How to turn off the heating in an apartment: is it possible to turn off the radiator during the heating season, how to turn off the radiator

Modern radiators differ significantly from their cast iron predecessors in appearance. They have shut-off valves that allow you to regulate the flow of water to them, which makes it possible to control the air temperature in the room. To increase the service life of the heating system and avoid clogging, it should be operated correctly.

About turning off batteries for the summer

Any water heating system must be filled with coolant year-round.
Getting air inside as a result of its emptying will not lead to anything good - all steel elements will begin to actively corrode until the moisture leaves. Given the enclosed space, this will not happen soon, and the empty pipes will be covered with a layer of rust from the inside. In centralized systems, it is impossible to understand whether there is water in the batteries in the summer; one can only hope for the integrity of the relevant services. As practice shows, you only need to rely on yourself. Therefore, in order to extend the service life of heating devices and prevent them from emptying, you need to choose the right moment at the very end of the heating season and turn off the valve on the battery installed on the outlet pipe. In the event of some repair work on heating networks, workers can drain water from the riser, but it will not leave the closed radiator.

Advice. You don’t have to worry at all about whether you need to shut off the radiators in the summer when your apartment has heating appliances made of cast iron. Unlike other materials, cast iron is practically not subject to corrosion.

At the time of the autumn start-up of centralized heating, particles of dirt and rust move through the pipelines along with the coolant. Steel, aluminum and bimetallic batteries have small channel widths, which can become clogged quite quickly. So on the first day of launch, when you can hear the murmur of water in the pipes, you should not rush and open the taps. It is better to do this the next day, bleeding the air using the Mayevsky tap.

There is often a warning on the Internet that in the summer only one valve to the battery should be closed, two - under no circumstances. Some say that after cooling, the water will decrease in volume and a vacuum will form in the radiator, causing it to crack (an example is given of a plastic bottle without air). Others say that the rupture will occur due to chemical reactions in aluminum batteries and the release of oxygen in all others. Excessive pressure will appear, which will supposedly rupture the device.

Such statements have no basis. The lowest operating pressure is for cast iron batteries and is 9 Bar, the destruction pressure is even higher. Not a single chemical reaction of the coolant with any metal can create such excess pressure, but for aluminum radiators the limit is even higher - 16 Bar. The example with a vacuum does not stand up to criticism at all; if it suddenly forms, then the force of external influence on the walls of the battery will be 1 Atm, that is, 1 Bar.

A serious approach to covering

Owners of private houses do not need to worry about repair work or dangerous situations, because they have a personal heating system. It’s more difficult for people in apartment buildings. It is very difficult where there are vertically installed single-pipe systems. After all, during any work with heating devices, this process immediately affects the neighbors. That is why it is important to properly close the heating device in the apartment without harming those around.

During the heating season, interference with the operation of the central systems of the house is not allowed. As an exception, overlap is allowed in cases of emergency gusts or leaks. However, if the batteries are connected to a single system correctly, then you can turn them off during the heating season without disturbing your neighbors.

This is realistic if the battery connection diagram is made using 2 taps, as well as a circulation pump line. When the connection of devices is actually like this, then the sequence of overlapping work is normal. First, you need to close both taps, and as a result of carrying out work that is very necessary, open them again.

If the house is hot, but you don’t want to open the window to save money, then you can close the heating device for a while. In this case, it will be much better to install thermostats on batteries. With their help, you can maintain a specific temperature in the room.

If connected correctly, the heating battery can be closed at any time, be it summer or winter. To do this, the tap and valve, which are located on the pipe insertion into the collector itself, must be closed. They overlap clockwise, in other words, to the right. But you must always remember about the other residents of the house. They need to be warned about the closure in advance, and also put a sign on the valve so that no one can open it for a certain period of time during repair work.

As can be seen from the above, it is possible to close the heat supply when the piping scheme is completed correctly, or in an emergency.

In case of an accident

If a dangerous situation occurs and water begins to flood the room, then the situation needs to be rescued. In such a situation, you don’t need to think about anything, but only about shutting off the water in different ways. Since in such a situation the neighbors who are located below may also suffer.

If there is a very small leak, there will be enough time to call a locksmith. If a dangerous situation could lead to a flood, then actions must be quick and focused. First you need to close the taps located on the connections to the batteries. This must be done even without a circulation pump. If there are no shut-off valves, then you need to call specialists and, if possible, close the riser before they arrive. To do this, you need to go down to the basement and find a shutoff point, in other words, two vertical pipes, and close it.

For summer

When shutting off heating radiators for the summer, you must keep in mind that every system with traditional heating must be filled with water for the whole year. After all, if there is no water in the pipes, then air will get in, causing rust. In high-rise building systems, it is impossible to check the state of affairs; therefore, one can only rely on the conscientious attitude towards the work of the employees of the operational services.

However, you can do something yourself to save your own heating system from damage. To increase the service life of the batteries, you must close the valve on the radiator yourself at the end of the heating period. In this case, utility workers, carrying out any repair work, can remove water from the system, and at the same time the water will not be able to leave the heating devices.

If the heating devices are made of cast iron, then you do not need to worry about overlapping, because this material is not afraid of corrosion. When the heating system starts up in the fall, do not rush to open the tap immediately on the first day. It is better to wait and open the next day, while bleeding the air using an air vent. This is done to ensure that the pipes do not become clogged with rust that moves through the pipes.

Not all sources say that the valve on the heating device must be closed in the summer. This is done so that the water, having decreased in volume after it cools, does not form a vacuum in the battery. However, such a statement is erroneous. Even if the water gets cold, it does not damage the battery.

