need to notify the emergency service about the fact of an emergency and the provision of services of inadequate quality. Call the emergency dispatch service and report the accident. According to paragraph 106 of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 06.05.

2011 N 354, the consumer must inform the emergency service about the fact of a violation of the quality of the utility service, while the dispatcher is obliged to register your appeal in the log, tell him the reason for the appeal, your address and full name, also ask under what number your appeal is registered and specify the name of the dispatcher , write down this data, indicate the date and be sure to save it, they may be useful to you.

Next, we record everything on a photo and video camera, all the damage, the very cause of the damage, we invite witnesses, neighbors from the lower floor so that they can see the reason, we do not remove anything, and then you need to write an application to your management organization, with a requirement to draw up certificate of damage caused by poor-quality utility services.

Write an application in 2 copies, come to your management organization and give both copies to the employee receiving incoming requests so that he can familiarize himself with them. Your copy must be marked with the incoming number, the date of acceptance, or another mark of acceptance and the signature of the receiving person, a seal is required since the Criminal Code is a legal entity. Pick up your copy and save it.

Such a statement is written in free form, the header indicates to whom and from whom, indicate your telephone number for contact, describe the situation below and invite a representative of the management organization to draw up a report on the damage caused, put a date and signature on both copies.

Based on subparagraph “K”, paragraph 31 of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 05/06/2011 N 354, the management organization is obliged to keep records of applications, complaints and other claims from consumers regarding the quality of public services. The management organization is obliged, within 3 days from the date of receipt of the complaint, to respond to the consumer and inform about the satisfaction of the requirements or refusal to satisfy them.

A representative of the management organization should contact you and agree on a time for conducting an inspection and drawing up a report on the damage caused.

On the appointed day, a representative of your management organization will come to you and together with him you will draw up a report, which will indicate the date and time of the inspection, the reason and the violations identified, and the report will also indicate all damage resulting from flooding, be very careful to the damaged things and indicate everything and do not leave out anything; for things that are not indicated in the first act, you will not be able to receive compensation, since the court most likely will not take them into account, since it will consider that you intentionally added them to the second act, for increasing the amount of damage. It’s just that sometimes it’s necessary to draw up a second act, since after a flood, traces can appear and shortcomings can be revealed for about 1 month.

If a representative of the management organization refuses to enter something, write down these things in your list, and when signing the act, write an addition to the act, write that the representative of the management organization refused to enter this list of things and you do not agree with this and list all the things that were not included .

You see, if you do not enter these things and sign the act, then in court you will no longer prove anything, because there was no pressure on you and it turns out that you signed an act in which some things were not included voluntarily, which means you agree with this document.

In a word, be careful and persistent, no one limits you in your rights.

Upon completion of drawing up the act, you sign it and a representative of the management organization also signs and gives you a signed copy with dates. If they give you some other papers to sign, read them carefully and do not sign any agreements, you must sign only the act.

An act is a document confirming that a specific case of violation of the quality of utility services occurred in your apartment, resulting in damage to your property. This is the main document you need, but now you need to assess the damage from flooding!

How to assess damage from flooding in an apartment?

You need to involve an expert who specializes in assessing damage after floods and fires, as well as housing assessments and housing inspections.

Such a specialist has the necessary qualifications and must have a diploma, a license to conduct appraisals, and such an expert must also be on the register of appraisers. Check everything differently, if he does not have documents, then the court will not accept such an examination.

The appraiser will set a date for the inspection, also invite a representative of the management organization to the date of the inspection by telegram 3 days before the inspection, this is a mandatory condition, neglect of which may have a bad effect on the results of your examination in court, it may be challenged, and this is the appointment of a forensic examination which is very expensive worth it and the costs may fall on you.

The most important thing is to notify the management organization by telegram with a notification. As a result, you should have in your hands a notification that the telegram has been delivered to the addressee, a receipt for payment for the telegram and a copy of the telegram. You notified the defendant, and whether he comes or not is his business.

On the appointed day, the expert will arrive at your apartment and draw up a report that will include all repair damage and damaged items, furniture, appliances, etc.

The expert will definitely take photographs of everything, you will sign the report and then the expert will go to prepare a conclusion, the so-called report, which will contain the total amount that will be needed to bring your apartment to the condition it was in before the flood, as well as the cost of all damaged things.

Next, this examination is transferred to you in paper and electronic form and you can already begin actions to recover the amount of damage from the management organization.

