What to do if a riser pipe, battery, or heated towel rail breaks in an apartment, who is to blame and what to do

If a heating, water supply or sewerage pipe is leaking, then this is not just a nuisance, but an emergency situation. Moreover, if a pipe burst occurred in an apartment building, then measures must be taken urgently so as not to damage the neighbors’ property. What to do if a pipe bursts or there is a leak in it? How to fix the problem depends on where it occurs.

Each of the accidents can be eliminated in different ways, regardless of whether a cast-iron heating pipe or metal-plastic water circuits burst. However, it is possible to eliminate only a small leak with improvised means if the water drips, leaks or flows in a small stream. Serious pressure breaks require more radical solutions, which the Plumber Portal website will tell you about.

A pipe burst in the apartment and flooded the neighbors, who is to blame and what to do

Situations where a pipe burst and flooded neighbors happen infrequently, but are always controversial. After all, the question arises who is to blame and who will be responsible for repairing the heating and restoring the normal condition of the neighbors’ apartment. Let's look at this topic in more detail below.

What to do if a hot water pipe bursts

First of all, you need to be careful not to get burned, because the water can be very hot.

Proceed as follows:

• Shut off the riser in your apartment to prevent new water from entering.
• Be sure to turn off the electric meter, as water is highly conductive.
• If the temperature allows, then start collecting water with a rag. This way, neighbors on the lower floor will suffer less.
• Place any container under the damaged pipe - a bucket, basin. Better let the water flow there.
• Call a plumber. If this happens at night, call the emergency service of the city water utility.

By the way, if a plumber changes a part of a pipe, faucet or any other element that has become unusable, then save it. This can help in identifying the causes of the breakthrough.

A heating or water pipe has broken

Make something like a clamp from scrap materials. Take rubber, thick fabric, wire. Wrap the break area and secure with wire using pliers. You can try to cover it with cold welding.

But even if the leak is eliminated, remember that it can recur at any time. And a major overhaul is needed. Just don’t do it yourself, without notifying the service company.

After eliminating the hole, we advise you to take a photograph of the “accident site” and record each drip. This will help you prove your losses. Of course, if the cause of the accident is not your own.

But really, who can be to blame for pipe bursts?

Let's look at the nuances:

• If the leak occurred before the first tap from the riser, then the management company must be responsible. The owner of the apartment is responsible for all other pipes, as well as sewerage.
• The risers and heating radiators are also managed by the management company.
• If the owner repaired them or installed new radiators and did not notify the housing office, then he himself is to blame.

After eliminating the leak, you need to draw up a flood report. This should be done by representatives of the management company. It does not matter whether the plumbing accident occurred in the bathroom, room or kitchen.

The document is drawn up in two copies and must contain the following information:

• address where the accident occurred, date of the incident;
• a description of what happened to the application list of damages;
• probable causes of the breakthrough;
• data of the persons who drew up the act.

Read the document carefully before signing it. Make sure that everything is reflected correctly and completely.

The heated towel rail burst and flooded the neighbors - what to do

The heated towel rail is a common property (see Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated August 13, 2006 N 491 with the latest amendments). But different people or organizations may be responsible for its failure:

• If the coil is new, and water flows from it itself, then the fault falls on the manufacturer.
• When the house itself is a new building, the developer will be responsible for the impulse.
• If the coil was old and leaked regularly, then the apartment owner is to blame. After all, he must monitor the safety of not only the pipes, but also the entire room (apartment).
• If the heated towel rail was repaired on time, then the management company is responsible.

However, the guilt of the management company or developer must still be proven. Therefore, get ready for numerous examinations, showdowns, and if the damage is significant, then to court.

How to fix a burst pipe with pressurized water?

If a colored spot appears on the pipe, the paint begins to swell, traces of rusty water or rust are visible, water drips imperceptibly, you should not wait for the leak to disappear on its own. It is better if you find a suspicious place in the summer, with the heating turned off. Then there will be fewer problems with turning off and maintaining the temperature in the room during the period of repair work.

1. If a pipe is leaking with low coolant pressure, then a regular iron clamp to eliminate the leak is a sure and quick solution. The factory clamp is a round metal structure with a wall thickness of 1-1.5 mm, rubberized on the inside and equipped with a bolt and nut for tightening.
2. A popular method for sealing a leak under pressure if there is no steel clamp: wrap the leakage area with rubber from a bicycle tube, a pharmaceutical bandage, or any suitable piece of rubber, for example, a rubber glove. You can secure such a homemade clamp with wire, or wrap it with any cord.
3. In the absence of a factory product, you can make a homemade clamp from tin, even from a tin can lid.
4. Even a piece of elastic polymer (for example, vulcanic rubber), tightly wrapped with wire, turn to turn, can temporarily save the situation.