Under a wide variety of conditions

Quite often there is a balancing valve on the inlet pipe. It can be used to close a pipe by turning it so that it is perpendicular to the pipe. But still, the main task of the valve is to maintain the required temperature regime in the room.

If there is no valve, but shut-off valves are available, in other words, ball valves, then you can shut off the heating radiators whenever you want. At the same time, you don’t have to worry about the fact that it might harm one of the neighbors. You just need to turn the tap at the inlet and outlet of the pipes. This will stop the flow of water through the heating devices.

Such an overlap can be created in situations like this:

if you need to paint them during the heating season;
when it is necessary to wash the heating device;
if you need to replace any gasket;
when closure is required for the summer season;
to cover and remove the battery.

If there is a need to remove the heating device, it is better to do this at the end of winter, in other words, after the heating period is over. Since during the heating season, this can only be created if there is a circulation pump. It is also worth saying that this is only done in both cases: when replacing a radiator with a new one and when repairing it in an emergency. Indeed, according to current laws, during the heating season any repair work is strictly prohibited, not counting as dangerous situations.

However, if something urgent does happen, then it is necessary to carry out all the necessary work to correct the problem quickly. The best thing to do in this case is to replace the heating device with a new one so that the neighbors do not suffer from further problems. If the apartment had a cast iron battery, then it can be replaced with a bimetallic one. However, in this case, the mounting brackets must also be dismantled and others installed.

How to turn off the radiator in an apartment

Almost all work with elements of the heating system requires turning off the radiators, and sometimes even dismantling them. Even such a relatively simple operation as painting. performed on a cold surface. It is easier to do it after removing the radiator, this ensures full access from all sides. If more complex operations are required, such as replacing or repairing a radiator, then you need to know how to shut off the radiator.

The task of turning off the radiator is complicated by the fact that there is coolant inside it all year round. Draining water from the heating system is carried out only in case of repair, since leaving the radiator without coolant for a long period of time leads to corrosion.

The fluids inside the radiator contain small amounts of dissolved oxygen. After a certain period, all the oxygen contained in the water reacts with the metal elements of the heating system and corrosion stops. After the coolant is drained, air enters the system and, in combination with water vapor, especially hot water, corrosion intensifies. Therefore, it is correct to drain the coolant only in exceptional cases.

Moving the battery during redevelopment

When remodeling an apartment, battery relocation is often included as one of the planned work items. Most often this happens when a window sill block is demolished and French windows are installed in the widened opening. In the example below, the section of the wall between the kitchen (4) and the loggia (4a), where the radiator was previously located, was dismantled.

As a result of this, one of the construction activities described in the redevelopment project and technical report was a change in the position and design of the heating radiator. Such redevelopment requires a thermal engineering calculation to prove that heat losses will not increase as a result of the redevelopment.

After approval of this redevelopment, where the preparation of documents was carried out by specialists from our organization , the project was implemented in practice. see other examples of our projects here.

Bypass device and its functions

In winter, it is not allowed to close the common riser, with the exception of emergency situations. The presence of a bypass allows you to carry out repairs without turning off the heating system of your neighbors. The device is made of pipes with a smaller diameter than the supply and discharge lines. Two ball valves allow you to properly shut off the battery even if it’s hot, directing the water circulation through the bypass.

When replacing the radiator, the water is shut off, and after the work is completed, it opens again. If the room is hot, the bypass again allows you to temporarily shut down the system: hot water stops flowing into the battery and the room is cooled. But it is better to install thermostatic valves to regulate the temperature, maintaining a normal temperature in the room.

Using such a device, the radiator can be properly disconnected from the system at any time if it is necessary to perform painting, washing, replacing batteries, as well as when changing gaskets and nipples without blocking the risers.

Correct Bypass Installation

The bypass functions, depending on the type of heating system, are as follows:

Energy carrier adjustment. When the room temperature is higher than normal, the thermostat reduces the supply of hot water, which negatively affects the operation of the entire system. This device is used to return coolant that did not enter the battery into the system.
Emergency adjustment of coolant circulation in a system with an electric pump. When a power failure occurs, a bypass with a valve closes the hot water supply tap to the pump through the bypass pipe, at which time the valve opens and the coolant is directed through the central pipe. In this simple way, the system goes into a state of natural circulation without the participation of a pump.
Reanimation of a single-pipe system. It works quite effectively: apartments are warm, even hot. The bypass also helps out in this situation, allowing you to reduce the supply of hot water, thus acting as a thermostat.

Thermostat on the radiator

The bypass must be installed next to the radiator. It is recommended to make the bypass pipe directly on site during installation using a welding machine. You can also use ready-made equipment on threaded connections. The control valve or radiator thermostat must be located between the radiator inlet and the bypass.

The supply side is equipped with a valve with a thermal head.

Tool preparation

Before replacing, you need to prepare a special tool:

Adjustable wrench,

adjustable wrench

"Bamka" key

"Bamka"

Electric drill,
Drill for working on concrete of the appropriate diameter,
Angle grinder (“grinder”) with a diamond disc for processing metal surfaces,

Bulgarian

Tape measure and folding meter,
Construction pencil, which will be used for marking,
Water level (“spirit level”).

Level

Important! If you are unable to reach an agreement with your neighbors above or below, you will need a tool, which is necessary for cutting threads. The external thread is cut on the pipe near the floor and under the ceiling.

The next stage is marking the position of the radiator on the wall and pre-assembling the components.

If you need to shut off and remove the radiator

It is best to carry out work related to radiator removal after the end of the heating season. If work needs to be carried out during the heating season, you need to take into account a number of nuances. If you have a single-pipe heating system and vertical wiring, you can remove the battery only if there is a bypass.