It will not be possible to go to court right away; the pre-trial procedure for resolving the dispute, the so-called claim procedure, must be followed; it consists of sending a claim to the management organization with a demand for compensation for damage and a copy of the examination is attached to the claim to justify the amount of damage you require.

You can submit the claim in person to the management organization; your copy must be marked with acceptance and the date; keep your copy with the marks.

Or you can send your claim to the management organization by registered mail with a list of attachments and acknowledgment of receipt. We also attach a copy of the report to the claim and indicate in the inventory that the envelope contains the claim and the report. Later, you will receive a notification in the mail that the claim has been served on the management company.

If within 10 days from the receipt of your claim you have not been contacted and offered a solution to the problem, then you have the right to sue the management organization and recover from it the amount of damage in court, as well as a fine of 50% of the amount that the court will award in your favor, as well as a penalty for all days of delay in fulfilling your demand.

You can draw up a statement of claim yourself, attach to it all copies of statements and claims that you sent to the management organization, attach all checks confirming the sending of telegrams and mail, attach notifications and inventory, attach all checks confirming the costs of preparing for the case, attach a copy of the examination , an act drawn up by the management organization and other evidence of the fact of damage, including photos and video materials.

Of course, your chances of winning are very good, but if you do not understand the legal intricacies of the issue, then it is best to seek help from a lawyer, of course this is not free, but the lawyer has experience in handling cases in court and will help you avoid mistakes that could affect for the total amount of damage, besides, you will not need to appear in court, a lawyer will do everything for you.

I hope the article was useful to you and you learned a lot of useful things for yourself, and I wish you good luck!

Source: https://yurist174.ru/zhilisnoe-pravo/prava-zhilcov/chto-delat-esli-kvartiru-zatopilo-kanalizaciey

Signs of clogged sewer pipes

The first sign of a clogged sewer pipe is the slow flow of water into the system. If you drain clean water and the situation does not change, this is a sure sign that it is necessary to take measures to clean the sewer.

The second sign is the spread of an unpleasant odor throughout the house. If you do not attach importance to this circumstance, you will soon be unable to do without calling the emergency housing and communal services service or the management company.

Does the housing office have the right to turn off water?

Read how to file a complaint with Rospotrebnadzor against the management company here.

What to do if you are flooded by your neighbors, read the link:

We remove blockages in the riser with a cable

The cable is introduced into the system. It is then fed down the pipe. If the tool hits something, you need to move it back a few centimeters and then move it forward again, perhaps it is a pipe joint. If you realize that the cable does not go any further, it means it has hit a blockage. In this case, you need to try to destroy the plug. To do this, begin to vigorously rotate the cable (clockwise: usually the tool is designed to rotate in this direction), trying to push it further.

After the pipe's patency is restored, rinse it with hot water.

You can insert the cable into the riser through:

Toilet flush. When doing this, be careful not to damage the enamel of the bowl.
Inspection holes. In 5-story buildings they are located on the first and last floors. In taller buildings, audits should be every 2 floors.
Through the junction of the horizontal drain pipe.

Causes of blockage and their consequences

Attention! The following causes clogging of the sewer system:

during the construction process, the requirements for installing sewer pipes of the required diameter were violated. That is, the system was installed from pipes of smaller diameter than provided for in the project;
ordinary wear of pipes as a result of long-term use;
horizontal sections of the sewer main were laid in violation of technology. That is, the slope at the rate of two centimeters for each meter of pipe was not observed;
During the installation of the toilet, the solution narrowed the drain, as a result of which the passage of wastewater will be difficult. And this, in turn, will contribute to the systematic clogging of the sewerage system in the apartment;
violation of the installation of sewer pipes, as a result of which the requirements for tightness of connections are not met. As a result, various debris can enter the sewer system, which will clog the pipe;
the formation of build-up and deposits as a result of the discharge of fats from dishwashers and kitchen sinks into the drain. Over a long period of operation, such waste constantly accumulates on the walls of the pipes, solidifies and crystallizes. The diameter of the sewer pipe constantly narrows and at a certain time stops passing discharges.

The main reason why sewer clogs occur in an apartment building is the negligence of the residents. The sewer system is designed in such a way that wastewater is discharged through risers from each apartment to the lower part of the house. Subsequently, they move into large-diameter pipelines, which are pumped to treatment plants.

The use of the sewer system as a garbage chute by individual careless residents leads to the fact that it becomes clogged with various rags, household waste, and personal hygiene products.

If the blockage is minor, utility services will deal with it quickly enough. However, it happens that sewage floods the basements of houses and then overflows into the local area. In such cases, the residents of the first floor suffer the most.