Other methods of eliminating an accident if a heating pipe is leaking will not work - only dry surfaces can be sealed with cold welding, although the hardened composite can then work even in water. It will not work to seal a hole or crack with sealing compounds for the same reason - the surface to be repaired must be dry, and preferably clean.

Therefore, sealant for heating pipes, epoxy resin, dichloroethane and other fast-hardening composites are used only on disconnected dry sections of the heating main. This also applies to the repair of hot water supply or hot water supply.

Who to call if a pipe burst in an apartment, in a toilet, in an entrance, in a basement, on the street

There are not many options here:

• directly to the plumber - if you have his phone number;
• to the management company - HOA, housing office;
• to the emergency service of the city water canal - if the accident occurred on a weekend, at night, or a pipe burst on the street or in the basement.

But where the leak occurred will determine how the conversation will be framed. Either you report the accident and remind them that they (the management company) will have to pay for the damage, or ask them to send a plumber, who you will pay for the work.

If the breakout is very severe, then you can pay for the repairs out of your own pocket, and then demand reimbursement. You do this simply during a conversation, or in court.

Puddles on the roads

State Unitary Enterprise Mosvodostok is responsible for eliminating puddles on roads and in yards. In total, the organization services more than 110 thousand water intake wells. According to the regulations, they are cleaned throughout the year. In places where water is likely to accumulate (low places), this should be done at least twice a month, as well as after each snowfall or rain. In places where large puddles have formed, emergency teams are on duty to pump out water and ensure that it does not accumulate. For the work, specialized pumping equipment is used, and the wells are cleaned manually.

Now, during the sudden melting of snow, about 370 emergency teams are involved in the work - about 1,000 people and 239 units of special equipment. The work is being carried out around the clock: the dispatch service of Mosvodostok received almost 160 complaints about the accumulation of water on the capital’s streets. More than half of the applications have already been processed.

If you find a large puddle on the road, you can contact the central dispatch service of the enterprise and leave a request to call a team by phone or contact the “Our City” portal.

Detailed instructions on how and to whom to report flooding on roads can be found on the mos.ru portal in the “City Advisor” section.

We find out the causes of the accident

What could have caused the leak?

• Manufacturing defect.
• The installation was completed with errors.
• Rust.
• The pipe was damaged during repairs.
• Pressure surge.

What exactly is the cause of the accident can be determined by an expert examination. An examination can be ordered by a court (if the case has reached it), or you can invite an expert yourself. For example, specialists from the Federation of Forensic Experts have the right to conduct an examination.

What to do to avoid such accidents?

No one is immune from pipe bursts. Most of our houses were built during the Soviet Union. Sewage, plumbing and heating systems, of course, wear out. But you can still take some actions yourself:

• Buy all plumbing fixtures, as well as materials for installation, in stores where you will be given a warranty card and a receipt.
• Replace pipes only in the presence of representatives of the housing office.
• Monitor the condition of the pipes and risers in your apartment yourself, even if you rent it.

Dream Interpretation - Smoke pipe

Seeing yourself in the role of a stove maker or chimney sweep, building or cleaning a chimney - to well-being and victory over competitors

If you have seen a chimney in your own home, you need to pay attention to the condition in which it was. A whole, cleanly bleached pipe - to the well-being and prosperity of your family

If the chimney smoked heavily, the dream foreshadows conflicts and discord in the family. In this case, imagine that you are cleaning the chimney and the pipe stops smoking. Seeing that a pipe has collapsed is a very bad sign. The dream foreshadows a serious illness or even the death of the head of the family. Imagine that you call a stove repairman and he will restore the collapsed areas and strengthen the entire pipe. You have nothing to fear anymore. Sitting on a pipe means an unusually interesting event will happen in your life soon. Whitewashing a pipe means you have work ahead of you that will bring you financial profit and aesthetic pleasure. Seeing a factory chimney means hard, poorly paid work. If you dreamed of a factory chimney, imagine that you are getting into a car and driving away from this place (see Car).

Who is responsible, repairs and pays?

So, we found out how to behave in the event of a pipe break. Now let's take a closer look at who will pay for the repairs.

If the apartment is municipal

Tenants are required to monitor the condition of the apartment, including the condition of the heating and water supply systems (see Article 179 of the Housing Code). And also do minor repairs. However, replacing pipes is not a minor repair. The owner – the organization, the city administration and others – is responsible for this.

But you need to notify them that the time has come to replace the pipes. After all, they do not live in the apartment and may not know about its condition.

If the breakdown occurred due to your fault, then you pay for all the work, but it can only be carried out by agreement with the owner.

If there are lodgers living in the apartment, tenants

What is described in the previous paragraph also applies to the case if the apartment is rented. The owner is required to carry out major repairs. But those who live in it should still monitor the current state.

