Almost each of us, with one frequency or another, is faced with a situation where water can be called hot only because it flows from a hot tap.
It is unlikely that anyone is happy with a situation where, instead of taking a hot bath or shower, they have to do cold dousing.
But what should you do to ensure that your justified dissatisfaction with the quality of the public services provided to you reaches those who provide them to you? How to properly file a complaint?
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Normal temperature of hot water in the apartment
In accordance with currently applicable regulations, apartments of citizens connected to a centralized hot water supply system must be supplied with hot water at a temperature of at least 60°C.
These standards establish maximum permissible deviations from this minimum. So, in the period from 0-00 to 5-00 the deviation can be 5°C, and in the remaining time, the maximum deviation can be 3°C.
Thus, taking into account the maximum permissible deviations, the temperature of hot water during the day cannot be lower than 57°C, and at night - 55°C.
Why is the temperature below normal?
Problems with hot water supply often affect consumers. Many users do not know how to protect their interests in such a situation, and continue to pay the established tariffs of management companies.
If we talk about the causes of the problem, they can be divided into several categories:
- Circumstances that have a legislative explanation. The law allows the temperature of hot water in taps to be lowered if new heating systems are being tested, or suppliers are introducing new requirements for the technical equipment of the plumbing system. When introducing new equipment, the state will not impose sanctions against violators.
- Repair operations. Hot water supply systems periodically require repair and reconstruction, which can cause water supply problems. If this happens, the temperature of the warm water may drop or the water will disappear altogether. However, the management company must inform consumers about this in advance.
- Deception and fraud against consumers. The management or resource supply company deliberately lowers the water temperature, providing a service of inadequate quality, trying to reduce the cost of heating it. By doing so, they violate existing laws and will be held accountable.
Hot water temperature standards according to SanPin
SanPiN 2.1.4.2496-09, which were approved by the Decree of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation dated 04/07/2009 No. 20, set the minimum temperature of hot water supplied to apartments at 60°C. The same document also defines its maximum possible temperature, which is 75°C.
In addition, the above document also defines the maximum permissible deviations from these indicators. They are 5°C at night and 3°C during the day.
It should be emphasized that these standards are designed to exclude the possibility of the proliferation of harmful microorganisms in hot water supply systems.
Experts, when calculating what temperature hot water should be, took this point into account. At the same time, hot water flowing from the tap should not cause thermal burns to the skin.
The powers to monitor the extent to which management and resource supply companies comply with these standards are assigned to the state housing inspection.
Separately, we emphasize that resource supply, and especially management companies, do not have the right to establish their own standards that differ from those contained in SanPiN 2.1.4.2496-09.
Permissible deviation of water temperature at the point of water intake
The maximum possible deviations from the established minimum and maximum hot water temperatures are established in the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 6, 2011 No. 354 “On the provision of utility services to owners and users of premises in apartment buildings and residential buildings”:
- during the period from 0-00 to 5-00, the maximum possible deviation is set within 5°C;
- during the period from 5-00 to 0-00, the maximum deviation is set within 3°C.
If the temperature of hot water goes beyond the above deviations, then for every 3°C, you have the right to demand a reduction in the cost of hot water by 0.1% for each hour of time during which the deviation lasts.
If the temperature of the water flowing from the hot tap is less than 40°C, then you have the right to pay for it at cold water supply rates. However, for this you should draw up and properly execute an act in which this deviation will be recorded.
Minimum indicator
As mentioned above, hot water should not be colder than 60°C. However, taking into account the maximum possible deviations, its temperature can be 57°C during the day and 55°C at night.
What temperature should hot tap water be in an apartment in 2021?
The optimal temperature level of water in an apartment building for 2021 was adopted by the Government of Russia and approved by the Chief Sanitary Doctor of Russia. According to current standards, citizens must receive hot water no colder than 60 °C.
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These standards also take into account deviations from the norm that are considered acceptable. Their meaning depends on time. So, at night, from zero to five o’clock in the morning, the greatest deviation from 60°C is 5°C; the rest of the time, temperature fluctuations around 3°C are considered normal.
