The sewer riser is leaking - who should repair it?

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Who owns the sewer riser

Attention! Initially, we find out who is the owner of the pipeline responsible for the sewerage system. To do this, you need to study the legislation of the Russian Federation currently in force. The Housing Code of the Russian Federation establishes that the pipeline for hot and cold water supply is part of the common property.

Now it’s worth understanding what common property is. Rules for the maintenance of common property of owners and housing complexes of the Russian Federation determine the composition of common property. And it consists of premises owned by local governments and state authorities, but nothing is said about the pipeline responsible for the sewerage system.

Paragraph 5 of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 6 No. 354 will help resolve the dispute on this issue, which explains that the common property includes an engineering system responsible for drainage, which is located inside an apartment building and consists of shaped parts and sewage outlets (crossings, tees, branch pipes, bends and transitions), as well as plugs, drain funnels, risers, exhaust pipes, parts of pipes located between the risers and butt joints, and second equipment located in the system.

Drawing a conclusion from the above, we can say that sewer risers are the common property of an apartment building.

Who should change the sewer riser in an apartment?

The pipeline responsible for the sewerage system is considered community property, which means that its repair and maintenance is carried out by the organization that services the apartment building.

If your apartment is flooded due to a faulty pipeline, you must first contact the service company with a request. If the case is complex and urgent, then you need to contact the emergency service so that the malfunction can be eliminated as soon as possible.

Employees of such organizations must inspect the malfunction and damage caused in front of witnesses and interested parties. All this must be included in the appropriate document (act). This document reflects which apartments were affected by this malfunction, the reason for this, the damaged property, etc.

Remember! When drawing up the report, witnesses and interested parties must be present, so employees carrying out repairs cannot be released. The document indicates the culprit through whose fault the leak occurred.

If the document indicates that the leak occurred because the riser failed, then the management company is considered the culprit. Because the responsibility for maintaining it in proper condition lies with the management company.

Although, if the document indicates the tenant’s fault, that is, he independently replaced pipes or equipment, and thereby caused mechanical damage to the riser, then the responsibility for restoration will lie with the owner of the apartment.

Flooding of an apartment from the sewer: how to recover damages? Step-by-step instructions for owners

An apartment flooding from the sewer is, unfortunately, a frequent and extremely unpleasant phenomenon. After an apartment is flooded with sewage waste, expensive repairs are required; furniture, and often household appliances, become unusable. The premises will need to be disinfected against the formation of mold, as well as to remove bacteria, germs and odors.

Who is to blame for the flooding of the apartment from the sewer?

If the apartment is flooded from the sewer, then as a general rule the fault lies with the management organization (HOA). It is she, according to clause 5 of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of August 13, 2006 No. 491, who is responsible for the maintenance of common property, which includes the sewerage system. An accident can be caused by the dilapidated condition of pipes, irregular or improper cleaning, ignoring complaints from owners about obstructed water flow, and many other reasons. However, sometimes a sewer blockage occurs due to the fact that the residents themselves do not comply with the rules for using common property. For example, situations are common when pet litter, vegetable peelings, rags, construction waste, hygiene items, baby diapers and other items that do not dissolve in water are thrown into the toilet. Also, a flood can be caused by poor quality plumbing repairs in one of the apartments, improper installation of pipes, or violation of building codes during major repairs by the Regional Operator (Capital Repair Fund).

It is the person responsible for the flooding of the apartment from the sewer that is responsible for the damage caused to the affected apartment. In addition, some procedural issues (jurisdiction, the possibility of applying benefits when paying state fees for filing a claim in court), possible collection amounts (compensation for moral damage, as well as a “consumer” fine in the amount of 50% of the amount of damage awarded by the court and compensation for moral damage can only be recovered from the management organization), as well as the prospects for real recovery of money (as a rule, the chances of receiving money based on a court decision are higher if the defendant is a management company or a regional operator that regularly receives payments to bank accounts) .

Have you been flooded?

Call us at 8 (495) 223-48-91 or leave a request on the website, we will contact you as soon as possible and advise you in detail on the procedure for recording the fact of the flood and the damage caused!
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Step-by-step instructions “What to do if your property is flooded from the sewer and how to recover damages?”

We recommend following the following procedure when flooding the premises from the sewer in order to minimize the damage caused, as well as to recover compensation and penalties in excess of the amount of damage from the culprit.