However, there are cases when tenants are still to blame. For example, you didn’t close the tap or changed it yourself and incorrectly. Or the hose from the washing machine leaked. Then they themselves will fully compensate for the damage caused by flooding. Moreover, both the owner of the apartment and the neighbors.

By the way, if you are flooded by neighbors on the top floor in a rented apartment, this is a reason to talk to the landlord about reducing the rent. Because living conditions have become much worse. And you will most likely have to eliminate the consequences of the accident (wash the floor and walls, wash and dry things, ventilate the room). If, of course, the apartment is suitable for living after the flood.

When is the owner to blame?

So, we come to the most difficult case. Most often, the interests of several or one apartment owner and the management company collide. At the same time, everyone is trying to prove that the reason for what happened was not in him. Let's look at 2 scenarios.

The first option is when a plumbing equipment breakthrough occurs in your home.

First of all, it is necessary to record the fact of the breakthrough itself. For this purpose, a flood report is drawn up. This document has already been discussed above. One copy of the act must remain with you.

Then we find out the causes of the accident and determine the culprit. If the breakthrough occurred after the first riser of the crane, then you yourself are to blame for the accident, and repairs will be made at your expense (see Article 151 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation).

If a riser or radiator breaks, then the organization servicing the house should be responsible. But if the owner replaced pipes, risers and other things independently, without notifying the housing office, then the responsibility falls on him.

At the same time, you can expect an attempt on the part of the management company to declare you the culprit in any case. Such attempts must be stopped with the help of expertise.

There are many nuances in determining the causes of the flood. It is better, of course, to seek an examination. And the costs of experts will be covered by the culprit.

By the way, for the neighbors on the lower floor you will automatically be to blame. And your goal is to prove that this is not so.

After this, the damage must be assessed. Both yours and your neighbors. Special companies will carry out an assessment for a fee, issue a corresponding certificate and attach a price list.

If you are still to blame for the incident, then negotiate with your neighbors about compensation for losses. It is better to record the following points in writing:

• what materials will be purchased - wallpaper, paint, etc.;
• their color and composition;
• at what price;
• who exactly will do the repairs (perhaps you can do some of the work yourself);
• How long does it take to complete the repair?

After completing all the work, draw up another act. Record in it that all work was completed on time and in full. In this way, you will protect yourself if your neighbors decide to make additional claims in a few months.

If the management company is the culprit of the flood, then provide them with an estimate of the size of the loss. And try to negotiate peacefully. Although practice shows that this succeeds in very rare cases. Most often the case ends in court.

When going to court, appeal that the management company improperly performed its duties to maintain the apartment building. She is obliged to monitor the condition of the heating system and flush it regularly. This means that consumer rights have been violated.

To file a claim, prepare a package of documents:

• the statement itself;
• copy of passport;
• papers confirming ownership of the apartment;
• bay act;
• act on assessing the cost of damage;
• repair estimate;
• payment receipts for plumber and expert services.

Here you can find a sample of filling out a claim. ⇐

Now let's look at the second case - when you were flooded

If the water does not drip from above, but flows in a stream, then be sure to turn off the electricity in the apartment.

Then go to your neighbors and make sure they are already aware of the breach and have begun to take action. If there is no one at home, you will have to turn off the water in the entire entrance. Do it yourself or contact the management company.

The further procedure is similar to the previous case: draw up a report on the flood, assess the cost of the damage and draw up a repair estimate. Collect receipts or warranty cards confirming the value of the damaged property. And present all this to your neighbors.

If they agree to resolve the situation peacefully, then draw up an indemnity agreement.

If you were refused to pay for the damage, then go to court. The package of necessary documents was given above.

Here you can also fill out a sample. ⇐

Dream Interpretation - Apartment

Seeing your apartment in a dream foretells cash receipts. Changing your apartment for another means betrayal in love. Someone else's apartment means that the person with whom you are in an intimate relationship is cheating or intends to cheat on you with your closest friend. If in a dream you rent an apartment, in reality this foreshadows a wedding. Not having an apartment means you will become interested in a dangerous business, tempted by big profits. If someone is arrested in your apartment, this is a sign of surprises and surprises. Taking on a tenant for your apartment is a sign that you will be included in the Don Juan list of your admirer. If a tenant moves out of the apartment without paying you, you are in for trouble with men due to financial settlements. Finding yourself in the hallway of someone else's apartment, waiting until the owner deigns to come out to you, is to be humiliated in reality. Seeing yourself in someone else's bedroom means the jealousy of your husband or lover. To dream of a rich and tastefully furnished apartment with an office and a large library - such a dream foretells that your desire to live better will be realized.

Where to contact?