Attention
Taking into account permissible changes, the optimal hot water temperature during the day is 57°C, and at night – 55°C. If temperature fluctuations during the day exceed the specified indicators, then the consumer can apply to reduce the cost of payments for hot water supply by 0.1% for each hour of the period in which a deviation from acceptable standards was made. In a situation where the temperature drops to 40°C or lower, the owner may not pay for hot water supply and rely on cold water supply tariffs.
To reduce utility bills, a special act should be drawn up, in which it is necessary to record all fluctuations in the temperature of hot water from the tap in the apartment in 2021 during the day.
Hot water temperature value
You should monitor the temperature of the water flowing from the hot tap not only for economic reasons, but also for reasons of epidemiological safety.
This point is especially relevant for young children, elderly disabled people and other groups of citizens. In order not to jeopardize the life and health of citizens, the water temperature should not deviate from the established standards more than the maximum possible deviations, either downward or upward.
Having water temperature within established standards is not just a matter of comfort, but also of sanitary and epidemiological safety of citizens.
Sometimes, although this happens quite rarely, the water temperature can significantly exceed the established standards. This deviation creates a risk of thermal damage to the skin.
Consumption rate of hot and cold water per person.
Where to call if your hot water is turned off, read here.
Read about a hot water meter with a temperature sensor for an apartment at the following link:
To prevent this from happening, you should know what consequences exposure to hot water of a certain temperature can have on the skin:
- +50°C – when the skin is exposed to water at this temperature for more than 1.5 minutes, a minor thermal burn of the skin may occur;
- +55°C – when exposed to water at this temperature, a skin burn may occur within 15 seconds;
- +60°C – thermal damage to the skin will occur when exposed for 5 seconds;
- +65°C – severe thermal damage to the skin will occur with exposure lasting 2 seconds;
- +70°C – when the skin is exposed to water at this temperature, severe thermal damage occurs instantly.
Cases when water flows from a hot tap, the temperature of which is significantly lower than the standard temperature, are very common. This not only leads to an increase in its consumption and, as a consequence, financial costs for paying for poorly rendered services, but also makes it possible for the development of many negative situations.
For example, in a hot water supply system, in the event of a significant decrease in water temperature, the most favorable conditions are created for the life and development of various harmful microorganisms that can cause a number of diseases in humans.
Most often, in such conditions, the Legionella bacterium begins to develop. Warm fresh water is the most favorable environment for its life and reproduction. This pathogenic bacterium is a gram-negative rod, the size of which does not exceed 3 microns.
Underheating of the water entering the hot water supply system leads to the creation of the most favorable environment for Legionella in pipes and boilers.
As a result, they begin to develop rapidly and form huge colonies. This, in turn, poses a significant threat to human health.
The optimal habitat for these pathogenic bacteria is warm, fresh water. It is for this reason that they quite often infect low-temperature heating systems, where they create entire colonies.
Legionella can cause many diseases, the most severe of which is pneumonia with various complications.
This bacterium can enter your body during a bath or shower, while performing various hygiene procedures, as well as from dishes that were washed with contaminated water as a result of underheating.
When the water is heated to the temperatures established by current standards, then bacteria have no chance to survive and multiply, which means the likelihood of your infection is reduced to almost zero. For water to undergo complete thermal disinfection, it must be heated to at least 80°C.
Let's look at how water temperature affects the development and activity of Legionella:
- At a water temperature of less than 20°C, the bacterium loses its activity, it stops reproducing, enters suspended animation, but does not die;
- Water, the temperature of which ranges from 25 to 45°C, is the most favorable environment for the habitat, life and reproduction of this bacterium;
- If the water temperature remains at 55°C for 6 hours, these bacteria will die;
- If the water temperature is 60°C, then legionella colonies will be destroyed within 35 minutes;
- When the water temperature rises to 65°C, the bacteria die within 2 minutes;
- At a water temperature of 70 to 80°C, complete thermal disinfection of water occurs.