Step 1: Take immediate action to reduce the damage and your safety

First of all, it is necessary to de-energize the room where flooding occurs as quickly as possible. Lower the heater levers in the distributor box on your landing or directly in the apartment. Take all possible measures to preserve property (cover laminate flooring, furniture, appliances with film, place containers in the leak area, etc.). Next, you need to call the emergency service. We also recommend taking photographs of the aftermath of the flood.

In our practice, there was a case of an apartment flooding from the sewer, when the owners, who returned from vacation, were shocked by what happened in the apartment (the apartment was flooded from the sewer several weeks ago, the sight was, to put it mildly, extremely unpleasant). In addition to calling the Criminal Code to draw up an act, we sent an application to the Moscow 24 TV channel, the TV channel went out on the same day and filmed a report on this incident. This report subsequently became one of the evidence in this case. We think that it was what the judge saw in the report that influenced the award of “colossal” compensation for moral damage for Russian courts in the amount of 50 thousand rubles. (often, in this category of disputes, courts award amounts of 2-15 thousand rubles).

By the way, here is the court decision in this case:

Damage was recovered from the State Budgetary Institution “Zhilischnik” in connection with the flood of sewage waste in the amount of 1.4 million rubles, as well as a fine (730 thousand rubles), moral damages (50 thousand rubles) and all expenses were compensated

In this case, the costs of a lawyer were compensated in a separate court ruling, since our Client paid for the lawyer’s services after collecting money from the State Budgetary Institution “Zhilishchnik”, so the costs of the lawyer were declared separately.

Step 2. Notify the management organization about the bay and get a report drawn up

You can find out the exact details of the organization managing your apartment building at the address of the house at.

Example of information in the apartment building management register

When is the bay act drawn up?

In accordance with paragraph 152 of the Russian Federation Decree No. 354 dated May 6, 2011, in the event of damage to the consumer’s property due to the fault of the management organization, the act must be drawn up within 12 hours from the moment of contacting the emergency dispatch service.

The act of flooding an apartment from the sewer is an important document that records the fact of flooding, describes the damage to the apartment and indicates the person at fault.

The form of the act is arbitrary, drawn up and signed by commission. The date of drawing up the act and the stamp of the management organization are affixed. The report must contain information: about the owners, tenants of the flooded residential premises and the apartment in which the leak occurred, about representatives of the management organization, facts of flooding and damage to property, places and volumes of flooding of the apartment and damage to property. For example, the extent of damage to the ceiling and walls is expressed in square meters; for damaged property, the degree of damage is indicated with a description of the identifying features of things. The act is signed by an employee of the Criminal Code, the owner of the flooded apartment and the culprit.

Get a detailed description of all damage from the management company (HOA) employee. If the management organization refuses to draw up an act, send it a notice of flooding by telegram indicating the date of inspection and contact the housing inspectorate with a complaint (attach a copy of the telegram). If the management organization does not show up for the inspection, arrange it yourself.

Inspection report of the premises drawn up by the management company in connection with flooding

Legal advice

It is important to correctly record the fact of the flood and the damage caused

Since, as a general rule, the fact of flooding and the amount of damage caused is recorded by the management company, then in situations where flooding of the apartment occurred through the fault of the management organization itself, the management company will in every possible way avoid signing the act of flooding or record the damage incompletely, and refuse to recognize the culprit in the act when it is obvious. Therefore, it is important for the owner of a premises flooded from the sewer to know these tricks and stop them: send a notification about the flood in writing, if evading drawing up an act, complain to the Housing Inspectorate about the management company (HOA), make comments in the act if the information in it is incomplete or unreliable, in the extreme case, invite an independent expert and draw up your act with the involvement of neighbors. The act of flooding an apartment from the sewer is important evidence in a dispute about the flood, but it is not the only one, therefore, in the event of illegal actions of the Criminal Code in order to reduce your liability, be prepared to “fight”, prepare additional evidence in your defense.

What to do if the management company (HOA) refuses to draw up an act on the flooding of the apartment from the sewer?

notify the organization managing your home about the fact of flooding (by sending a telegram with return receipt requested to the legal address).
take a photo of the flooding and damage
draw up a deed with the signatures of your neighbors. At the end of the document, indicate that the management organization refused to send its representative and draw up an act, although it was duly notified.
contact an independent specialist to assess property damage and determine the cause of the leak (the culprit)

Errors in the Bay Acts

Errors in the personal data of the victim and the culprit

Incomplete description of the damage caused (incomplete list of damaged property)

Lack of signature of the culprit (or indication of the culprit’s refusal to sign the act)

Lack of signatures of commission members and the seal of the management company

Invalid date of flooding of the premises

These errors in the acts can lead to unpleasant consequences for the injured person. For example, a court may refuse to satisfy a claim to recover the cost of carpets, furniture, appliances, or other property located in an apartment, since this property was not indicated in the apartment filling act drawn up by the management company. Don't make these mistakes. Before signing the act, carefully study it, demand changes and additions to the act, or better yet, show the documents proposed for signing to an experienced lawyer.

