Winter is coming soon! Preparing for the heating season.

It’s time to get ready for the approaching heating season as the days get shorter and the weather gets colder. Winter is quickly approaching, so it’s critical to make sure your house is prepared for the chilly weather. There are various measures you can take to keep your home warm and comfortable throughout the winter, from insulation to heating systems.

Making sure your house is adequately insulated is one of the most important steps in getting ready for the heating season. By acting as a barrier, insulation helps to keep warm air inside and cold air outside. A considerable quantity of heat can escape through inadequate insulation, increasing energy costs and creating an uncomfortably cold living space. Look around your house for any places that might benefit from more insulation, like the walls, the attic, and the spaces around windows and doors.

Making sure your heating system is in good operating order is a crucial step in getting ready for the heating season. Whether you own a heat pump, boiler, or furnace, routine maintenance is necessary to keep it operating at peak performance. In addition to keeping your house warm, a well-maintained heating system can also help you use less energy and pay less for heating.

Also, if your heating system is old, it’s a good idea to upgrade to a more energy-efficient model. The increased efficiency of modern heating systems can lead to considerable cost savings over time. Furthermore, a lot of the more recent models have smart features that let you operate your heating system from a distance, giving you more control over the temperature and energy use of your house.

You can take a few more actions to get your house ready for the heating season in addition to installing insulation and heating systems. During the winter, you can keep your house warm and cozy by taking easy steps like caulking drafts, setting up a programmable thermostat, and drawing heavy curtains to trap heat. You can make sure that your house is ready for whatever winter may bring by taking the time to prepare now.

Task	Description
Inspect Heating System	Check for any issues and ensure it’s working efficiently.
Seal Windows and Doors	Prevent heat from escaping by sealing any drafts.
Insulate Attic	Add or replace insulation to keep the warmth in.
Program Thermostat	Set it to adjust temperatures throughout the day.
Stock Up on Fuel	Ensure you have enough fuel for your heating system.

What the order says

The relevant order should be carried out in order to get thermal facilities ready for use during the fall-winter period (FWP).

It first identifies the person and his/her deputy who are in charge of running the heat supply facilities. The person in charge of an organization producing heat and supplying it to customers needs to be more educated in thermal power engineering. It is mandatory for responsible individuals to take an annual knowledge check exam in Rostechnadzor.

When arranging the heat equipment in preparation for the heating season, keep the following points in mind:

1. Establishment of a commission to prepare the heat facilities for operation in the autumn-winter period, acceptance of readiness of the heat facilities assigned to the balance of the organization.
2. Determination of responsible persons and deadline dates for each item of the order.
3. Development and approval of the plan of fall-winter measures (FWM) to prepare the heat equipment of the enterprise for operation in the autumn-winter period.
4. Procedure for control and reporting on measures to prepare for the heating season.
5. Procedure of adjustment and testing of the heating system.
6. Procedure for obtaining a certificate and passport confirming readiness for the heating season.

The failures of thermal-hydraulic modes of operation of thermal equipment during the preceding winter season should be taken into consideration when developing the OHS plan.

By April 30 of each year, pertinent directives and instructions from heads of district administrations and private management organizations—such as HOAs and HCCs—that independently oversee residential buildings should be sent out.

As a result, plans for getting heat and power equipment ready for use in the winter were approved during meetings on heating season 2020 preparations held in May 2019.

Start and end of the heating period

The start and end of the heating season are determined by municipal authority decisions and regulatory acts. When the average daily temperature on the street falls to +8 C, which will happen on a minimum of five days, the heating season officially begins.

When the street’s average daily temperature rises above 8C and stays there for more than five days, the heating season is over.

Government Decree No. 307 of 2006 specifies the inclusion of houses in the housing stock.

Its second section states that when heat energy is supplied through central heating networks and the owners of individual houses or apartments in apartment buildings have not decided how to set the date of the beginning and end of the heating season, the service provider will start and end the heating season according to the time frame set by the authorized bodies.

Why do you need to prepare for the heating season?

Stable power supply to customers at below-freezing outdoor temperatures is ensured by timely and thorough preparation for the upcoming heating season, as well as the dependable operation of housing and utility facilities. Ensuring that buildings are heated by the necessary technological modes is a top priority for public utilities throughout the Russian Federation.

In order to minimize the effects of temperature and other atmospheric factors on the structural stability of municipal facilities, prevent emergency wear and tear, and avoid equipment malfunctions in life-support systems, housing and utility facilities are prepared for the heating season.

When housing and utility facilities are ready for the heating season, they need to ensure:

• normative technological operation of housing and utilities facilities
• fulfillment of the generally established sanitary and hygienic regime in terms of permissible temperatures and humidity in the premises;
• Ultimate reliability and high economic efficiency of functioning of thermal facilities;
• rational consumption of materials and fuel.