Calculation coefficient for hot water in case of non-compliance with the standard
Having information about what temperature, according to current standards, hot water should be, you need to find out the coefficient that should apply to calculate the payment for it if the temperature of hot water deviates from the established standards.
If you find that the temperature of the water supplied to you as hot does not meet the approved standards, you have every right to demand a recalculation.
We emphasize that if the water flowing from a hot tap has a temperature below 40°C, then you must pay for it at the rates approved for cold water supply.
And if we talk about the coefficient used for calculation, it is 0.1% of the cost for every 3°C by which the water temperature was below the established standards. However, we should not forget about the maximum permissible deviations.
Something about recalculating water charges
If the temperature in the tap is too low relative to SanPiN, the consumer has the right to recalculate. If the temperature of the hot water drops below 40 degrees, the tenant has the right to pay for such water as for cold water.
Consumption of hot and cold water according to standards
Including not during the heating season, because this has nothing to do with heating and batteries. Ideally, it would be worth checking the meters.
A lower payment will be charged until experts visit the apartment or house and establish that the hot water supply has returned to normal.
If the recalculation is refused, then the magistrate’s court of the region, territory or another can help. You can also contact Rospotrebnadzor. A simple refusal to pay will result in the water being turned off altogether or the supply of hot water only being stopped.
However, different situations occur. For example, one person writes on a forum on communal problems in Moscow and the Moscow region that when an inspector came to his residential building, the hot water temperature was normal, and then cold again. And this was repeated several times. As a result, he began to consume only cold water, which he heated through a heater installed in the apartment.
Metering devices in an apartment of an apartment building
The motivation for such an act is to know where the money is spent during the month.
Similar stories are found in St. Petersburg and other cities. Theoretically, if you have a greater evidence base and initiative, it would be possible to achieve compliance with the standard by contacting supervisory authorities. The main thing is to know what to do and where to go.
Measuring the temperature of hot water in the apartment
Unfortunately, if you decide to measure the temperature of the hot water that enters your apartment on your own, it will not have legal force.
However, this does not mean that it is not worth implementing. By measuring the temperature of the hot water yourself, you will be able to understand whether you should involve independent experts in this process, or whether everything is within the normal range.
In addition, based on the results of such measurements, you will have grounds to file a complaint with the management or resource supply company.
To measure the hot water temperature, do the following:
- open the tap from which hot water flows and wait a few minutes until it drains;
- after that, find a container with a volume of at least a liter, place it in the sink and turn the tap so that hot water flows into it. Water should completely fill the container and begin to flow out of it;
- Place a thermometer designed for measuring temperature in liquids into the container into which hot water flows;
- When the thermometer readings are recorded, remove it from the water.
Based on the results obtained as a result of these actions, you will be able to understand what the temperature of the water coming to you from the hot tap is and how much it deviates from the standards and decide what actions to take next.
It is worth remembering that temperature measurements must be taken as close as possible to the place where the water comes out of the tap, since when it comes into contact with the environment, the water cools quite quickly, and this can have a significant impact on the results of your measurements.
Having realized from the results of the measurements taken that you are being supplied with very sub-cooled water, you should submit a corresponding complaint, properly formatting it, to the management or resource supply company.
Eliminating the reasons why you receive hot water whose temperature is different from the established norm is their responsibility.
How to measure temperature correctly?
IMPORTANT
Self-measuring the temperature of hot water in the tap is not legally binding. It is necessary in case of doubts about the water utility’s compliance with accepted standards. After personally recording violations and identifying the grounds for an application to the management company, you need to resort to an independent examination, during which specialists will measure the temperature of hot water from the tap in the apartment and draw up an official report.
To measure the temperature of the tap water in 2021 you should:
- Turn on the hot water and wait 2-3 minutes until the temperature stops fluctuating.
- Place a container with a volume of one or more liters under running water and wait until the liquid begins to flow out over the edge.
- Place a thermometer for measuring the temperature of liquids in a container of water.