In most cases, two acts are drawn up regarding the flooding of the apartment from the sewer. The first act is drawn up on the day of the flood (as they say, “hot on the heels”), and the second after some time, when additional consequences of flooding may appear. This allows you to more objectively assess the amount of damage and identify any damage that may not have been detected immediately. To draw up an additional act of filling, you must also contact the Criminal Code (hand over the application for drawing up an additional act against signature or send by telegram/mail).

Step 3. Order a damage assessment from an independent appraiser

Take steps to determine the extent of the damage and document it. To do this, contact an independent appraiser to conclude an agreement to assess the damage and agree with the appraiser on a day to inspect the apartment.

To inspect the premises by an appraiser, it is necessary to invite the organization managing the house in advance (no later than 3 working days before the date of inspection by sending a telegram). The telegram can be sent through the Russian Post office or through. At the post office, you must say that you need a telegram with a receipt confirmation and a paper copy (if you send through the website, you need to select the appropriate items). If the parties to the dispute do not appear for the inspection, this will not become an obstacle to the procedure, and there is no need to reschedule the inspection (with proper notice).

The appraiser must be a member of the relevant SRO and have a qualification certificate in the relevant field. Based on the results of the inspection, the appraiser will prepare a report on the amount of damage caused as a result of flooding of the apartment (other premises). In the report, the specialist indicates the cost of restoration work and building materials to eliminate the consequences of the apartment being flooded with wastewater from the sewer, as well as the amount of damage caused to the property located in the apartment (carpets, appliances, furniture, etc.). In addition, when an apartment is flooded from the sewer, the appraiser displays in the report the costs of disinfecting the room and antifungal treatment, which is carried out some time after the room has dried.

If the management company refused to indicate the culprit of the leak in the leak report, we also recommend ordering a construction and technical examination, in which a specialist will determine the cause of the leak. To determine the cause of the flood, an expert examines not only the flooded premises, but also common property and communications.

Be extremely careful when choosing an appraiser or expert. Check out reviews of his work and his portfolio. When studying a portfolio, ask to provide not only appraisal reports (expert opinions), but also court decisions in cases in which the plaintiff’s claims were based on these reports (compare the figures in the pre-trial report and the results of the forensic examination, how different they were, whether the appraiser was invited to court hearing and how the court assessed his testimony). Listen to how a specialist describes to you the process of conducting an inspection and compensation for damage (compare his description with these instructions to understand how experienced a specialist he is). The expert's opinion (assessment report) is important evidence in the Gulf dispute. Also, keep in mind that the court may subpoena the expert to testify. The expert’s (specialist’s) answers to the court’s questions will also be important in the case; on their basis, the court will also evaluate the specialist’s competence and the correctness of the calculations. A good specialist will be able to defend his research and conclusions in court. Often, the testimony of an experienced specialist helps to avoid a long and expensive forensic examination.

The culprit of the flooding of an apartment (other premises) can also be identified during the trial on the basis of a forensic examination. In this case, the lawsuit names all potential culprits of the bay as defendants. However, due to the fact that a forensic examination is a rather expensive undertaking, and the costs of paying for it may also be borne by the plaintiff, we recommend ordering a specialist’s opinion before filing a claim in court (in this case, when challenging this conclusion, the defendant may apply for an examination, costs in this case, in most cases the defendant will also pay).

Save the agreement with the expert organization (appraiser) and documents confirming payment for their services. Based on these documents, you will be able to recover the costs incurred in court from the culprit of the flood. Also keep documents confirming the sending of notification of the inspection date to the culprit and interested parties. These documents will allow you to “protect” the pre-trial assessment report and, in some cases, avoid a lengthy forensic examination. In addition, in judicial practice there are cases of refusal to satisfy claims in this category of cases due to the fact that the alleged culprit of the incident was not notified by telegram about the inspection of the apartment for the purpose of drawing up an estimate (for example, the decision of the magistrate of site No. 394 of the Academic District dated 24.08. 2012 in case No. 2–187/394-2012).