Requirements for preparation of residential buildings for the heating season

The operating organization will not be granted permission to begin supplying heat energy to the heating facility unless a number of stringent requirements for the house’s preparation for heating season Y and internal engineering systems are met.

The OZM plan’s primary directions are:

1. Technical spring/autumn inspection of structural elements of apartment buildings, ITPs and constructions.
2. Complex of repair and restoration repairs of subordinate heat and power equipment in accordance with the existing schedules of preventive maintenance and the results of the spring inspection.
3. Water flushing of network pipes.
4. Hydraulic testing of heating networks.
5. Completion of heat supply systems with missing equipment and I&C devices.
6. Provision of boiler houses with reserve power sources.
7. Drawing up the act of emergency and technological reservation of heat supply.
8. Implementation of measures to insulate building structures.
9. Obtaining a certificate and a passport of boiler house readiness for the autumn and winter seasons.

How the preparation for the heating season takes place

The heads of organizations and businesses in the housing and utilities sector bear the responsibility for the thoroughness of the OZM plan’s implementation. They have to set up the work in three phases:

1. Preparatory, the results of the previous heating season are considered, failures, breakdowns and emergencies are analyzed. During this period, comprehensive OZM plans are drawn up by April 30.
2. Execution of restoration and repair works, until September 1.
3. Checking the readiness of equipment for the heat and cold season, testing of systems for operability, elimination of established violations, deadline until September 15, after which the period ends.

The cycle is then carried out again. For instance, on April 30, 2020, the heating season 2020–2021 preparations will begin.

Employees at the local administrations meet in accordance with the approved schedule to discuss the status of plans for getting ready for the heating season and to take into consideration the reports from accountable parties.

Following their discussion of the preparation, the commissions decide how to proceed with the district’s preparation plan, and the results are promptly shared with the public.

Spring inspection of common property

The technical state of the housing and utility equipment, fuel availability, the technological dependability of the supply of public utilities to consumers, and the fulfillment of the technological modes of operation of the heat networks during the previous winter season are all examined during the spring inspection.

The following are the primary guidelines for implementing spring inspection:

1. Inspection of engineering structures of residential buildings: roofing, windows, doors, walls, condition of insulation systems and in-house engineering networks.
2. Drawing up an act of inspection of objects with designation of necessary types of repairs, material and financial support, persons and dates of fulfillment.
3. On the basis of the inspection report the OZM plan is developed.
4. The plan is coordinated with the local authorities, and approved by the head of the company.

Preparation of measures based on the results of spring inspection

Organizational measures are developed based on the findings of the spring inspection, and deadlines for removing any defects found are specified:

• The area of the house location, soffits and the basement must ensure quality drainage of natural water;
• Structural elements in basements and semi-basements must be in good working order;
• waterproofing of joints and interfaces should not have visible cracks, wet spots, corrosion of reinforcement and delamination of the protective layer of concreted structures;
• The technical condition of the walls is checked by external inspection, there should be no cracks, collapse of plaster and insulation;
• When inspecting windows and doors, check the serviceability of frames, exterior moldings and the completeness of glazing;
• check the roofs to ensure the required temperature and humidity regime in the attic structure;
• check ventilation systems to ensure complete removal of emissions from gas stoves and columns;
• control the condition of thermal insulation of in-house heating and HTW systems.

Drawing up a passport of readiness of the building for the winter heating period

Within 15 days of the act’s issuance, a special body that established the commission issues the passport, which is made in accordance with the standard model.

The document is only released when the item is prepared for the fall and winter or when the commission’s identified flaws have been fixed within the allotted time frame. Territorial authorities are among the authorized entities at the housing and communal service objects.

The authorized body determines the temporary terms of house passport registration for the heating season based on weather-specific characteristics, but no later than September 15 for consumers and November 1 for heat supply companies.

Autumn inspection and drawing up a report

Following heating network maintenance and repair, an autumn inspection is conducted to ensure that buildings are ready for the winter heating season and for the special commission to prepare for it until September 15.

Following the survey, the relevant parties modify the repair plans to address the heat supply facilities’ defects, which need to be fixed by September 15 at the latest. Acts are then drafted and passports are obtained.

Before September 1st, connections to the current heating networks are made, and test runs of heat supply installations are carried out between September 15th and the official start of the heating season. Therefore, as of November 15, 2019, 83% of the 941 subjects in the electric power industry that were inspected to determine their preparedness for the winter season in 2019 had passports; the remaining objects are still undergoing work. This information comes from the Ministry of Energy of Russia.

What works are carried out in preparation for the heating season

The maintenance schedule for the heat supply systems of heat sources is connected to the consumer heat networks’ repair activities. Accountable individuals draft the acts and enter information about the extent of repairs and the findings of pre-launch inspections.