In order to recover compensation for damage, it is necessary to officially identify the culprit. Moreover, the internal conviction of the victim is not enough for this. An engineer from the management company can identify the culprit when inspecting the scene of the incident when drawing up a flood report. If at first glance it is impossible to determine the cause, then you need to order a construction and technical examination.

The procedure is necessary to find out the causes of the incident and identify the culprit. Main causes of accidents:

• use of low-quality materials during repairs;
• unlawful interference with the water supply system;
• water hammer;
• poor quality repairs.

A specialist will visit the apartment, conduct an inspection and issue an expert opinion. For a document to be valid in court, you need to check whether the specialist has a license. If there is no license, there is no need to enter into an agreement with the company, since the court will not accept the conclusion as evidence.

Who should pay if the tenants flood the neighbors?

Where should I go if my neighbors’ children are constantly crying, making noise, or running around?

Fixing leaks with epoxy resin

This method of eliminating a pipe break is only permissible if you managed to shut off the water supply. To work you will need epoxy resin and a medical bandage or gauze:

1. Read the instructions on the package for using the epoxy resin.
2. Prepare the working composition by mixing two components: resin and hardener. Observe the proportions strictly.
3. Wrap a couple of layers of bandage around the broken pipe, but do not cut it off.
4. Apply the resin to the fabric, saturating it.
5. Wrap a few more turns and apply epoxy again.
6. Make 3-5 layers and leave a hole.

When the adhesive has hardened, you can open the tap and let water flow through the pipe. Epoxy resin is a durable material that can easily withstand high pressure

Repairing a breakthrough using a self-tapping screw

This is the simplest, but very effective means of eliminating a pipe break caused by a small defect. Having found a hole on a metal or PVC pipe from which a stream of water is gushing, screw a self-tapping screw with a press washer (rubber sealing gasket) into it.

If the metal pipe is thick, you will first have to drill a hole in its wall so that the screw can be screwed in more easily. Such repairs are considered temporary, so it is urgently necessary to carry out thorough repair work by resoldering a section of PVC pipe or replacing a piece of metal.

Everyone is stalling for time, but you continue to drown? Instructions on how to stir up a management company

An important block for residents of the old building. Many management companies take on bad houses in order to receive money and invest minimally back. If this is your situation, get ready to deal with delays.

Here are your instructions:

1. Record all calls and requests
   . Enable call recording on your phone. Collect as much evidence as possible that the management company is not doing its job well.
2. Leave a written appeal to the Criminal Code
   . Write an application to fix the leak and create a commission. Indicate the standard deadlines there - 12 hours to prepare the report and up to 3 days to eliminate the leak. Inform the employee who will accept the application about the deadline.
3. Call the city's housing and communal services hotline
   . Government control rooms operate in the regions. Briefly describe the problem and ask them to take control of the situation.
4. Call Rospotrebnadzor and the housing inspectorate
   . Leave your request there. They often refuse to accept applications over the phone. Therefore, go to the website and leave an email with a brief description of the problem. Ideally, if the resource of the regulatory authority supports authorization through “State Services”. This makes the application more formal and allows for surprise inspections of the service organization.
5. Leave a request to GIS Housing and Communal Services
   . You need an account on the State Services website. This application will be considered for 30 days. Consider it a backup option when the management company resists.

You can even write to the prosecutor's office. There is little direct benefit from them. They forward the request to the right authority, but take control of it and write to you about it. Be sure to indicate at the end of the application something like: “Please check for legality...” and list what the prosecutor’s office needs to look into.

If the manager cares about her reputation and account balance, then she will move on the 3rd point. The further you go, the larger the fines and the longer the checks.

Author's personal experience: A plastic ceiling is your protector from serious damage due to a leak. The water is distributed over the joints and drains slowly. Minimal risk of instant room flooding

I fought with a very stubborn management company. At first I tried to solve all the problems peacefully - gave extra time, did not put pressure. At a certain point, the management company finally let go of the situation. She stopped even trying to find out the source of the leak. I sent applications to this list. I started calling the regulatory authorities almost every day and checking on the development of the situation. The leak was repaired in about 2 working weeks. The housing inspectorate took control of the situation and began calling me back every few days. The management company changed the site foreman and worked out all possible sources of the problem. Conclusion: become an inconvenient customer. Call all regulatory authorities. Leave complaints. Write as many statements as possible. Call the hotlines and the control room of the management company every day. Be annoying, then your problem will become a priority. For particularly difficult cases, use the portal “RosZhKH” or “Angry Citizen”. This is a last chance weapon. Automated services for generating and sending applications to all authorities. This way you will involve everyone in the case: supervisory authorities, the regional government, the prosecutor’s office

Half of the statements will be transferred between authorities, but you will attract attention to the problem.