Such a system can be identified by pipes, one of which comes from the ceiling and connects to the radiator, and the other comes out of the radiator and disappears into the floor. A bypass is a jumper connecting the incoming and outgoing pipes. This is a pipe of approximately the same or slightly smaller diameter than the main pipes. The principle of the bypass is as follows: if the radiator is turned off, water begins to flow through the riser, passing through the bypass, without passing through the battery. In this case, the riser works, the heating in neighboring apartments does not turn off.

If the system is two-pipe, if there are taps, it is enough to close them, after which you can remove the battery.

Redevelopment with moving or replacing the battery

Redevelopment will require prior approval. In the project documentation, the transfer of batteries in the apartment is noted as one of the types of work performed, indicating the types of equipment and installation locations.

Examples of redevelopment with portable batteries:

The location of heating devices is indicated in the technical report, and in the redevelopment project all construction measures and technologies used are described in detail, including the item on moving or replacing the heating battery.

How to make a house warmer without heating devices?

This situation, such as the rapid cooling of an apartment due to a decrease in atmospheric air, repeats itself annually. Owners should consider how they can improve the thermal efficiency of their living space. How can you make your apartment cool down more slowly, retaining the heat accumulated over the summer longer?

It is necessary to take care of insulating the house in advance. Experts say that up to 14% of heat evaporates through glass. Another 30 percent of thermal energy escapes through cracks in windows and doors. 15% of warm air leaks out of the house through the entrance opening or a broken window in the entrance.

The heating hasn't been turned on yet, but blankets and rugs no longer help? There are several ways to help solve the problem.

The recommendations are as follows:

Caulk up old window frames. This is one of the main ways to eliminate heat leakage. This kind of work is not difficult, it takes a small amount of time. And its cost is minimal. As a result, drafts in the apartment will disappear.

Seal cracks in door frames. This method will reduce your electricity bill by 15 percent. It is recommended to do the same with the entrance door in the vestibule.

Background information: such measures increase thermal efficiency by 20%!

Finish the external walls of the apartment with foam plastic or mineral wool. If you have enough money, you can think about insulating your apartment in this way, too; this technique gives a noticeable effect. Just don’t forget about sealing the interpanel seams of the building.

Alternative options for insulating a loggia

A battery on a balcony is a dangerous undertaking that will require a lot of effort and time. And this idea may end unsuccessfully. Thanks to modern technologies, it is possible to insulate a loggia using alternative methods.

In terms of heating quality, they are in no way inferior to the classics, and some even surpass them:

The heater is an outdated, but reliable and economical method. The time for outdated air cannons and similar devices is over. Now heaters are made using infrared film. This significantly reduces energy consumption. Read more in the article “balcony heating”.

Warm floor. An excellent replacement for the general heating system not only on the balcony, but throughout the entire apartment. Does not take up space, heats the entire area evenly. You can adjust the temperature yourself. Installation is not complicated, it does not consume much electricity, and the overall cost will be lower than paying for central heating. Disadvantage: installation will cost more than a radiator. But you can do the installation work yourself and reduce the cost.

Read in detail in the article “Warm floor on the loggia“.

And if you combine two alternative methods, the loggia will maintain a comfortable temperature even on the coldest days.

The owner can use the property at his own discretion. However, the constitutional rights of citizens living nearby must be respected. Moving a radiator to a balcony is a dangerous undertaking and permission for it is not easy to obtain. New buildings have an advantage; Soviet-built houses rarely receive the necessary confirmation. It is better to entrust the installation to professionals so as not to damage the overall communications system.

Remember that the battery is always filled with water

The battery is filled with liquid throughout the year. Water is drained only for a short time during centralized repair work. Therefore, if you plan to replace the battery, simply disconnecting it is not enough - you need to drain the water. Why is the system constantly filled with coolant? It is highly undesirable for oxygen to enter the heating system. When the water drains, air and water vapor take its place. This leads to active oxidation - that is, the appearance of rust on the surface of steel and bimetallic batteries. Oxygen dissolved in the coolant does not destroy the metal, i.e. does not lead to corrosion. Therefore, in order for the heating system to last a long time, it is always filled.

Heating Systems Basics

In general, according to the regulations of utility services, it is prohibited to interfere with the operation of the central systems of the house. In exceptional cases, when the battery is leaking or has ruptured, emergency intervention is permitted. But if the heating system in your home is connected to the central system correctly, then you can try turning off the heating yourself. There is nothing particularly difficult about this.

Correct connection means that the heating is connected to the general system using two ball valves (Figure 1) and a jumper called a bypass (Figure 2). This connection is called one-pipe. (Figure 3)

Figure 1 – Two taps

Figure 2 – Bypass jumper

Figure 3 – One-pipe system with a jumper. It can be covered

Do I need to shut off the radiators while cleaning the system?

To ensure radiators have a long service life, when flushing the system by the management company, a number of conditions must be observed. These include:

New batteries should be covered for the first 2 years after installation, as they are still quite clean. In this case, washing can only clog them. It will be possible to open the shut-off valves a couple of days after the completion of the work, after all the precipitation has gone away.
Flush radiators yourself at least once every 2 years. This should be done with running hot water.

Instructions for cleaning batteries yourself:

cover the bathtub with oilcloth;
put a thick cloth on top;
close all shut-off valves;
remove the radiator;
remove all gaskets;
rinse the battery with a strong stream of hot water (you can use a shower hose);
install the radiator, not forgetting to return all gaskets to their place.

What are heat regulators?

Electronic external water thermostat on the heating battery

The heat regulator is a specialized control valve, thanks to which the amount of water entering the battery is controlled. In most cases, five positions of the regulator are set, when it is fully open, the valve opening converges with the diameter of the pipe, hot water enters the heating device in full. When the valve is completely closed, water does not flow into the battery.

