A gas water heater is a fairly durable household appliance. With proper use, it can last up to 15 years or more. But in practice, this period may turn out to be shorter, which entails the need to purchase new equipment. This is due not only to the physical deterioration of the units, but also to the obsolescence of the apparatus.
For you, like most owners, replacing a gas water heater in an apartment raises many questions and doubts about the correctness of actions, right? What norms and requirements must be observed in order not to break the law and not endanger your life and property?
In this article, we will give tips and advice on replacing a gas water heater, preparing the necessary documents, and helping to avoid mistakes and miscalculations when installing the device. We will provide our material with diagrams, examples of documents and visual photos, as well as videos.
The content of the article:
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Basic norms and requirements
- No. 1 - requirements for the premises
- No. 2 - norms for the location of the column
- No. 3 - requirements for ventilation and chimney
- No. 4 - requirements for gas supply hoses
- Procedure for paperwork
- Who is allowed to replace a column?
- Recommendations for choosing a new column
- Common mistakes when replacing a column
- Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Basic norms and requirements
Because the appliance uses hazardous fuels, strict rules and regulations are imposed on its installation and operation. By law, all work, from making changes to the project to connecting the column, must be performed by organizations or specialists licensed for this type of activity.
With the correct execution of the technical documentation, the fulfillment of all requirements and conditions, the dismantling of the old and the installation of a new column is not very difficult.
Owners need to know the basic requirements of who and how should change a household gas water heater, especially for owners who are accustomed to equipping their life on their own
The technical conditions for the installation of a water heater are dictated, first of all, by the safety of using gas equipment. The norms and requirements for replacing the old gas water heater with a new one are stipulated by the manufacturer's instructions, building codes and gas supply rules SNiP 2.04.08-87 *.
No. 1 - requirements for the premises
A flow-through gas heater is installed in the kitchen or in another non-residential area with a volume of at least 7.5 cubic meters. m, in the presence of air flow through the ventilation grill with an area of 0.03 sq.m.
The lightness of the structure also depends on the size of the windows. This means that in the event of an emergency explosion of a gas mixture with air, the excess pressure is neutralized through windows, doors or other provided elements without destroying the building.
The volume of the room, the dimensions of window and ventilation openings must comply with the requirements to ensure sufficient air circulation through the water heater
The required window area depends on the thickness of the glass and is determined as follows:
- with a thickness of 3 mm, the area must be at least 0.8 m2;
- for 4 mm - not less than 1 m2;
- at 5 mm - from 1.5 m2.
Only the area of the glazing itself should be taken into account, excluding the frames. The ceiling height must be at least 2 m (with a sloped ceiling from 2.2 m) for appliances up to 60 kW, and from 2.5 m for higher power equipment.
When replacing an old column in a bathroom, it is permissible to install it in its original place, although in cases of initial design, according to modern standards, this is prohibited.
It should also be borne in mind that high humidity leads to corrosion of components and reduces the service life of the device. In this case, it is better to replace it with the transfer of the water heater to a new, more suitable place.
No. 2 - norms for the location of the column
In the passport for the gas water heater or installation instructions, as a rule, the manufacturer indicates the required distances from the device to the building structures of the room. If there are no such instructions, the gas heater is installed based on ease of use, installation, service and repair.
When installing the column, you must adhere to the recommended distances from the device case to walls and nearby objects. This will provide the necessary ventilation, eliminate the risk of overheating and fire.
Installation must be carried out in compliance with the distance from the wall of the attachment, depending on its fire-fighting properties:
- from non-combustible materials - not less than 2 cm;
- from non-combustible, combustible, protected by sheet steel, asbestos from 3 mm, plaster, etc. - not less than 3 cm.
The dimensions of the thermal insulation must exceed the dimensions of the column by at least 10 cm around the perimeter and 70 cm from the top. The distance to the nearest structures, walls, objects should not be less than 15 cm on either side of the device. If installation with a reduced clearance is permitted in the instrument's data sheet, then it is necessary to provide for the protection of the adjacent surfaces with non-combustible materials. But in any case, the gap should not be less than 3 cm.
The location of the burner window should be approximately at eye level. If the gas heater is installed in a passageway, a free space of at least 1 m must be provided around it.
No. 3 - requirements for ventilation and chimney
The chimney must ensure the complete removal of combustion products in a natural way with the following volume distribution:
- hoods - at the level of 3 times air exchange in one hour;
- air inflow from the room - not less than the total volume of the exhaust and air consumed for gas combustion.