If a sewer blockage occurs in an apartment, the wastewater will begin to rise up the riser. As a result, it will begin to flow out of toilets, bathtubs, washbasins and flood the surface of the floors of the apartment.

It will take some time to clear the blockage. However, this will be enough for the wastewater to fill the entire apartment with an unpleasant odor and render the flooring and furniture unusable. And as a result, there is a need for a major renovation of the apartment, replacement of furniture and other unforeseen expenses.

Clogged sewerage in an apartment building: who is to blame? 2021

It is a wide pipe through which wastewater moves to the outlet openings, and then to wells, pits, and centralized systems. A clogged drain is considered a rare but serious problem. The difficulty of resolving it is that regular cleaning with soda and vinegar is not enough. As a rule, the causes of impassable contamination are foreign objects that have entered the riser cavity. Only specialists can safely clean the sewer riser using appropriate equipment. In multi-storey buildings, people use the sewer system as a kind of garbage chute, without thinking about the consequences. Large quantities of paper are flushed down the toilet, wet wipes, rags, and personal hygiene items end up.

The Contractor (house management company) is obliged to: i) accept, in the manner and within the time limits established by these Rules, consumer messages about the provision of utility services of inadequate quality [clogging a sewer is also the provision of a service of inadequate quality – appendix. Yu.K.] and (or) with interruptions exceeding the established duration, ORGANIZE and CONDUCT A CHECK OF SUCH FACT WITH DRAFTING THE APPROPRIATE INSPECTION REPORT [see. pp. 108.109], and if there is harm caused by a violation of the quality of public services, also an act recording the harm caused to the life, health or property of the consumer [see. P.

For residents of the house, it is important that the toilet works properly and that water drains quickly and without leaks from the bathtub or washing machine. If the riser or pipe in the apartment is clogged, the first signs of a problem will quickly appear.

Residents of the house will feel an unpleasant, pungent odor in the toilet area. This will indicate problems with the patency of the riser.
The fact that the toilet is clogged or the hydraulic valve is not working properly will be indicated by the cloudy water remaining in the toilet after flushing.
There may be an air lock or a buildup of fecal sediment inside the drain pipe connected to the toilet. In this case, the water from the tank will flow into the drain very slowly.

ATTENTION! When a drain is clogged, you cannot expect the blockage to go away on its own. The accumulations in the pipe will only increase, which will ultimately lead to flooding of your apartment and the premises underneath it.

There are apartments in which there is one common sunbed, it is pierced with a cable from the kitchen. There are apartments with two sun loungers, separate for the kitchen and bath.

rules for maintaining common property in apartment buildings;
rules and regulations for the technical operation of housing stock;
methodological manual for the maintenance and repair of housing stock MDK 2-04.2004.

Read about what benefits for utility bills a group 2 disabled person is entitled to here. back to content Personal or community property? According to the rules, the responsibility for maintaining and repairing communications lies with the owners. Water pipes that are branches from riser pipes are maintained, repaired and replaced by the owners independently and at their own expense.

1 Whose property is the sewer riser 1.1 Legislative documents
1.2 What to do in case of an accident

2 Repairing leaks yourself

2.1 Causes of emergency situations

2.2 Repair of metal pipe

2.3 How to patch a plastic analogue

3 Conclusion

Homeowners in apartment buildings often encounter problems when sewer pipes leak in the toilet, bathroom, or kitchen. And here the question arises: how to eliminate this trouble? On your own or by inviting specialists, and most importantly – at whose expense? Let's figure this out. If a pipe is leaking in your apartment, you will have to do the repairs yourself.

The common property also includes branches from the riser to the first connecting connection. back to contents Who should change? Repairs to common property are carried out by a management company to which residents have delegated the right to manage common property. Replacement of sewer and water risers is carried out by the Housing and Communal Services Management Company, Homeowners' Association or other companies.

The decision on repairs is made by the management company upon the application of the homeowners. What are the rules for the use of residential premises and common property in apartment buildings? You will find the answer on our website. back to contents At whose expense? By law, homeowners are responsible for the maintenance of common property. If the sewer riser is out of order and needs to be repaired or replaced, then the management company must carry out and pay for this work from funds contributed by the owners.

The homeowner submitting the application must be a bona fide utility payer in order for his application to be accepted and considered. After reviewing the application, a convenient time for the work is agreed upon with the owner.

The riser is replaced by employees of the management company or contractors hired by the management company. The owner must provide free passage to the bathroom in order for the pipes to be replaced.