Attention! It is impossible to install external water thermostats without jumpers. When the volume of hot water entering the heating device decreases, its flow through the entire system decreases, which is unacceptable. The presence of jumpers ensures the movement of water along a closed circuit without any interference.

Debris and dirt in the heating battery

Among other things, jumpers protect the external water thermostat from clogging during the first connection, as well as accidents on the heating main. The valve must be located after the jumper; in this case, it is quite sufficiently protected from dirt. Don't forget that the external water thermostat is not applied to dirt. As a result, it is very likely that a blockage will form, preventing hot water from flowing through the radiators, and this is dangerous due to the capture of the entire riser. Due to this, the jumpers should be left open all the time, except in situations where the heating devices are clogged and require flushing. In this case, the valves are closed for a certain period of time to flush the batteries, and then open again.

Cleaning and rinsing heating batteries

What to do with a stuck ball valve

If ball valves are not rotated for years, they tend to sour and jam. In such a situation, do not try to resolve the issue physically and do not force the “butterfly” with pliers or a gas wrench. It is made of a brittle alloy and will probably break. Proceed like this:

Unscrew the locking nut and remove the butterfly handle from the stem.
On most of these valves, you will find a nut under the handle that clamps the plastic seal. Loosen it by turning the wrench half a turn. If there is no nut, go to the next step.
Take an adjustable wrench or other device that allows you to securely grab the flats on the rod. Without applying much force, turn it as far as possible.
When you feel resistance, turn the rod back all the way and forward again, trying to turn it a few more degrees. Work carefully and without haste!
In this way, rotate the valve 90°, then tighten the gland nut and reinstall the handle.

An adjustable wrench can be used to firmly grasp the edges

Advice. If you have WD-40 spray lubricant in your household, apply it to the stem and wait 5-10 minutes before rotating.

Be doubly careful when turning off radiators with soured taps during the heating season. If you hurry too much and apply too much force, you will break off the metal rod or ball, and in the worst case, the valve body will burst. A stream of hot water can shoot out from the crack, which can burn you. While you go down to the basement and close the heating riser, the coolant will cause damage to the interior of the room, and you can roughly guess how much it costs to renovate the apartment now.

If you are not sure of your actions, call a plumber. More information on how to close a jammed ball valve in order to disconnect the radiators is described in the video:

The necessary conditions

If you are still in doubt whether it is worth moving the battery to the balcony or not, then the following information will help you decide:

To legally move a heating device onto the loggia, you must obtain permission from the housing authority. Apartment owners are not always allowed to move batteries, and even if they give the go-ahead, it will take a lot of time, effort and money to carry out all the approval procedures.
Before installing the battery on the balcony, it is necessary to make accurate calculations so that the pipe does not subsequently burst, rupture, etc. To make accurate calculations, it is necessary to invite specialists who will tell you how many radiator sections to install, in what place to install, etc. Services professionals are not cheap.
Before installing heating radiators on the loggia, it is necessary to make high-quality insulation and glazing of the balcony/loggia itself. After all, if there are cracks in the balcony and air is blowing in, then installing a heating device will be pointless.

DESIGN PLACE FOR PLAY

Create a separate space in the room where the baby will be awake. Let the toys lie there, a place will be “cleared” for rolling cars or building pyramids, and don’t let chairs, a table, or a closet get in the way. The child should play with pleasure, he needs a certain place for this. And at the same time, you should not worry that, having played too much, he will crawl in the wrong direction and hurt himself on the table leg, or turn the chair over on himself.

Stages of transferring radiators

Contacting the management company or housing and communal services.
Collecting necessary documents, obtaining permission.
The process of dismantling and installation work.
The arrival of the commission, which must provide written confirmation of the legality of the transfer of batteries.

Important : Do not under any circumstances move heating radiators to other rooms or add additional sections. Since all this can lead to penalties and the management company going to court.

How to turn on the radiator correctly for the first time

A very important point is to turn on the central heating battery for the first time in your home. When a long period of time has passed, and the thermal power plant begins to supply water to our batteries, then usually the first water flowing through the heating systems is the dirtiest and rustiest. Imagine. You have just installed a brand new battery, one might say, off the assembly line, and suddenly a powerful stream of dirt is thrown in there. It is not surprising that many batteries become clogged precisely from the first such inclusion, and then we are surprised that out of 12 battery bends, only 8 are heated, the rest remain cold. To prevent this from happening, a jumper (bypass) is needed when installing the battery. If you have done the installation correctly, then set the position of the ball valves as shown in the figure:

In this case, the entire flow of dirt when turned on for the first time will go through the jumper, keeping your battery intact and safe. In this option, it is better to keep hot water running for several days. Of course, many are looking forward to when it will be turned on. However, my advice is, if you can’t wait a few days, wait at least one day. By the way, a detailed article on how to turn off the battery.

Independent shutdown of risers

In small towns, it is quite common to turn off the heating on your own.

The riser is turned off by a valve in the basement, where it connects to the so-called sun lounger. Water valves are usually in plain sight. To find fittings to shut off heating, you must either have technical documentation or an experienced plumber who is familiar with city local communications.

As a rule, the heating system is closed with an old brass Soviet valve or valve.

Heating tap in the basement

Is water needed in the system in summer?

The main condition for long-term proper operation of radiators is the absence of corrosion, which can appear both in empty batteries and those filled with liquid without air access.

In fact, there should be water in the system at all times, regardless of the season. But many service companies neglect this condition and drain it immediately after the end of the heating period.

Utility services justify this by saying that in the summer they carry out repair work, during which the water in the systems interferes and has to be drained. In addition, many residents change radiators during repairs, which also requires a complete release of the system, especially if the entrance has a common riser. And constant filling and emptying causes loss of time and unnecessary financial costs.

