More than once, tight-fistedness or unjustified self-reliance cost people "a pretty penny." For example, the owner made a completely correct decision to replace the old gas water heater: all devices will ever fail, this one is also no exception. But the independent connection led to an emergency.
In the article we have proposed, the most common result of the amateur's own hand manipulations in the field of gas facilities is considered in detail. We will tell you what to do when water gets into the gas pipe. We will show you what to do when a problem occurs and in order to prevent it.
The content of the article:
- Man made emergency
- Possible consequences and ways to eliminate them
- What will the culprit of the accident have to pay for?
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Administrative responsibility and its size
- Unauthorized connection is a sidebar
- Any arbitrariness is arbitrary
- Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Man made emergency
It is enough to read the news to make sure that the penetration of water into the gas pipe of the column is not such a rare occurrence. So that we ourselves do not find ourselves in a similar situation, we will figure out how others get into it.
Let's say an old gas water heater is out of order or simply no longer pleasing to the eye. Of course, it needs to be changed so as not to be without hot water.
Today, in the era of deficit-free trade, it is not difficult to buy a new gas heater, there would be money. But after all, it is not enough just to purchase a new household appliance, it must also be correctly installed in the gas circuit of the apartment.
The work of replacing the gas water heater may seem simple only to a non-professional who, as a rule, does not even read the instructions for this household appliance
The average home craftsman sees no problem in this situation. After all, he has just successfully dismantled the old equipment and is ready install a new column in its place.
He does not want to seek help from gas specialists for a number of reasons:
- it is necessary to clarify which organizations in the city carry out this type of work legally - they have an appropriate license;
- it is necessary to provide the selected contractor with a set of documents;
- you will have to wait for the approval of technical conditions;
- you need to pay for the connection service.
People have just bought an expensive gas water heater, they do not want to pay for the services of representatives of the gas structure, and even wait for their arrival for some time. After all, the old device is already, as a rule, turned off. The prospect of living for several days without hot water drives you crazy and pushes you to decide to do everything yourself and "quickly".
Such an unexpected and unpleasant surprise can await not only the unlucky self-taught master, but also his neighbors from below: water pours directly from the gas pipe
And here, when the new column is already practically installed, it is so easy to make a fatal mistake: to confuse the water and gas connections. So, the connection took place, the water was open, and the master went to call the household members so that they would appreciate the improvement in the quality of life that overtook their family.
However, it is not necessary to be distracted for a long time so that in this situation water has already entered the gas pipe. While the craftsman froze in anticipation of warm water from the tap, it rushed into the gas pipeline in a stream, since the pressure in it is lower than in the water supply.
Possible consequences and ways to eliminate them
As a rule, the first signs of concern about the current situation are not at all the culprit of the accident. One can only assume that he is in a state of shock, because it is simply impossible not to notice that something has gone wrong.
Complaints begin to come from other residents, whose gas stoves suddenly ceased to function and heating devicesand water came out of the hotplates.
Such an impromptu fountain of water from a gas burner cannot please a neighbor, because she was left without gas for the entire time of emergency work.
Emergency services have to shut off the gas supply and begin to carry out repairs of various levels of complexity. Water will need to be removed from the gas pipe along its entire length.
If the perpetrator of the accident lives on the top floor of a multi-storey building, the employees of the gas sector will have to check the gas appliances of all its neighbors, who, in turn, are obliged to provide access to their apartments.
It would be a mistake to think that accidents of this kind occur only in apartment buildings: craftsmen who can organize such a water extravaganza also live in individual buildings.
Frosty weather can further complicate the emergency. After all, it is easier to drain the water than to break through the ice plugs formed in the gas pipeline. If the pipeline runs along the facade of a building, it is warmed up with gas burners. This is a dangerous and painstaking job.
In winter, the pipe running along the facade of the house should be warmed up, punctured in it, bleed off the water and only then the drain hole should be welded
If there is water in pipes located underground, they will have to be dug up and then drain holes drilled into them.
Ice plugs are pierced with special cables, after which all the formed crumb is carefully removed. Sometimes it is easier to cut out entire sections of the track and change for new ones than to risk leaving some of the frozen water inside.
Before freeing gas pipes in the ground from water, they need to be dug out, and then the water must be drained through technical holes or part of the pipe must be replaced if there is unrecoverable ice in it.
Now the holes can be welded, check the gas pipeline for leaks and only then bury the trench.
What will the culprit of the accident have to pay for?