For equipment over 60 kW, an additional calculation of the dimensions of ventilation devices is made.
Also, do not forget about the ventilation of the device itself. Failure to observe the recommended distance of 15 cm from the side wall will lead to insufficient ventilation of the left side of the speaker and its local overheating.
We recommend galvanized or stainless steel as the material for the flue gas vent. By the type of execution, it can be a sandwich pipe, corrugation or coaxial chimney in the case of a turbocharged water heater. Do not use aluminum corrugation due to its susceptibility to rapid burnout.
The total length of the pipe, from the top of the column to the opening of the chimney in the wall, should not exceed 3 m. At the same time, it is necessary to observe the maximum number of turns at right angles - no more than two. If there are more of them, then you should subtract 1 m from the total length for each 90-degree turn and 0.5 m at an angle of 45 degrees.
The length of the vertical booster section of the chimney at the outlet of the column should be at least 25 - 30 cm with a ceiling height of up to 2.7 m.In rooms with a higher ceiling, it is recommended to increase it to 50 cm. The horizontal part is mounted with a minimum upward slope of 2 degrees.
No. 4 - requirements for gas supply hoses
When replacing supply pipes, gas column hoses, it is necessary to take into account the requirements of the gas inspection for their type and material of manufacture.
Flexible gas hoses there are rubber, in a metal sheath, bellows made of stainless steel and polymers, PVC. The main criterion for the right choice is the presence of a yellow sticker or color and certificate. To avoid fakes, it is recommended to buy them in specialized stores. The most preferred option is a bellows sleeve or PVC hose.
The dielectric insert significantly increases the safety of using the gas column. This is especially true for apartment buildings, where the likelihood of the appearance of stray currents in the gas main is quite high.
The length of the gas supply hose should not exceed 1.5 - 2 m with an internal diameter of 15 mm. It cannot be bent and pulled abruptly. At the point where the bellows hose is connected to the gas pipe, it is necessary to install insulating adapters to protect both the device itself and the gas pipeline from stray currents and discharges.
Procedure for paperwork
If the installation of a new gas water heater is planned to the previous place and in terms of capacity it does not exceed the old one, then such a replacement is carried out according to the sketch, within the framework of the existing project.
This will require the following list of documents and their copies:
- Gas supply project.
- Certificate confirming ownership of an apartment or house. For the private sector - an act on the right to use a land plot.
- Registration certificate of an apartment or house.
- The act of checking the condition of smoke and ventilation ducts. To obtain it, an application is first submitted to the service authorized in your region (housing and communal services, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, firefighters).
- Registration certificate of the new water heater.
- Application for the replacement of the gas water heater without changing its location and capacity.
Requirements may vary depending on the region.
An example of an application form provided to the gas service for the replacement of a column. In some regions, additional requirements may be put forward for the installation of a gas alarm, the prohibition of turbocharged ventilation systems, and others.
In all other cases, for example, when you need to move the column to another place or put a more powerful water heater, a new project needs to be developed.
The collection of the necessary documents takes place in the following order:
- Obtaining a chimney inspection certificate.
- Submission of an application to Gorgaz (or another specialized organization with which an agreement has been concluded) for obtaining technical specifications for the replacement of a gas water heater.
- After their manufacture, it is necessary to find a design organization to create a project.
- Then the received documentation is approved by the metrological and technical department of the gas industry.
- 5 days before the start of work on the replacement of the column, you must submit an application for technical supervision. At this stage, you will need to present an act on the state of the chimney.
- Installation work to replace the water heater is carried out by a licensed organization.
- The connection to the gas system and the commissioning of the new pump is carried out by a representative of the gas company.
At the final stage, the following list of documents will be on hand: a project, an act of acceptance into operation of a gas appliance, an act of checking a chimney.
It is a bad idea to violate the registration procedure, ignore it, or try to somehow get around it. As soon as illegal replacement / installation of equipment is identified, the violator will be expected to receive a fine
Going through the paperwork can seem like a rather long and costly procedure. But the competition that has appeared in recent years in the market for the provision of maintenance services for VDGO and VKGO, contributes to its acceleration and simplification. In addition, all attempts to bypass it, in most cases, are even more expensive.
Who is allowed to replace a column?
Often, when faced for the first time with the need to replace a gas water heater, its owners have a fair question: is it possible to connect a new gas water heater yourself instead of the old one?