But, since the water does not completely drain from the radiators, a humid environment forms inside, leading to deformation of the metal. Therefore, if the service company drains water immediately after the end of the season, the shut-off valves should be closed the day before.

It will be important to open the air bleed valves, which will help avoid excess pressure in the radiators, which most often occurs when the system cools down. The taps should be opened a few days before the start of the next heating season.

Basic rules for using batteries in summer

In order for any radiators, both modern and old, to serve for a long time and with high quality, a number of necessary conditions must be observed during their operation. These include the following rules:

It is prohibited to leave batteries without water for more than 15 days a year. This is especially true for aluminum radiators. It is advisable to drain it only during repair work.
Ensure that shut-off valves are in the correct position to ensure that water remains in the radiators all year round, without the formation of air locks. The bottom one should be closed, the top one should be open.
When both supply valves are closed, be sure to open the air block (Maevsky valve). If this is not done, the battery may rupture due to water and air pressure.
Before the start of the new heating season, both shut-off valves should be closed, while the air valve must be open. This action will protect the radiator from the introduction of dirt in the first 2 days of heating supply. After the first waters have passed, you can safely open access to the battery. But first you must close the Mayevsky tap, otherwise a leak may form.

The rules for operating the heating system in summer are relevant for all models of radiators, both modern (aluminum and bimetallic) and old-style cast iron. The only difference between them is that cast iron batteries are less susceptible to corrosion and other damage.

What is required to shut off heating appliances?

If it’s hot in the apartment or you need to disconnect the radiator without calling a plumber to shut off the entire heating riser in the entrance, it is important that:

Between the supply pipe and the return pipe there was a vertical jumper - a bypass; it is through it that the coolant flow will pass without entering the installed battery after you turn it off. The absence of a bypass automatically means that you are cutting off the flow to the entire riser.
American ball valves must be installed on the supply and return pipes between the bypass and the heating radiator. They are the ones who make it possible to disconnect.
Ideally, an air valve is installed at the radiator inlet.

Attention! Ball valves cannot be used to regulate the flow of coolant if you want to reduce the heating of the batteries! This valve is a shut-off valve; its use for other purposes leads to destruction of the valve and leaks. Based on the above, if there is no bypass, but ball valves are installed, the battery can be dismantled independently for repair or replacement, but not during the heating season. Based on the above, if there is no bypass, but ball valves are installed, the battery can be dismantled independently for repair or replacement, but not during the heating season

Based on the above, if there is no bypass, but ball valves are installed, the battery can be dismantled independently for repair or replacement, but not during the heating season.

The bypass (jumper) is mounted parallel to the radiator and is usually a pipe whose diameter is equal to the diameter of the supply pipes or one step smaller. If you plan to shut off the radiators after the heating season or install a radiator with a thermostat, be sure to take care of installing a bypass. Otherwise, your actions will lower the temperature of the coolant and your neighbors.

Is it possible to shut off by closing both taps?

Let's imagine that you closed both taps while the coolant in the system is still hot.

Knowing the elementary laws of physics, you can easily understand that

As the water in the battery cools, its volume will decrease;
This will lead to the formation of a vacuum in the enclosed space of the radiator;
As a result of the resulting pressure, the battery will become deformed or lose its seal and will need to be replaced.

So, in search of an answer to the question of how to turn off the battery if it gets hot in the apartment, you already know that this should under no circumstances be done by closing both taps! Now it remains to figure out whether it is worth using both taps after the heating season, when the coolant has already cooled down.

As we already know, the central heating system stays full all year round. In some areas, the coolant is drained if repair work is required, and then refilled. So there is liquid inside your radiator.

If you turn off both the upper and lower valves, the following happens:

Various chemical processes take place in the liquid inside the battery, since the coolant cannot be chemically pure;
As a result of these processes, gas formation occurs;
Since the gases have no way to escape, the increased pressure may cause the radiator to depressurize.

Thus, if an air vent (Mayevsky tap) is not installed on the battery, it is strictly not recommended to close both shut-off valves, even if the coolant temperature is room temperature.

Installation and connection

After studying the design and purpose of the bypass, it is necessary to find out the features of its installation. When installing a device in a system, certain factors are taken into account, among which the most important are the following:

the bypass diameter is smaller than the diameter of the supply and return pipes (if the liner has a diameter of 3/4″, then the bypass is 1/2″);
the temperature at the bypass installation location is the lowest;
maximum proximity to the radiator and distance from the riser;
installation in a horizontal position, which avoids airing;
the ability to quickly dismantle the radiator requires the installation of shut-off elements, for which ball valves are used.

Connected drain pipe.

Installing a bypass channel for the radiator

When connecting new radiators to an old one-pipe system, it is first necessary to ensure that the coolant is drained. Next, the radiator body kit is assembled. Old cast iron batteries are cut off with a grinder, and unnecessary parts of a pipe with a non-working tap are unscrewed using pipe wrenches. Then the thread is cut and the structure is assembled, the elements of which are a tee, an extension and ball valves with an American connection.

The radiator screens are attached before installing it on the wall. When assembling a heating system with a bypass, you must remember to maintain the required radiator center distance. At the last stage, the pipes are cleaned and painted.

Installation with circulation pump

If it is necessary to install a circulation pump, a cleaning filter is used in the system to protect the expensive blower mechanism from impurities in the coolant. The protective properties of the filter are ensured by a metal mesh that traps large particles of contaminants. The filter has a special container for collecting contaminants, equipped with a hole for cleaning. When installing, it is recommended to place the filter with the drain hole facing down. A cleaning filter is installed directly in front of the pump inlet.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=22c2iR87zxw

When using a circulation pump, a check valve is used as a shut-off element, without which the coolant will only flow in a small circle. However, a ball valve is more reliable than a valve, ensuring automatic operation of the system. In old single-pipe circuits, the second option is applicable.