On average, work to eliminate the consequences of improper connection of a flow-through gas water heater can take 2-3 days. All this time, in whole or in part, the neighbors of a folk craftsman can remain without gas. One can only guess how much their gratitude will have no boundaries.
Do not even try in some way to correct and aggravate the emergency situation on your own: you have already worked out - take a rest and trust the professionals
In addition to the popular anger that fell on his head, the troublemaker will also feel financial losses.
Voluntarily or through court, he will have to pay the cost:
- emergency work using construction equipment;
- gas lost during pipe opening;
- gas pipes, which have to be changed in the event of the formation of ice jams.
The total amount of these costs can reach several tens of thousands of rubles. In order not to get into a similar situation, it is necessary to comply with the Rules approved by the Government Decree RF No. 410 of 05/14/13, and involve specialists for the safe installation of flowing gas water heaters.
Administrative responsibility and its size
Of course, the identified culprit will have to pay off the direct damage resulting from the accident. But will he be fined for water found in a gas pipe?
And if so, in what size and on what basis? Answering this question, we will proceed from the assumption that the result of an error when connecting the column was only the ingress of water into the gas pipeline.
In this case, most often we are talking about the sanctions provided for by Article 7.19 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation "Unauthorized connection and use of electrical, thermal energy, oil or gas".
This article provides for the following penalties:
- 10,000 - 15,000 rubles for citizens;
- 30,000 - 80,000 rubles for officials;
- 100,000 - 200,000 rubles for legal entities.
In relation to officials, the fine can be replaced by disqualification for a period of 1-2 years. Repeated violation exacerbates guilt and increases liability.
This could end the discussion of the topic of fines, if not for one caveat: lawyers disagree on whether Article 7.19 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation can be applied in the situation we are considering. Since such a discrepancy exists, consider the arguments of both sides.
Unauthorized connection is a sidebar
There is an opinion, which, as a rule, is expressed by the defenders of the perpetrators of the accident, that the unauthorized connection is for selfish motives, the purpose of which is to steal gas. It is carried out in addition to metering devices for unaccounted consumption of this resource.
Such a connection can be made by one of two possible methods:
- tie-in into a trunk line located underground or on the street;
- a tie-in to a utility line that previously functioned, but was turned off by the resource supplying organization for non-payment or upon termination of the contract on other grounds.
Obviously, both of these connection methods involve a tie-in, that is, attach at the place where there is no corresponding technical branch to which it could be screwed, for example, a flexible rods.
The connection of the gas water heater was carried out in a place that was technically provided for in the household scheme of the current contract with the gas supplier. That is, such a connection cannot be considered an insert, such a connection is not unauthorized, and article 7.19 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation, in this case, cannot be applied.
There was a violation of the Rules for the use of fuel, the punishment for which is provided for by Article 9.11 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation. Penalties in this case (in rubles):
- 1000-2000 for citizens;
- 2000-4000 for individual entrepreneurs or officials;
- 20,000 - 40,000 for legal entities.
For entrepreneurs and legal entities, administrative suspension of activities is possible.
Any arbitrariness is arbitrary
There is also an opposite opinion based on different interpretations of the concept of "unauthorized connection". Supporters of this decision believe that not only the insert is unauthorized, but also the replacement of one household appliance with another in violation of the existing Rules for the use of gas.
Clause 10 of these Rules (approved by Decree No. 410 of 05/14/13) provides grounds for replacing gas equipment and the fact that only a specialized organization can carry out this type of work. Consequently, independently carried out work is considered unauthorized.
It should be noted once again that civil liability in accordance with Art. 1064 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, as well as compensation for the costs associated with calling the emergency service, the offender is threatened, regardless of the administrative penalty.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
The following video will introduce you to the consequences of an unsuccessful unauthorized reinstallation of a water heater with water entering the gas pipeline:
Sometimes it is not easy to identify the source of the leak. And the consequences of water entering the gas pipe can be fatal, since household appliances are not always automatically turned off in the absence of gas. The heroes of the following video speak about this:
Obviously, if water accidentally gets into the gas system, the perpetrator of the accident is in serious trouble. Even if it is possible to avoid or reduce administrative responsibility, the moral and material costs will be significant.
It turns out that it is cheaper not to violate the Rules and seek help from a specialized organization than to cause trouble for yourself and your neighbors.
Would you like to share your own experience in fixing the problem when water enters the gas supply system? Do you have any useful information on the topic of the article? Please write your comments in the block form below, ask questions and post photos.