Step 4. Send a claim to the culprit who caused the failure of the sewage pumping system and the flooding with wastewater, demanding compensation for the amount of damage

Send the claim with your demands and a copy of the assessment report to the culprit in a valuable letter with a list of the attachments. If the culprit is the management organization, then the period for responding to the claim (satisfying the claim) is 10 days.

Despite the fact that the claim procedure for such disputes is not mandatory, its compliance will allow, firstly, in some cases, to settle a dispute with a neighbor peacefully, and secondly, to avoid leaving the claim without progress (despite the illegality of the court’s actions in this case, to prove the illegality of such a court ruling, you need to spend a lot of time appealing it, much more time than sending a claim). In addition, in a dispute with the Criminal Code, failure to submit a claim may cause the court to refuse to collect a “consumer” fine.

The management company may offer compensation for damages in a smaller amount or repair the flooded premises. You have the right to accept or refuse the alternative reimbursement. In this regard, we will give the following recommendations: if the damage is insignificant, then repairs from the management company will in many cases be more profitable than going to court and engaging a contractor, and will also save time. However, if significant damage has been caused, the apartment has been renovated using expensive materials, expensive furniture and other property in the apartment have been damaged, we recommend not agreeing to repairs from the management company, since the quality of such repairs, as a rule, leaves much to be desired (in addition, it is more likely In total, the management company will save on materials). Therefore, if you want better quality repairs, it is better to recover the full amount of damage and penalties through the court, so you can choose a reliable contractor and carry out “your” repairs at the expense of the culprit. At the same time, as practice shows, taking into account the “consumer” fine, the owners “remain in the black” (they not only receive money for repairs, but also compensate for moral damage and inconvenience caused by the flood).

Here is one example:

With the amount of damage being 481,238 rubles, the court collected a fine from the Criminal Code of 243,119 rubles and moral damages of 5,000 rubles. and compensated legal expenses

Step 5. If the claim is not fulfilled, file a claim for damages in court

If the dispute is not resolved out of court, file the claim in court.

If the cost of the claim does not exceed 100,000 rubles, then the statement of claim against the Criminal Code for compensation for damage in connection with the flood is submitted to the magistrate; if it exceeds, then to the district court. As a general rule, a statement of claim is filed in court at the location of the defendant. However, when filing a claim with the Criminal Code, the plaintiff has the right to choose a court in accordance with the jurisdiction options established by the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights (at the place of his residence or the place of conclusion/execution of the contract).

When filing a claim for compensation for damage due to flooding of real estate, you must pay a fee, the amount of which depends on the value of the claim. When applying the rules of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights to the claim (when filing a claim for damages against the management company) if the cost of the claim is up to 1 million rubles. no duty is paid.

The length of time for consideration of a case in court depends on many factors: the workload of the court that is considering the case, whether a forensic examination will be carried out at the initiative of the court or another party, in which instance the consideration of the case will be completed.

When going to court, you can additionally recover from the management company (if the management organization is the culprit of the flood):

compensation for moral damage
a fine of 50% of the awarded amount (note that the amount of the fine may be reduced by the court in some cases)
penalty for violation of the deadline for compensation for damage (after receiving a court decision on compensation for damage, for the period from the date the court decision entered into legal force until the actual receipt of money)
all legal costs (paid assessment costs, lawyer fees, state fees, postal and telegraph costs)

In addition, often after an apartment is flooded with wastewater from a sewer, it is impossible to live in it, so the owner can additionally declare the costs of renting other housing (costs of staying in a hotel) during the period of eliminating the consequences (judicial practice of awarding such damages, although not numerous, exists ).

Thus, if the culprit of the flood is the management company, then it is economically more “profitable” than the flood due to the fault of neighbors or FKR. Firstly, since these relations are subject to the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights, in addition to compensation for directly caused damage and expenses incurred in connection with the legal process, the owner can recover compensation for moral damage and a significant fine for the refusal of the management company to compensate for damage voluntarily (for this reason “going to court” in such cases is even more profitable than receiving money from the Criminal Code in a pre-trial manner). Secondly, for the same reason, if the amount of damage is less than 1 million rubles. no state fee is paid for considering a claim in court (when filing a claim against a neighbor, you must pay the fee in any case). Thirdly, the management company, as a rule, is a more solvent defendant (especially if it is a budget institution), therefore, executing a court decision against the management company is usually easier and faster. That is why experienced bay lawyers are trying to get the court to establish the guilt of the management company in the flooding that occurred, or, in extreme cases, the guilt of the Regional operator.