In the first case, the bypass in the heating system is installed on both the return and supply pipelines, and in the second - only on the return pipe.

Possible reasons and procedure for replacing the bypass section

During operation of the heating system, it may be necessary to replace the bypass channel. The need to carry out this operation is due to the failure of the device or the need to install additional components within it. When using modern polypropylene pipelines, the first option is unlikely, so replacement in most cases is carried out to install a check valve or ball valve.

The order of the operation depends on how the bypass section is connected to the circulation pipeline. With a detachable threaded connection, the bypass section is connected to the inlet and outlet pipes through tees. When dismantling, it is necessary to unscrew the nut with a clamp or an American one. If it is planned to replenish the bypass, the length of its pipe must be reduced by the appropriate amount.

Battery adjustment process

Often, at the beginning of construction, the heating system is adjusted by simply routing pipes of various thicknesses from the boiler to the radiators. However, this approach is not enough to effectively control the heating system.

Even if the boiler is programmed to a certain temperature, the radiators may be colder than required. This occurs because there is a large amount of air in the pipes. By lowering it, water can flow more freely through the pipes. Consequently, the room will begin to warm up more quickly and with increased efficiency. Therefore, when adjusting the batteries, you should first bleed the air from the radiators. (See also: Piping heating radiators)

Directly for these purposes, absolutely on one side of each battery there is a special tap, by turning which you can release unnecessary air. However, be careful when opening it slowly to avoid a sudden release of hot steam, as it is under high pressure.

To properly regulate heating batteries, just opening and closing the special control valve on the battery is, of course, not enough. Depending on how many batteries are connected to the boiler, open them a certain number of turns. For example, you have three radiators connected to a boiler. To ensure that the pressure is evenly distributed throughout the heating system, open the first radiator a couple of turns, the second by three, and the third by four. This adjustment of the heating radiators in the apartment will allow you to heat the premises in a shorter time.

If your system has a forced water pumping function, it becomes possible to install so-called three-way valves on each radiator. If the boiler has sufficient power, adjusting the temperature of the heating battery will not be difficult. In general, to simplify the process of setting the required temperature, each radiator must have special valves. (See also: Connection diagram for heating batteries)

Their presence will allow you to control the flow of heat and rational consumption of heating equipment. For example, if the room has become too hot, or it is not in use and is closed, then the flow of hot water into the radiator can be reduced or completely shut off using such a tap.

Crimping

When the heating is turned on (at the beginning of the water supply to the network), the plumber should be near the tap in the basement in order to quickly shut off the water supply in case of an emergency. The procedure for supplying coolant under pressure into the system is called “pressure testing”. At the same time, the integrity of the heating system is checked.

When performing pressure testing, special equipment is used: a pressure gauge and a pump, which creates pressure. If the pressure in the system does not drop when coolant is supplied, then there is no leak in the network. If the pressure drops noticeably over time, it means that the tightness of the system is broken, and it is necessary to find damage to the lines and heating devices.

Crimping

Disabling radiators without fittings

It is no secret that in most apartments to this day there are old cast iron radiators or steel convectors without any shut-off fittings, which makes it impossible to shut them off during the heating season. Moreover, according to the old heating scheme, convectors in high-rise buildings are connected to risers without straight sections - bypasses. Therefore, if an accident occurs with a coolant leak, you must act as follows:

Try to provide some kind of container to collect hot water. If the stream flows to the side, wrap a thick cloth over the break site so that the water flows along it into a bucket.
Call the dispatch service of your heating energy supply company and report the accident.
While the service personnel are getting there, provide them with access to the basement, find the keys, open the door, and so on.
Try to block the riser yourself.

While your water is flowing onto the floor, your neighbors’ suspended ceiling turns into a bubble

A few words about how to properly turn off the heating riser. Find in the basement the heating point of your entrance and vertical pipes embedded in a large-diameter main or into a common collector. Follow where they go to determine the emergency riser, and turn it off with a tap. Contact by cell phone someone in the household who can confirm that the geyser eruption in the apartment has stopped. If you couldn’t find your pipe, close all the valves one by one until you find the one you need.

Attention! Don't try to force yourself on basement valves that are stuck due to rust. When they cannot be closed manually, it is better to wait for a team of plumbers; they will find a way to stop the flow of coolant. Otherwise, a very awkward situation will arise when you also break the main fittings, leaving the apartment building without heat during repairs

Otherwise, a very awkward situation will arise when you also break the main fittings, leaving the apartment building without heat during repairs.

Example of an access heating point and riser connection

It is also worth considering the question of how to shut off the battery if it is hot in the apartment due to the service provider’s failure to comply with the temperature schedule of the boiler room. It would seem that if there are shut-off valves, the problem is solved by manually closing the taps. But after the temperature in the rooms drops, the valves will have to be opened again. This way you will get tired of turning the taps long before the end of the heating season, so you need to think about how you can adjust the heat output of the radiators. The options are:

if possible, install a thermostatic valve on each radiator, limiting the flow of coolant and automatically maintaining the set temperature in the room;
It is nice to cover the heating device with a blank screen with small holes if there are no shut-off valves on the connections.

Important. The ball valve is not a means of adjustment; it is intended only to completely cut off or open the passage of the coolant. In the “half closed” mode it will not give the desired effect and will fail much earlier

In the “half closed” mode it will not give the desired effect and will fail much earlier.

