Gas connection in an apartment: procedure and rules for gas connection in apartment buildings
If you are a happy owner of an apartment in a new building, then soon you will have to deal with the procedure for connecting gas to a new housing. Agree, it is better to understand the issue in advance in order to be fully prepared for all possible difficulties.
In this case, the gas connection in the apartment is somewhat different from the gasification of a private house, since apartment buildings are managed by a group of people who own apartments, whose consent is required to connect the building to the central gas pipeline.
To be able to use gas, the owner of the apartment will need to conduct a full preparation of the premises for the safe operation of gas equipment. Further in the article we will reveal the main stages of connecting gas in the apartment, and tell you how to properly prepare your home for the upcoming gasification.
The content of the article:
The procedure for connecting to the gas pipeline
If in a private house the owner independently decides on the need for gasification of the immovable object, then in the apartment building for the procedure, the consent of each apartment owner will be required. Only then can we proceed to the next stages of the project.
First of all, the future gas consumer will need to draw up a package of legal documentation, which includes the ownership of the apartment, as well as a document confirming the consent of the residents to connect the entire house to the central gas pipeline.
This is a prerequisite, because without the above documents, the homeowner will not be able to obtain technical conditions.
Next, the homeowner will need to conclude a contract with a gas distribution company, and apply for obtaining technical conditions to connect the gas.This document is a confirmation of the possibility of including a new user in the gas system.
The next stage is the preparation of the premises for the subsequent gas connection, which includes the repair work in the apartment. In this case, it will be necessary to fulfill at least the minimum requirements put forward by the gas service.
After all repair and installation work has been completed, the homeowner will need to call a firefighter to checking ventilation ducts and drawing up the act. If all the requirements are met, and the safety rules are fully observed, then the specialist will issue the appropriate certificate.
At the next stage, gas is connected in the apartment to the new building, however this is possible only after 50% of the residents of the new building successfully pass all of the above steps. In addition, at the time the facility is connected to the central gas pipeline, all owners must stay in their apartments.
Gas Connection Specifications
These requirements are calculated for the most safe use of gas equipment, therefore, the implementation of technical specifications is an obligatory step for all consumers.
The document contains all the necessary conditions and requirements for the design of the gas pipeline, including its mounting parts, as well as the chemical composition and technical parameters of the fuel.
Different consumers can use gas for completely different purposes, for example, someone has enough gas stove to ensure maximum comfort, while another resident of an apartment building plans install gas water heater and additional floor heating. In this case, the technical conditions for each consumer will be compiled individually.
This stage of gas supply in apartment buildings also includes gas meter installation, without which the inspector will not be able to draw up an act. If at least one of the established conditions is not fulfilled, the inspection is postponed to another date by which the homeowner is obliged to fulfill all the requirements.
If the requirements are not met properly, the gas company reserves the right to refuse the gasification of a particular apartment.
So, gas equipment is equipped with special stubs, while the object can be connected to gas only if the homeowner fulfills all the requirements in accordance with the rules of the document SP 42-101-2003 “General provisions for the design and construction of gas distribution systems from metal and polyethylene pipes”.
The gas distribution company is engaged in the preparation of the technical conditions, which is obliged to provide the landlord with the relevant document within 14 days after the application is submitted. After checking the fulfilled requirements, it is better to order the project in the company that the gas company will advise, since only in this way can the gas connection process be accelerated.
When is the connection made?
Gas start-up is carried out only if the owner of the apartment in the apartment building has passed all the established stages, including the repair of the premises and conclusion of an agreement with a service company gas supply company.
An important condition is the passage of a planned briefing, covering all the most important points of safe use of gas equipment.
If homeowners determine the exact date, then the gas company’s specialists will be able to pressure testing of gas networks in apartments that belong to the same riser. For this, employees will need access to each apartment, because otherwise the crimping will have to be postponed to another date.
This is the most important condition before directly connecting the facility to the central gas pipeline, since often at this stage gas leaks are detected.
In the event of a malfunction in the operation of gas equipment, gas workers will carry out all necessary work to eliminate them. After a successful pressure test, the gas start date will be announced to residents of the apartment building. On this day, all apartment owners must also be at home in order to provide access to the in-house gas equipment.
Basic rules for gasification in the apartment
In the process of compiling individual technical conditions, the goals of gas use by the apartment owner, including the number of gas appliances to be installed, are taken into account. It is on the basis of this information that a list of requirements is compiled.
You can familiarize yourself with the established rules for installing gas equipment inside the apartment in document SP 42-101-2003 “General Provisions for the Design and Construction of Gas Distribution Systems from Metal and Polyethylene Pipes”.
According to the document, there are a number of minimum requirements established for all gas consumers:
- painting the gas pipe in white;
- ensuring the sealing of the installation site of the chimney using cement mortar;
- installation of a grill on the ventilation duct;
- installation of a kitchen door with a 3 cm undercut from the floor, and the installation of a decorative grille at a distance of 10 cm from the floor;
- installation of electrical outlets near the boiler, and an alarm located in the area of the gas meter;
- purchase of a voltage stabilizer for the boiler;
- obligatory purchase of a gas stove until the inspector conducts the inspection;
- connection of gas-using equipment with stainless hoses, not more than 1.5 m long;
- acquisition of a gas stove equipped with a gas control system;
- the availability of all necessary technical documentation for the gas equipment used.
Non-compliance of gas-powered equipment with elementary technical requirements is already the basis for refusal to conclude an agreement on the part of the gas supply service.
In order not to slow down the process of connecting gas in the apartment, it is important to fulfill all the established requirements in advance, and only then call a specialist to conduct an inspection.
Another prerequisite is the installation of “easily resettable” glasses in the kitchen of a residential building, while gas detectors will also need to be installed in an apartment building.
Of course, such devices will require additional costs, but this will ensure security not only to the owner of the apartment, but also to the residents of the entire apartment building.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
You can find out about the unexpected difficulties of connecting gas in the apartment from the following video:
The gas connection procedure in the apartment consists of several important stages, the failure of which will entail the refusal of gasification by the gas company employees.Even if the homeowner complied with all the technical conditions established by the company and entered into an agreement with a gas supply company, the gas connection process may be suspended.
For successful verification of gas equipment and the subsequent connection of gas, all residents of an apartment building must be at home in order to provide access to each apartment. At the final stage, it is important for all residents of the house to cooperate, which will allow gas companies to successfully connect gas to a residential building.
If you have already gone through all the stages of connecting gas in the apartment, you can share your experience in the comments under the article. Tell our readers what difficulties you encountered in the process of cooperation with the gas company, and what mistakes you had to correct when fulfilling the technical conditions.