How much does it cost to replace a sewer riser in an apartment? The owner is not required to pay additional funds when replacing the riser or branches from it before the first connecting connection. The approximate cost of replacing a sewer riser in one apartment is from 4 to 7 thousand.

General information In old houses, sewer risers and pipes in bathrooms are made of cast iron - a reliable, but not the most durable material. Sooner or later, such pipes begin to fail, after which there is a danger of leakage, pipe splitting, property damage and financial liability. In order to prevent sad consequences, the riser and sewer branches should be replaced. In such a situation, owners often make do on their own and change the riser in the apartment themselves. Not everyone knows that sewer and other risers can be replaced at the expense of the management company. Throws rags, clothes, cotton wool, cardboard, hygiene products, household and construction waste, large food waste, etc. into the sewer. All this garbage easily enters the system through the washbasin, toilet; it can only be limited by the diameter of the pipe, but it is not so easy for the garbage to pass further. a multi-meter march through sewer pipes and end up somewhere at a wastewater treatment plant.

This same garbage accumulates in turning points, outlets, wells, reduces the permeability, contaminates the chambers, and ultimately leads to blockages. There are different blockages, some are not large, which service companies can quickly remove without consequences for residents.

Larger blockages in the networks overwhelm the chambers, flow out into the yard, playgrounds, parking lots, causing inconvenience to residents, motorists, and children.

Here are substantiating excerpts about this from the documents: “RULES FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF COMMON PROPERTY IN AN APARTMENT BUILDING” (approved by the post of the Government of the Russian Federation of August 13, 2006, no. 491) “...2. The common property includes: e) mechanical, electrical, sanitary and other equipment located in an apartment building outside or inside the premises and serving more than one residential and (or) non-residential premises (apartment); … 5….The composition of the common property includes an in-house engineering WATER RESPIRATORY system, consisting of sewer outlets, fittings (including bends, transitions, pipes, revisions, crosses, tees), risers, plugs, exhaust pipes, drainage funnels, cleanings, BRANCHES FROM RISERS TO THE FIRST BUTT JOINTS, as well as other equipment located in this system.” RULES AND STANDARDS FOR TECHNICAL OPERATION OF HOUSING STOCK (approved by the regulation. Its packaging must indicate that the glue is intended for polyethylene or PVC, CPVC or uPVC. Applying a clamp from a piece of pipe.

On top of the applied layer of glue, apply a patch cut from a piece of pipe. It must be made of the same material as the product being repaired.
The joint should dry in half a minute. Based on this, there is no need to secure it additionally with a clamp.
The repaired pipeline can be used after 5 hours.

The question is: who should pay for the work. I pay 500 rubles a month for repairs and maintenance of my home, but the mechanics in our housing department have a good appetite. The sewerage system is cleaned using funds used to pay for housing.

Sewerage is a standard type of utilities in an apartment building . It provides drainage of dirty water and human waste products.

Constant and high-quality sewerage work is one of the main factors in ensuring sanitary and hygienic conditions in a residential area. The system is built according to a design that takes into account the loads of the apartment and the house as a whole, and the permeability of the pipes.

For sewer installation, convenient PVC pipes and connecting parts are now used, which are not afraid of corrosion and other destructive factors.

During the operation of a building with many apartments and residents, it is possible that the sewage system becomes clogged and the residents in the apartment need to take urgent action.

After all, you can’t use running water or a toilet; the apartment simply creates unhealthy and uncomfortable living conditions . What to do correctly if there is a sewer blockage? Who is responsible for this system, who should clean the pipes and whether it is possible to fix the problem yourself.

Sewerage is present in every apartment building. Even old residential buildings that did not have normal household amenities are now being restored and supplemented with the necessary utilities.

IMPORTANT! Residents must not only use the systems, but also monitor their condition and operate them correctly, taking into account safety.

A situation where the sewer system is clogged is not uncommon for residents of apartment buildings. And this problem can arise for several reasons. The most common causes of blockage:

The residents of the residential building themselves are most often to blame for creating such a problem. They often throw large leftovers of food, paper, and other garbage into the toilet, which should go into the trash can.
The sewer system is not a garbage disposal; it is not designed for such a load. If the pipeline is also old, the inside is covered with a coating of grease, dirt, and various sediments; any debris can cause a blockage. Often, for this reason, the passage in cast iron pipes of the sewer system is blocked.
Constantly using cold water to wash greasy dishes can cause clogs. Fat accumulates on the walls of the pipeline, the free space gradually shrinks, and the working medium cannot flow normally. And after a while the sewerage turns out to be blocked.
Fat deposits can be removed using special means, this is not a big problem. But you need to act correctly, not to overdo it with physical force and not to tear off the pipes at their connection.
An incorrect design for installing a sewer system can also cause a problem. The pipes must be laid at a certain angle, and the connecting elements must be correctly selected.
If the installation technology is violated, the working fluid of the sewer may not flow directly to the riser, creating blockages and debris deposits. And very quickly such a technical deficiency will manifest itself as stagnation of water in the sinks and toilet.
Sewage pipes often become clogged after renovations are carried out in an apartment. Remains of building materials (putty, cement, sawdust) are washed into the sewer during cleaning, accumulate there and then block the passage of the working environment. This cause of blockage is considered one of the most difficult, especially if the residues harden and form a dense mass.
How does the wear of pipes and connecting parts affect the operation of the sewer? Over time, old cast iron pipes lose the smoothness of their internal surfaces, which become rough and retain deposits. This is the cause of blockage that cannot be eliminated on your own. The most likely solution is to replace worn out pipeline elements.

When a blockage occurs in an apartment building, who is to blame? Most often, this is one of the residents who is using the sewage system incorrectly. And less often, this is a technical problem associated with improper laying of pipes or their complete wear. Depending on the cause of the blockage, measures are taken to eliminate it.

The safest way to unclog your drain is to call an experienced and qualified plumber . And to the question of what to do if the riser or pipes are clogged, the correct answer is to call the management company dispatcher to call a specialist.

The management company receives funds for maintaining the house, so it is obliged to send an employee to remove blockages in the sewer system.

Plumbers clean the sewer using a special cable. Using a handle, it rotates in the sewer pipe and pushes debris and sediment deeper, towards the riser. The cable may break up or shred some waste. The plumber may screw objects around it that are causing the clog.

If the home handyman has some experience working with such a cable, he can try to break through the pipe himself. But you should act carefully, slowly, so as not to cause a pipe burst. When selecting a cable, several points should be taken into account:

It must be sufficiently rigid and match the thickness of the pipe diameter. Rigidity will allow you to break through the blockage and push deposits to the riser. But at the same time, the flexibility of the cable is also important, since it must move along the bends of the pipeline.
You should choose such a simple tool according to its length, because the cable must reach the place of the blockage.

A cable is not always enough to clean the sewer system. If debris and various deposits, including fat, have accumulated for a long time, a simple cable may not penetrate the plug.

ATTENTION! In this case, the help of a professional plumber and his equipment is required.

What is a professional drain cleaning device? This is a special machine (mechanical or electromechanical) that allows you to feed a spring with one or another attachment into the pipe. If it is necessary to clean an external sewer pipe, a hydrodynamic machine is used.

But even modern professional equipment may not be able to cope with sewer blockage caused by residues of building materials (paint, putty, cement) . It is recommended to throw such residues in the trash without flushing them down the drain.

If some does end up in the drain pipe, you need to rinse it thoroughly afterwards. Hardened putty or cement - such an obstacle in the pipes cannot be removed with a simple cable or chemical means, sometimes it is even necessary to change part of the sewer system.

Manufacturers produce a large variety of powders, gels, and other chemicals that effectively deal with many types of blockages. They usually cause corrosion of debris using aggressive substances.

If food debris or hair or animal hair has accumulated in the pipe, this problem can be eliminated using this method. How to use chemicals? Almost all of them contain hazardous substances, so you should always follow the instructions from the manufacturer:

You should work with protective gloves, avoiding contact of the product with your skin.
The choice of product should be made taking into account the material used to make the pipes.
It is necessary to follow all the manufacturer’s recommendations and monitor where the drug is stored.
For complex blockages, you can reuse the product to achieve the full effect.

Before you begin removing the blockage on your own, you should assess the complexity of the problem and the condition of the pipeline.

ATTENTION! If the system is old and worn out, it is better to seek the help of specialists.

Any careless and illiterate intervention in the pipeline can lead to a pipe break, which will affect more than one apartment.

One of the simple tools that can be found in any apartment is a simple plunger. The principle of its use is simple - a rubber part is tightly applied to the pipe opening and several pressures are applied.
Do not use too much physical force so as not to disrupt the connection of the drain with other elements of the sewer system. If the clogs are too old, using a plunger may not help.
A siphon installed under a washbasin or sink in the kitchen most often becomes the place where a blockage occurs. A DIYer can try to clean it by carefully disconnecting it from the pipeline. After removing dirt and debris, you should also clean the siphon with a special chemical that will remove grease and other deposits.
Plumbers recommend taking preventive measures - pouring boiling water down the pipe after washing dishes every time.
Another home method for removing blockages is to use a combination of vinegar and soda. It is not always possible to call a specialist from the Management Company or a private plumbing services company.