However, disputes with the management company have certain disadvantages for owners of flooded apartments. We have already talked about the first disadvantage above - if the culprit is the management company, then it is often difficult to obtain a proper act on the bay from it. Secondly, the interests of the management company in pre-trial settlement and trial, as a rule, are represented by experienced lawyers who specialize in such disputes and know the intricacies of judicial practice on claims for damages, so it is more difficult for a non-specialist to “fight” the management company in such disputes. The task of a management company lawyer is to preserve the company’s assets by any means necessary. In addition, an experienced lawyer will operate with facts and evidence, knowing in advance their significance for the court, which certainly gives him an advantage. Therefore, citizens who have all the trump cards in their hands, but are confused in the process, can easily be left with nothing, due to the fact that the Criminal Code lawyer skillfully misled the court. You should not think that the court’s task is to delve into all the intricacies of your situation and thoroughly study (or simply flip through) thousands of pages of documents. After all, judges are some of the busiest people on the planet. In addition, the court can only base a court decision on appropriate and admissible evidence, so some “evidence” may not be accepted due to inconsistency with procedural law (for example, correspondence with an inappropriate person, audio recordings). Therefore, in the process, it is important to provide the right information in the right form and at the right time, which can be easily handled by a specialist. Whether or not to involve a lawyer in a dispute about the bay with the management company is up to you, but remember that with a lawyer you have a better chance of proving your case in court and recovering the maximum amount from the culprit of the flood, in addition, if you win, the management organization will reimburse the costs of the lawyer, then If you get help from a lawyer, it will be free of charge (you can also find a lawyer with payment for services based on the result).

Step 6. Receive and present a writ of execution for collection

After the court decision has entered into legal force, it is necessary to obtain a writ of execution to enforce the court decision (if the defendant does not voluntarily comply with the court decision). The claimant has the right to present a writ of execution to the bank where the defendant has an account, or to the bailiff service.

If the defendant is the State Budgetary Institution of Moscow “Zhilishchnik”, then the writ of execution must be submitted to the Moscow Department of Finance at the address: 115054, Moscow, Bakhrushina Street, 20. The execution period is 30 working days. If the management company is a state budgetary institution in another constituent entity of the Russian Federation, then it is necessary to also contact the relevant financial authority of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation with a writ of execution.

Important! Before drawing up an inspection report and an assessment report, as well as during the trial, it is not recommended to carry out repair work on the premises, as well as throw away things damaged during the flood and indicated in the assessment report, since a forensic examination may be carried out (at the initiative of the defendant or court).

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Application to the management company

If the owner of the apartment discovers that the sewer riser is in poor condition, he must contact the utility service to replace the plumbing equipment.

There is no strictly defined form for such an application, so it is drawn up in a free form.

Notice! Although the required information for this application is:

name of the management company and last name, first name, patronymic of the manager;
proof of timely payment and absence of debt for utilities (payment receipts);
please replace the sewer riser;
the applicant's signature and date of application.

The application is drawn up in two copies, one is sent to the management company, and the second with a receipt mark remains with the applicant. After such a statement, CC employees are required to inspect the sewer riser.

As a result of the inspection, a report is drawn up that reflects information about the condition of the riser, and on the basis of this document a decision will be made on its replacement (whether it is necessary or not).

Watch the video. What the management company should repair for free:

Who is to blame: the owner or the utilities?

In case of flooding of the apartment, an application is submitted to the utility service, and in an emergency, to the emergency service. Employees of these organizations, in front of witnesses and interested parties, draw up a report in which they indicate in which apartments the breakthrough occurred, its cause, a list of damaged property, etc.

The leak report is the main document that establishes its cause and culprit. If the cause of the leak is rotten pipes, then the fault lies with the management company. After all, her direct responsibility is to monitor the proper condition of the plumbing.

If the fault of the apartment residents is established, for example, independent replacement of the pipeline or damage to the riser, then the responsibility for elimination lies with the apartment owner.

Please note that this situation only applies to the case of an insured apartment. Then, in the event of flooding, the owners of the insured apartment contact the insurance company. And the insurers, in turn, issue an invoice for compensation for the damage caused to the person responsible for the leak.

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

Legislative norms

The bulk of the multi-storey housing stock was built decades ago. Then pipes and batteries were installed from cast iron or steel, which are subject to wear and tear over time. To avoid a breakthrough, the property owner must know who is responsible for the trouble-free and uninterrupted operation of engineering structures in order to take the required measures in a timely manner.