Thanks to worn-out pipelines, district heating systems are notorious for dirty water that quickly clogs small passages. Therefore, ordinary valves with thermal heads will not last long here; you need to buy special valves with increased capacity, which are produced by the well-known brands Danfoss and Herz. How to install them on the connection to the radiator is shown below in the diagram and described in this material.

Radiator thermostat installation diagram

When it’s hot in an apartment in the middle of winter and there are no control valves, residents have no choice but to cover the radiator in the room with a decorative screen. The principle is simple: the radiator will heat the air inside the box, after which the intensity of heat transfer will sharply decrease due to the small difference in the temperatures of the air and the surface. That is, the coolant will give off less energy, and the amount of hot air coming out from under the screen will be limited by the size of the decorative openings. How to assemble and install a nice MDF box on a heating device is shown in the video:

The principle of adjusting the temperature of heating radiators

It is directly related to the design features of this element and its installation. The valve is a ball with a through hole.

The operation of the crane is controlled using a handle fixed to the ball by a rod.

Important! To install the device, you need to choose the location wisely so that turning the handle in the future does not interfere with other devices of the heating system. The diameters of the tap and pipe must be identical.

The diameters of the tap and pipe must be identical.

The device must be fixed in parallel

as it is twisted using tow or special tape. They provide the mechanism with additional protection against leaks. The correct installation is further verified by applying water pressure.

Photo 1. Ball valve device for adjusting the temperature in a heating radiator. Arrows indicate parts of the product.

Activating the handle promotes the movement of the mechanism around its own axis. Rotating the ball hole to the nozzles and pipeline inlets makes it possible to circulate coolant through it

, otherwise the fluid flow will be blocked.

The ball in such mechanisms can be fixed and movable. In the first case, it is attached to the rod so that it remains completely static. The tightness of such a connection is ensured by bolts or disc springs.

The movable ball is capable of moving depending on the degree of water pressure on it

. Due to this possibility, this type of mechanism is more widespread than the first.

How to open a tap

This is done to supply the maximum possible amount of coolant in order to provide the room with heat. To adjust the mechanism, you need to turn the handle parallel to its own axis and the pipe.

For convenience, there are protrusions on the faucet body indicating restrictions on the degree of its opening. This is done counterclockwise.

How to close

With this action, the circulation of the coolant completely stops. This needs to be done when there is a need to reduce the radiator temperature to a minimum, for example, in the summer.

The handle of the device in the “closed” position should form an angle of 90 degrees with its axis and the pipeline.

According to the protrusions, the movement of the handle to stop the fluid circulation should be done
clockwise.
Reference.

In both situations, in the absence of a handle, it is possible to determine the position of the tap
by the groove
. If it is aligned with the pipeline and the mechanism itself, then its position is “open”, otherwise the fluid flow is blocked.

How to turn a jammed tap on a battery and adjust it

Often this situation arises if the position of the mechanism is not periodically changed and developed as a preventive measure.

Before taking directed steps to repair the device,
it is worth trying to do it yourself.
Attention! It is necessary to know in advance what the faucet is made of, since the use of additional mechanical tools can cause irreversible damage to the mechanism. The repair begins with unscrewing the fixing nut and removing the handle

The top of the rod is located under the handle

Repair begins with unscrewing the fixing nut

and removing the handle.
The top of the rod is located under the handle.
Some a pressure sleeve for a hexagon

which puts pressure on the seal. If the rod rotates only by applying force, then the bushing is fixed a little looser.

of small drips is quite common.

water at the top of the faucet.

Then using an adjustable wrench

The rod is developed with slow movements from side to side.

Important! It is dangerous to make increased efforts or speed up restoration work. This can lead to the process of complete deformation of the ball or the mechanism as a whole.

The final stage of the repair process is to reinstall the handle

. A test turn of it to the protrusions of the permitted degree of opening allows you to determine whether it is possible to fix the pressure sleeve. The control knob is finally installed in place only after a positive test result and the mechanism has been checked for leaks.

To avoid further unpleasant consequences in the form of faucet breakdown, you should not use a device made of silumin with a wall thickness of its pipes less than 2.8 mm

At the same time, you should pay attention to products with a high level of quality, manufactured by European or Turkish manufacturing companies

How to quickly heat a room in an emergency?

There are several effective methods:

Use a portable gas stove or a homemade stove made from a barrel. Choose gas, wood, gasoline as fuel.
If you don’t have such a device, the following will do: alcohol lamps, smokers, and other devices.
You can heat metal objects (cuts of pipes, rails) on the stove. Gradually cooling, they will warm the air in the room.

Attention! If you light an open fire in a room, there is a danger of burning or causing a fire. For reference: if the flames have blue tongues, it means carbon monoxide, which is hazardous to health, is being released.

For reference: if the flames have blue tongues, it means that carbon monoxide, which is hazardous to health, is being released.

Date: September 25, 2022

Let's sum it up

To transfer radiators to the loggia, you must obtain permission from the relevant authorities. This may take quite a long time. Therefore, in most cases it makes sense to consider other options: warm floors, ceiling infrared heating. Such systems are no less effective, and installation does not require approvals.