In this case, you can try the products that are in every home. First, pour a pack of soda down the drain, then a glass of vinegar. And after half an hour, boiling water is poured into the sewer. The use of aggressive electrolyte from a battery is dangerous, as it can damage the pipes of the sewer system.

When a drain pipe in a multi-story building becomes clogged, cleaning it with soda or a plunger may not help.

Sometimes a more serious means is required - a hydrodynamic machine. It is in the service of special services, which provide professional services in this area.

The use of a hydrodynamic machine gives excellent results in the most difficult situations. How does the machine work? It supplies water under high pressure into the pipe through nozzles of different sizes. Cleaning is carried out in two stages:

At the first stage, a special hose with nozzles pierces the plug in the sewer and partially removes deposits from the surfaces.
Then smaller nozzles operate, they spray liquid under pressure to clean the walls. The nozzles have a ruff shape.

How the engineering systems of an apartment building work largely depends on the residents. It is not difficult to follow the rules that will allow you to avoid clogged sewers and related problems:

A sufficient amount of water must flow into the pipes; you should not save unnecessarily. Be sure to wash dishes with hot water to prevent the accumulation of grease on the pipes.
A toilet is not a trash can. You cannot throw leftover food, paper (except toilet paper), or animal litter into it.
Simple mesh drains in the kitchen and bathroom will also be an excellent preventive measure against blockages.
After washing the dishes (more often if possible), you need to pour boiling water into the pipe for 20 seconds . You can also use vinegar and soda.
At the end of their service life, the pipes must be replaced. Even if it involves monetary expenses.

High-quality work of the engineering systems of a house or apartment ensures compliance with the necessary sanitary and hygienic living conditions. But sewer systems, even the newest ones, can become clogged.

If the sewer system in an apartment or private house is clogged, what should you do to correct the situation and restore the toilet’s functionality? The problem can be solved; sometimes even the owner of the apartment can clean a clogged toilet pipe on his own.

But it’s safer to call a competent plumber to prevent the basement from flooding with sewage and flooding your apartment and your neighbors’.

Sewage in an apartment or house in the private sector is an important utility system. For residents of the house, it is important that the toilet works properly and that water drains quickly and without leaks from the bathtub or washing machine. If the riser or pipe in the apartment is clogged, the first signs of a problem will quickly appear.

Residents of the house will feel an unpleasant, pungent odor in the toilet area. This will indicate problems with the patency of the riser .
The fact that the toilet is clogged or the hydraulic valve will be indicated by the cloudy water remaining in the toilet after flushing.
an air lock or a buildup of fecal sediment inside the drain pipe connected to the toilet In this case, the water from the tank will flow into the drain very slowly.

ATTENTION! When a drain is clogged, you cannot expect the blockage to go away on its own. The accumulations in the pipe will only increase, which will ultimately lead to flooding of your apartment and the premises underneath it.

When cloudy water appears in the toilet bowl, it is necessary to clean the drain pipe . In apartment buildings, it can be done by a home craftsman.

To do this, he needs to remove the head of the fan pipe and remove the cover of the lower revision of the riser. Then, using a plumbing cable, you should break through the fan riser, removing all the debris from the audit. The next step is to restore the tightness of the sewer system section - to do this, you need to tighten the inspection cover tightly.

The work must be done with long rubber gloves to avoid getting dirty.

There are several reasons for clogged toilets or sewer pipes.

The most common is throwing leftover food, even small ones, down the toilet. Food may not dissolve in the water and may become stuck in the drain hole. A trash can should be used for leftover food.
Another bad habit of apartment owners is pouring cat litter into the toilet. There are especially many problems with sand and clay fillers.
Gradually, hair and cat fur can accumulate in sewer pipes. A pipe clogged with them can create many problems for the resident of the house.

In an apartment building, the sewer system may become clogged due to improper pipe laying or wear and tear of the pipeline system . Pipes of small diameters that are not suitable for sewerage can also be installed.

ATTENTION! Sometimes houses do not have background risers installed. In this case, a check valve is required in the sewer system. Thanks to it, the air lock will come out when draining the water. If there is no air valve near the toilet, water will flow through the pipes very slowly, resulting in deposits on the walls of the pipes that block the flow.