The organization in the housing and communal services sector that carries out the trust management of the property of an apartment building (MKD), that is, the management company (hereinafter referred to as the management company), must monitor the degree of wear and the presence of corrosion. She is also charged with replacing risers in an apartment building, as the law states. Information about this is recorded in government decree No. 354 of 2011, as well as in the provisions of Art. 161 of the Housing Code.

Can they sue?

The owners of the damaged apartment can file a lawsuit demanding compensation for property damage. If the culprit is the management company, then it is a co-defendant. And at the court hearing, it will be necessary to prove the guilt of the management company, that the leak occurred through their fault, and the consequence of this was damage to the plaintiff’s property.

At whose expense is the replacement carried out?

It is illegal for owners to write applications to a private organization or want to pay additionally for pipeline repair work. Because all work is carried out at the expense of the owners of residential premises.

The monthly payment for utilities includes a fee for the “maintenance and repair of common property.” The cost of this service is calculated depending on the square footage of the apartment and the number of registered persons.

Important! In accordance with the norms of MDK 2-04.2004, there is a list of works that are included in the cost of rent:

maintenance of common property;
maintenance of communication networks;
work in case of an accident;
ongoing repair work.

Thus, the cost of all work related to the maintenance and repair of equipment is included in the rent. Therefore, the management company is obliged to replace the sewer riser, even in a privatized apartment, free of charge. This has already been paid for previously.

An exception to this rule is repairs that are required to be made as a result of unauthorized repairs or reconstruction of plumbing equipment by the apartment owner.

If, as a result of these actions, other owners of residential premises of an apartment building suffered, then compensation for the damage caused will also be carried out from the wallet of the culprit.

Dismantling diagram

Dismantling begins by retreating 10 cm from the upper end of the pipe, and then making an incision. Stepping down 1 m from it, make another circular one, performing it in the form of a spiral. This is a precautionary measure so that the grinder disc will not jam. The worker will not be injured if the rebound occurs.

After this, take a hammer and chisel. The cut is tapped until the pipe bursts. If you do everything carefully, it will split along the cut line. If it is very rusty, it can be chipped off in parts.

When installing cast iron risers in old buildings, a caulking method was used or the pipe was fixed in a socket. Finding out how the pipe is held in place is easy. You need to hit it several times with a rubber sledgehammer, and then swing the riser.

An example of a sewerage diagram.

If you use carbolic acid, it will begin to fall out of the socket. If sulfur was used as fastening, blows with a sledgehammer will not budge it. In this case, you should take a blowtorch and start heating the pipe at the junction.

As a result of heating, the sulfur mass melts. The pipe is swung, held with pliers or an adjustable wrench, and then removed. The bell is cleaned of carbolic acid or traces of sulfur.

Sulfur fumes are poisonous, so you cannot work without a gas mask. After dismantling is completed, the room must be ventilated.

Part of the pipeline is the tee socket. It is required to connect the sewer pipe running from the kitchen to the toilet with a riser. It is most convenient to install tees made of plastic. To prevent leaks, all joints are coated with sealant.

Responsibilities of apartment owners

In accordance with current legislation, the decision to carry out major repairs is made by all owners of residential premises in an apartment building. But you cannot do this yourself.

Apartment owners only service equipment located directly on the property, in the apartment.

And to carry out major repairs of common property, a management company is hired, which hires contractors to carry out the work if it cannot do it on its own.

Which pipes to choose

If you need to replace the old riser with a plastic one, you can use the following pipes:

PVC pipes for internal sewerage.

Ceramic ones are expensive. The products are not afraid of the negative effects of aggressive chemicals, which is why such pipes are often installed in enterprises. But they are not needed in apartments.

Polymer pipes are lightweight. They are good because even after several years of service, growths do not appear on their inside.

There are products made from polyvinyl chloride and polypropylene on sale. The first material is durable, it is resistant to ultraviolet radiation, but when burned and strongly heated, it releases harmful substances. Sewage drains have a low temperature, so such pipes can be used.

Polypropylene has no such disadvantages. The products are easy to install; all the work can be done on your own. Pipes have a long service life and can withstand sudden temperature changes.

Metal pipes can be steel or cast iron. The former are distinguished by their strength and resistance to high temperatures. But steel is susceptible to corrosion, so such risers are not installed in apartments.

Products made of cast iron are more expensive than others, but among their advantages can be noted their resistance to corrosion. They are durable and will last for many years.

Among the disadvantages, we can note the large weight, so it will be difficult to install the riser. Cast iron pipes become overgrown on the inside, which reduces their permeability.