Sources

https://tgorlovka.com/2020/07/30/mozhno-li-samostoyatelno-i-bez-soglasovaniya-perenosit-batarei-v-kvartire/
https://fanera-info.ru/sovety-dlya-doma/nuzhno-li-razreshenie-na-perenos-batarey
https://VseOBalkonah.ru/lodzhiya/perenos-batarei-na-lodzhiyu.html
https://okna-dom.net/pernos-batarei-na-lodjiyu/
https://GSPS.ru/nuzhno-li-soglasovyvat-perenos-batarei.php
https://apb1.ru/nuzhno-li-soglasovyvat-perenos-batarei.html
https://zonabalkona.ru/remont-otdelka/batarei-na-balkone.html
https://TeploRes.ru/montazh-i-remont/kak-vyvesti-batareyu-na-lodzhiyu.html

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Causes of deterioration in blood pressure

Illegal spontaneous work on replacing pipelines - in apartment buildings the so-called “top heating supply” is often used, which means the supply of coolant through the main pipeline to the very top floor and its further distribution along vertical heating risers. If one of your neighbors below or above, as a result of inept and, in fact, criminal actions, narrowed the diameter of the pipeline, from 25 mm to 16 mm, then the entire entrance suffers from a sharp drop in the volume of coolant, which cannot circulate as it should it was before.
An accident, malfunction or outdated equipment of heating networks - unfortunately, this remains one of the most widespread reasons for the poor quality of heat supply to apartments. Heat loss also depends on how high the pressure is in the heating system of an apartment building and how stable it is. Stable high pressure and good circulation allow the coolant temperature to be supplied almost the same as that obtained at the outlet of the heating manifold. If there is a broken valve, a destroyed pipe, or faulty fittings in the path of hot water, this will immediately lead to a deterioration in the heat supply in the apartments.
Apartment buildings use a closed heating system. It is much more efficient than gravity and does not require large maintenance costs, but a drop in pressure in the system instantly stops the circulation of the coolant. This forces water to be pumped up in case of leaks, and to control the formation of air pockets, which are released using air vents or special valves at the top point of the heating system. If, as a result of an accident, improper operation of equipment, or due to interference with the heating system, a large amount of air is formed in the pipes, circulation decreases or stops altogether.

Illegal spontaneous work on replacing pipelines - in apartment buildings the so-called “top heating supply” is often used, which means the supply of coolant through the main pipeline to the very top floor and its further distribution along vertical heating risers.

One of the main heating problems is leaking radiators. There are several components worth highlighting here:

Steel radiators and convectors are most often not intended for installation in a working environment of more than 8-10 atm. Check with the seller or look in the passport for the parameters of the maximum permissible pressure and operating conditions in which the manufacturer recommends installing its heating devices. Even if your pressure gauge in the basement of your apartment building shows a pressure of 5 Atm., this does not mean that during the season the pressure will not rise to 12-13 Atm. Unfortunately, the wear of main pipelines can reach more than 100%, and the only way to check the integrity of the pipes and ensure trouble-free operation of the heating system is to carry out pressure tests. In these cases, the heating plant can supply a peak pressure of both 13 and 15 Atm, which will lead to the destruction of steel batteries. Measurements are taken every hour, and the pressure drop should not exceed 0.06 Atm. All this time, your radiators will be under dangerously high pressure.
Long service life of batteries can lead to the formation of corrosion, and if in a private house, at a pressure of 1.5-3 Atm. the radiator can be quickly shut off, then in an apartment building, as a result of such an accident, you can flood your neighbors while you wait for the plumber or emergency crew to arrive. In this regard, in apartment buildings it is mandatory to install shut-off valves, shut-off valves or taps.

If you want to control pressure parameters, you can install special thermomanometers that allow you to evaluate operating heating parameters in real time.

In cases of a drop in temperature, pressure, leaks or damage to the heating system, you must immediately contact the operator servicing your heating network. Otherwise, you risk making the situation worse, which will lead to more serious consequences than a drop in battery temperature of a few degrees.

The simplest climate network of a private house consists of a heating boiler, heating radiators and pipes connecting these elements into a closed ring through which the coolant circulates. However, the heating systems of multi-storey buildings are designed completely differently, which must be taken into account when repairing or modernizing its component located in the apartment. Otherwise, problems with neighbors and the housing office cannot be avoided.

Norms and requirements

Modern apartment buildings can have several types of heating:

have a central connection from utility companies;
have your own boiler room and heat source, which further leads to its distribution to the consumer;
The apartment can have its own independent heating source - gas or electric boiler.

If we are talking about the basic indicator of pressure in a house, such as a “Khrushchev”, then often the pressure level is within 6-9 Atm under ideal conditions. Practice shows that when the resource is exhausted, the efficiency of the heating system drops sharply. At the moment, despite the fact that interfering with the operation of the heating system is strictly prohibited, independent work, repair or replacement of radiators and pipelines, reduction of the nominal diameter of pipes due to rust and deposits - the pressure can drop down to 1-3 atm. Of course, this can be noticed by the temperature of the heating devices, which drops to 30-40 degrees.

What does pressure in the house affect?

The first and most important thing is the efficiency of heat transfer from the producer (boiler room) to the consumer (radiator in the apartment). There are prescribed standards and SNiPs that regulate the supply of pressure to apartment buildings. Its value is calculated based on the type of pipeline used, the cross-sectional diameter of the pipes, the types of device connections, and the distance from the location of the boiler room. Due to incorrect pressure supply, the circulation of the coolant can completely stop, which immediately leads to freezing of pipelines in winter and can permanently disable the heating.

There are several types of pressure: dynamic and static. Dynamic occurs in pipes when the coolant moves; it affects radiators, pipes, shut-off valves. Static occurs due to gravity. This can be observed in gravity heating systems of private houses, when circulation pumps were not yet used, and radiators were made in the form of registers made of metal pipes. Thus, the boiler, as a result of heating the liquid and its expansion, pushed the coolant, which further spread due to gravity.

Conclusion

The heating system of apartment buildings with a centralized coolant supply is fundamentally different from individual climate networks. Unqualified intervention and modernization can not only worsen the quality of heating for neighbors, but also lead to complete obstruction of pipelines.

Therefore, when performing any work, you must strictly follow the prescribed rules or use the services of qualified specialists. You can learn more about the utility networks of high-rise buildings from the video posted in this article.