If the apartment is flooded with sewage, you should find out exactly the cause of the accident. When it happened due to the fault of the builders, it will be possible to obtain compensation for damaged property in court.

As judicial practice shows, the injured party must have documented evidence that the sewerage break occurred through no fault of its own.

It can take a long time to decide when a sewer blockage occurs in an apartment building, who is to blame? But in some cases, you can try to solve the problem yourself.

First of all, you should carefully check whether something has gotten into the pipe drain that is blocking the passage of water.
Subsequently, mechanical or chemical cleaning is carried out. The work is carried out in several stages. First, all drain holes in the apartment are closed. Then a plunger is inserted into the toilet drain, with the suction cup facing down. The next step is to fill the toilet with water (up to 5 liters). Then you need to push the plunger up and down, also performing rotational movements with the handle.

ATTENTION! Before cleaning procedures, it is recommended to pour up to 5 liters of hot water into the toilet hole; it will soften the paper and food waste that clog the pipe.

The cleaning rules are not complicated; it is only important to carry out the process on time, without bringing the situation to a critical point. Mechanical cleaning is an effective method, as is chemical cleaning.

Plumbing service experts recommend pouring a quality cleaning product into the toilet every few months . In this case, problems with the sewerage system will occur very rarely.

One of the complex processes is cleaning sewer pipes. For this work you need to have a special hose that is connected to a powerful compressor.

Plumbers also use plumbing cable. The pipe must be cleaned thoroughly and efficiently; if it is constantly clogged, the causes of the blockage should be identified.

IMPORTANT! If the toilet is characterized by constant blockages, it is better to replace independent actions to eliminate the problem with professional help. Perhaps the problem is more complex and requires a qualified approach.

When using a cable for cleaning, you need to open the revision, insert a plug into the riser, which closes the higher section of the pipe. Then the hose is inserted using reciprocating and rotating movements. Using the same movements, the toilet drain hole is also cleaned. After cleaning, carefully wipe the hose pipe.

The problem with sewer pipes does not always occur within the apartment. You may encounter a sewerage break in the basement of an apartment building. Who is responsible for the pipeline and who to call in case of an emergency?

If your apartment, entrance, or basement is flooded, you need to urgently call the utility service. You can also contact a private one, because the most important thing in this situation is the speed of resolving the issue.

It is important to know who to contact if there are breaks or clogged sewer pipes or toilets.

If there is a blockage in the toilet or a pipe in the bathroom has burst and the first floor is flooding, you should call the plumbing installers of the housing department , another management organization.
Sewage wells are serviced by the city water utility . Its specialists must service the yard drainage system.
There are also emergency services . You can turn to them when you manage to clog your neighbor’s pipe and he floods several apartments. Such services respond to calls in case of emergency.
Telephone numbers of dispatch services that carry out sewer repairs and cleaning must be on receipts for utility bills.

ATTENTION! If in an emergency it is difficult to find the dispatcher’s phone number, you can dial the hotline number operating under the city administration or the rescue service. There you should provide the contact information you are interested in.

Before the arrival of the masters, you should also follow a certain algorithm. If liquid appears on the ground floor from sewer pipes or in the apartments above, in the basement, it is advisable to warn other residents and turn off the water for a while.

To reduce the need to contact a plumber, you should follow simple rules for using the toilet.

You cannot throw paper (except toilet paper) or construction waste into it.
Food waste, which can swell in water and create an obstacle to the drainage flow, is also prohibited.
The toilet must be installed by a competent and experienced plumber who knows at what angle the pipes are attached and how long they should be. Water from the toilet should drain freely and quickly.
An experienced, competent plumber should clean the sewer not only in the basement, entrance, but also in the apartment, if the blockage is complex. The result of improper cleaning work can be an accident that affects the entire entrance and even the house. Specialists have professional equipment that will clean the pipes from the inside, ensuring they have the necessary permeability.

Most often, the cause of a sewerage break is a careless, irresponsible attitude towards it on the part of the residents of an apartment building.

To avoid the problems described above, you should be careful and use plumbing fixtures only for their intended purpose .

This video lists several ways to remove blockages using improvised means.