Inspection of boiler equipment

The following primary tasks must be completed in order to get the boiler house ready for the heating season:

• repair of boiler heating surfaces according to PPR, replacement of defective sections of pipes, economizers, air heaters, boiler fittings, headsets, smoke ventilation systems and boiler lining;
• restorative repairs of pumps, smoke pumps and fans;
• restoration of valves and primary sensors of instrumentation and control systems;
• repair and adjustment works of instrumentation and control systems;
• repair and adjustment works of electric power equipment;
• repair and adjustment works of chemical water treatment facilities;
• repair and adjustment works of the fuel supply system;
• preparation of furnaces for the heating season;
• state verification of heat meters.

The thermal schemes of the boiler units are assembled and hydro-tested with pressure equal to 1.25 operating pressure of saturated steam in the boiler after the repair and restoration work is finished.

Repair works

The spring inspection and PDP have revealed that the following significant heat network repairs are needed:

• Replacement of defective pipe sections;
• Restoration of thermal insulation and anticorrosion coating;
• repair and revision of stop valves, drain valves, air vents, check and safety valves;
• revision and repair of network and make-up pumps;
• replacement and repair of electromagnetic and hydraulic actuators, control valves and starting devices;
• replacement and repair of control and measuring devices;
• cleaning of strainers and accumulator tanks;
• repair and adjustment of safety automatics, recorders of controlling devices.

After all scheduled work is finished, gather the thermal scheme and test the heating networks hydraulically at a pressure of 1.25 working pressure, but not less than 1.6 MPa, and a mains water temperature not higher than 40 C.

Instrumentation verification

The Heat Metering Rules stipulate that boiler rooms and consumers’ ITPs must be outfitted with safety system devices in addition to commercial metering devices for each heat source and heat receiver.

Repair and check the following devices to guarantee the dependable operation of the aforementioned OZP devices:

• heat flow regulation;
• temperature regulation in the DHW system;
• Static pressure support in heat systems;
• pressure in the supply/return network pipeline;
• on protection of heat supply systems from over/pressure drop;
• Protection of heat supply systems against excessive temperature in the supply network;
• automatic switching on of the reserve pump;
• automatic protection of the accumulator tank against overfilling;
• automatic switching on/off of drainage pumps.

Pre-commissioning and preparation of regime maps

Commissioning work is done on heat power plants for both consumers and heat supply organizations after heat networks have been flushed and hydrotested. Mode maps of heat and power equipment operation are established based on commissioning results.

Fundamental information about regime maps:

1. Estimated volumes of heat carrier for operational sections of the heating network.
2. Operating parameters on pressure in network pipelines: direct and return line.
3. Operating temperature schedule of direct and return network water, depending on the ambient air temperature.
4. Consumers" heat carrier flow rates.
5. Calculation of thermal expansion of the heating network.
6. Analysis of hydraulic and thermal modes of heating network operation.
7. Calculation of diameters of limiting washers and nozzles of elevator units at the customer"s premises.

It’s crucial to get our houses ready for the chilly weather as winter draws near. Maintaining comfort and lowering energy costs during the winter months requires making sure your insulation and heating systems are in excellent working order.

Examining the insulation in your house is one of the first things to do as you get ready for the winter. Warm air is kept inside and cold air is kept out with proper insulation. Look for any openings, fractures, or places where heat could leak. The basement, attic, and spaces near windows and doors are common trouble spots. You can lower heat loss and save money on heating by sealing these areas.

The effectiveness of your heating system is an additional crucial factor to take into account. To make sure your heating system or furnace is in good operating order, have it professionally inspected. Not only can routine maintenance avert unplanned malfunctions, but it also guarantees optimal system performance, thereby reducing energy expenses.

Purchasing a programmable thermostat can also result in cost savings on heating. You can significantly reduce the amount of energy you use by setting your thermostat to drop when you’re not home or while you’re sleeping. You can now have even more control over the heating system in your house by using smartphone apps to remotely control a lot of modern thermostats.

Remember that there are easy, yet effective, things you can do to stay warm this winter. Easy ways to stay warm and toasty without cranking up the heat include using draft stoppers at the base of doors, drawing the curtains at night to block out the cold, and layering on the clothes.

In conclusion, in order to guarantee a warm and cozy home throughout the winter, it is imperative to prepare for the heating season. You can stay warm and reduce your heating costs by inspecting your insulation, keeping up with your heating system, getting a programmable thermostat, and putting simple energy-saving measures into practice. Winter may be approaching, but you can face it with confidence if you make these preparations.

It’s crucial to get your house ready for the heating season as winter draws near. To keep your house warm and your energy costs down, you need adequate insulation and energy-efficient heating. A substantial impact can be achieved by making insulation investments, caulking drafts, and making sure your heating system is in good operating order. You can save money and cut down on energy use by following these easy steps, which will also guarantee a warm and inviting home during the winter.

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Winter is coming soon! How is the preparation for the heating season going on?

Vyksa TV: winter is coming soon – preparation for the heating season