- Wait for a fixed result and remove the device from the water.
The thermometer should be installed in a place as close as possible to the stream of water, since the liquid cools quickly when it comes into contact with the external environment. This will create a certain measurement error.
How to write a complaint about low hot water temperature
This complaint can be typed on a computer or written by hand.
The main thing is that it must contain the following data:
- In the upper left corner, provide information about yourself, including your full name, residential address and contact phone number;
- Below, indicate which organization you are contacting and, if possible, which of its officials;
- Once this above information is included in the header of the document, you should begin writing the main part of the complaint. In it, describe the essence of your problem in as much detail as possible. Tell her where and when you have already contacted her, and what kind of reaction there was to your request. It is advisable in this part to make references to regulations;
- When the main part of the complaint is written, you should list all the documents and materials that you consider necessary to attach to it;
- After this, the complaint is sealed with your handwritten signature and date.
Complaint to the management company about low hot water temperature.
Complaint to the Housing Inspectorate about the low temperature of hot water in the apartment.
Sample complaint to Rospotrebnadzor about low hot water temperature.
Complaint to the Prosecutor's Office about low hot water temperature.
Statement of claim for the provision of utility services for hot water supply of inadequate quality and a reduction in fees for hot water.
Initially, such a complaint should be filed with the management or resource supply company. If you are refused to consider it or simply left without an answer, contact the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare. You can also submit it to the Prosecutor's Office, or file a claim with the judicial authorities.
Recalculation of payment for water of inadequate quality
How to achieve recalculation if the temperature of the water from the hot tap does not meet the standards?
Having received a report that records the deviation of the hot water temperature from the established standards, contact the management or resource supply company and ask for a recalculation. At the same time, you must clearly define for what specific time period it should be carried out.
It is customary to take the date indicated in the act as the beginning of this period. The end date of the period is the date when, after eliminating the causes that led to your problem, final measurements were taken.
If you are denied a recalculation, file a complaint with the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare or file a claim with the judicial authorities.
Application for recalculation of payment for hot water of inadequate quality.
In accordance with Article 7.23 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, persons whose guilt in non-compliance of hot water temperature with established standards is proven may be subject to administrative punishment.
Officials may be fined from 500 to 1,000 rubles, and for legal entities the fine may be from 5,000 to 10,000 rubles.
Everyone who pays for utilities wants them to be provided at the proper level. Therefore, you should not put up with a situation where the quality of utility services provided to you does not meet established standards.
Where to go if the temperature standards for hot water in an apartment do not meet in 2021?
To regulate issues related to the provision of low-quality utility services, there is Russian Government Decree No. 354. According to Section X, if a violation in the provision of services is detected, the contractor is obliged to inform residents within 24 hours about the reasons and timing for eliminating this problem. During the elimination of violations, the consumer can recalculate the payment and demand compensation in the form of a reduction. To do this you need:
- Call or send a written request to the emergency dispatch service and find out if they are solving the problem. The dispatcher, in turn, is obliged to inform the consumer about the possible causes of violations. If the service does not know the reason, they are obliged to conduct an inspection within at least 2 hours after the request.
- In case of a dispute with the supplier company, conduct an examination of the quality of hot water supply. To do this, you need to contact the organization and call its representative. If the company refuses to provide an employee, in 2021 you should contact Rospotrebnadzor.
- Based on the results of the inspection, the expert draws up an act in which he makes a conclusion about the presence or absence of a violation, indicates the method of conducting the examination, address, date, time and other data. Copies of the conclusions must remain with all parties involved in the audit. One copy each must remain with the consumer and the contractor.
- A report on the discrepancy between the temperature of hot water from the tap in the apartment and the accepted standards must be sent to the Criminal Code. In 2021, an application for recalculation of fees for hot water supply must be attached to it.
Note:
If the conclusion of the examination does not satisfy the citizen, he can use the services of an independent expert. In this case, the management company must bear the costs of additional verification. If the results of measuring the temperature of hot water in the tap remain the same, the applicant will have to pay for the examination.