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This is interesting: Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 731 of February 27, 2017, 2021

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Types of sewer blockages

Important! Before you begin to eliminate a sewer pipe failure in an apartment building, you should understand what types of blockages there are:

operational. Appear as a result of long-term operation of the sewer system. The causes of clogging are the accumulation of microscopic particles on the walls of the pipe. A sign is the slow flow of wastewater from the toilet, bathroom, kitchen into the sewer pipe;
mechanical. They appear as a result of foreign objects entering the sewer pipe. They create an obstacle to the movement of wastewater through the drainage system. Elimination is possible by dismantling the old pipe and installing a new one;
technological. The first is violations during construction. Pipes of smaller diameter than necessary were installed. The second is the wear and tear of sewer pipes;
siphon. The sewer system is equipped in such a way that there is always water in the siphons, which prevents odors from the system from entering the home. For various reasons, these elements of the sewer system become clogged and stop passing wastewater. Cleaning or replacing the siphon will clear the clogged sewer pipe.

Thus, having established the cause of a sewer blockage in an apartment building, you can begin to eliminate the emergency situation.

Attention! Our qualified lawyers will assist you free of charge and around the clock on any issues. Find out more here.

Causes of clogging

There are several reasons for clogged toilets or sewer pipes.

The most common is throwing leftover food, even small ones, down the toilet. Food may not dissolve in the water and may become stuck in the drain hole. A trash can should be used for leftover food.
Another bad habit of apartment owners is pouring cat litter into the toilet. There are especially many problems with sand and clay fillers.
Gradually, hair and cat fur can accumulate in sewer pipes. A pipe clogged with them can create many problems for the resident of the house.

As judicial practice shows, the injured party must have documented evidence that the sewerage break occurred through no fault of its own.

Basic methods for clearing sewer clogs

Knowing the reasons why the sewer system becomes clogged facilitates the use of measures to eliminate them.

The most common ones are:

systematic audit of the sewer system. As a drastic solution, reconstruction of the sewerage system should be applied. It should be used in case of frequent blockages of the drainage system;
mechanical removal of blockage when a solid source forms in the sewer pipe;
cleaning sewer pipes with chemical solutions that destroy layers on the inner surface of the pipe.

Where to go and who is to blame

Depending on the emergency situation in the sewer system of an apartment building, you should seek help from the appropriate services:

the toilet is clogged, the drain pipe has burst, the interfloor sewer riser does not allow waste water to pass through, waste is flooding the basement or the first floors of a residential building - you should immediately contact the housing maintenance office or management company to dispatch a locksmith on duty;
if wastewater begins to pour onto the surface through sewer wells, you should call Vodokanal, since this is their service area;
If sewage floods the floor of a residential building, emergency services of utility companies should be called. Telephone numbers are indicated on utility bills.

You should know that passively waiting for a team of specialists to arrive is not welcome. An accident can cause more damage if you don’t do anything yourself.

Therefore, each apartment owner who has discovered signs of an emergency with the sewerage system is obliged to warn other residents about the danger that has arisen and take measures to stop the water supply.

If the sewer is constantly clogged, the reason for this is:

negligent attitude of utility services to inspections and cleaning of sewer pipes;
the use of sewerage as a garbage chute by individual residents of a residential building.

Finding the culprits and conducting investigations into the causes of sewer blockage in an apartment building can take a long time.

ATTENTION! Look at the completed sample application to the Prosecutor's Office against the management company due to frequent sewer blockages:

Watch the video. The sewer is clogged, how to clear it:

Where to go if you have problems with sewerage?

It is important to know who to contact if there are breaks or clogged sewer pipes or toilets.

If there is a clog in the toilet or a pipe in the bathroom has burst and the first floor is flooding, you should call the plumbing installers of the housing department or another management organization.
Sewage wells are serviced by the city water utility. Its specialists must service the yard drainage system.
There are also emergency services. You can turn to them when you manage to clog your neighbor’s pipe and he floods several apartments. Such services respond to calls in case of emergency.
Telephone numbers of dispatch services that carry out sewer repairs and cleaning must be on receipts for utility bills.

What to do for prevention

Attention! To ensure that the sewer system in an apartment building does not become clogged, all apartment owners must adhere to the following rules:

Special meshes must be installed on the outlets of bathtubs, washbasins, shower stalls, and kitchen sinks. They prevent foreign objects from human activity from entering the sewer;
Sewerage should be used according to its intended purpose, and not as a garbage chute. Collect food waste and garbage in a special container (bucket with a lid);
Wash greasy dishes in hot water. This will prevent the formation of fatty plugs in the sewer riser;
Install the washing machine drain as far as possible from the riser. With each drain from the machine, soapy water will flush the entire sewer system installed inside the apartment;
When installing sewerage yourself inside an apartment, lay the pipes with a constant slope. Places with a counter-slope guarantee constant blockages.