An unambiguous answer to it is given by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 410 dated 05/14/2013, which says that self-replacement of gas equipment is prohibited. It should only be produced by specialized organizations with which contract signed for maintenance of gas appliances. Lists of companies with which such an agreement can be concluded are published in the registers of notifications on the regional websites of the State Housing Inspection.
A commissioning certificate must be drawn up for the installed gas water heater. In its absence, a fine of 10-15 thousand rubles will be imposed. rub. (according to Art. 7.19Administrative Code of the Russian Federation). If unauthorized connection has led to damage to property and life of people, criminal liability may arise, as stated in The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
You can choose an organization to conclude an agreement for the maintenance and repair of VDGO and VKGO based on the rating, reviews, study of permits
In addition, self-replacement will not allow you to put a new speaker under warranty. The organization that carried out the installation makes entries in the passport of the device, affixes them with a seal. Only after that, the column is considered accepted into operation, delivered for warranty service.
In addition to the obligations to comply with the norms and requirements, the owners have the right to independently choose an organization to create a project and carry out installation work. The main condition is that they have the appropriate licenses.
All work related to the gas supply system can only be performed by specialists who have the appropriate permission to work with gas equipment and who have passed the annual re-certification.
Recommendations for choosing a new column
The main parameters for choosing a gas column is power and performance. They should be given priority attention if you do not plan to redo the project when installing the column in its original place. The power of the new device should not exceed that specified in the project.
For a family of 1 - 2 people, a column capacity of 10 liters per minute is usually enough, which corresponds to a power of 17 - 18 kW. If the replacement of the device is associated with the desire to use two points of water consumption at the same time, for example, a sink and a shower, then the capacity of the gas heater should be at least 13 l / min.
For three points, including filling the bath, you need to focus on 15 l / min. Provided there is sufficient pressure in the water supply.
When choosing a new column, it is important to decide whether the previous capacity of the water heater is enough for the needs of the family or you will need to purchase a more efficient device, which will entail the need to order a new one project
Many models of gas columns have a flame modulation function. Its purpose is to maintain a constant temperature (with an accuracy of 1 - 3 degrees) at the outlet of the device, regardless of the water consumption. Choosing such a model will allow you not to worry about adjusting the temperature while several family members turn on hot water at the same time.
Before performing work on column installation you need to check the condition of the chimney, pipelines, taps, determine which elements will require updating.
Common mistakes when replacing a column
Often, when installing a water heater in a new place, lateral distances of 150 mm from the wall or other surfaces and objects are not observed.
Too close a distance to the gas valve will make it difficult to maintain, will cause a failure during commissioning
Excessive heating accelerates the wear of the heat exchanger, promotes scale formation, leaks, and reduces the service life of the gas appliance. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with heat exchanger repair instructions.
Many errors are associated with the use of unauthorized gas supply hoses, or their incorrect connection. The desire to save on the price of such an important element can lead to unpleasant consequences.
It is known that exposure to gas greatly accelerates the drying of rubber. If it is not designed for a gas pipeline application or is of poor quality, the hose will crack rapidly, causing unacceptable gas leakage.
Sometimes, in an effort to give the most aesthetic look to the interior of the kitchen, the column is placed in wall cabinets. Such an arrangement, in addition to overheating the column itself, can lead to more serious consequences.
Installation of a gas water heater in a lockable cabinet disrupts the normal operating temperature of the device. Hinders the flow of outside air. Increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if ventilation is inadequate
To improve air circulation, the baffles at the bottom and top of the column should be removed. If the mandatory gap of 3 cm is not observed and the side surfaces are protected with non-combustible materials, the heating of the cabinet walls can lead to their charring and fire.
We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the best column masking ideas in the kitchen that do not violate safety requirements.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Violation of the rules for using gas can lead to irreparable consequences. This fully applies to situations related to the replacement of gas appliances.
How it is impossible to install a gas water heater, what is the cost of incompetence, how to avoid such mistakes and fines, is described in the video:
An example of the installation work for replacing a column is shown in the following video:
Tips for choosing the right gas supply hose are given in the video review:
Sooner or later, every owner may face the need to replace the gas water heater. Regardless of whether the water heater is installed in the same place or transferred to another, compliance the specified norms and requirements will be checked by the inspector of the gas service when the device is put into operation. Correctly executed documentation will save you from claims of regulatory authorities and penalties.
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