Currently, any urban resident of Russia is familiar with hot water supply. Those times when the water in the house could only be cold, or there could be no water at all, are far behind us. But along with this, the ordinary city dweller has added more troubles. One of the troubles that can seriously take the residents of a house by surprise is a broken sewer or a broken water supply or heating pipes. Of course, this incident will disrupt the usual measured life at home and will become, in its own way, a local emergency for the residents. Often this misfortune comes suddenly, so questions such as where to call if a pipe has burst and what to do, which seem trivial at first glance, will make anyone confused in a stressful situation. We will tell you in this article how not to get confused and what to do if a pipe in your apartment bursts.
Consequences of apartment flooding
Where to call if a pipe bursts
In the event that the leak cannot be eliminated on your own and nothing can be done, there are several basic options for solving this problem, depending, first of all, on what time of day and on what day of the week the communications breakthrough occurred:
- If the emergency occurred on weekdays from 08-00 to 17-00, you must call the management company (management company) or housing office (housing maintenance office) and report the problem. An on-call plumber will be sent to you to fix the problem;
- At night, weekends and holidays, when the service organization will not work, you must call the emergency service of the water utility.
Application review period
How to install gutters if the roof is already covered
Your appeal about the accident must be considered on the day it is received, and the management company is obliged to eliminate the problem within 24 hours. In cases where the necessary equipment is not available or other obstacles arise, the applicant must be informed immediately. This rule also applies to applications received by telephone. Requests to the emergency service related to residential safety are resolved as a matter of urgency.
Form of an apartment flood report
Limits of responsibility of the management company
Note! To establish the limits of liability of the management company, you should refer to Article No. 36 of the Housing Code and Government Decree No. 491 of August 13, 2006 (as amended on March 26, 2014). It follows from them that the management company’s responsibility for emergencies arising from a breakdown in communications of heating, water supply and sanitation systems extends to networks located up to the point of connection of intra-apartment pipelines with a common riser.
What to do if the well runs out of water
What should the owner or tenant repair at their own expense? Let's be clear on this point. According to the above law, the management company is not obliged to repair this equipment:
- Electric stove, gas stove;
- Plumbing equipment;
- Gas, water, electricity consumption meters;
- Intercom;
- Heating radiators;
- Electrical fittings, cables.
If we are talking about water supply, sewerage, and heating networks, then the boundary of responsibility of the management company passes through these areas:
- Gas supply system - the area up to the shut-off element for connecting to the gas stove;
- Drainage system - the section up to the point of insertion of the drainage pipelines into the common riser, leading to the sink or other drainage points;
- Water supply system - up to the threaded connection with the metering meter outlet pipeline from the riser;
- Heating system - up to the threaded connection of pipelines with heating radiators.
Thus, it can be emphasized that your management company is obliged to maintain free of charge the common risers of communications, as well as sections of the branch and discharge of pipelines from them to the above boundaries.
Note! Telephone numbers of specialists and services involved in emergency response are usually recorded in the house telephone book. If there is not one, you should go downstairs to the front door and find a notice board there. Usually there are telephone numbers of specialists involved in servicing your home.
Main types of sewer networks
Depending on the territory in which the wastewater collection system is organized, different schemes for its arrangement are selected, such as:
- Zone or belt . In this case, the system involves pumping wastewater from the lower area to the upper one;
- Crossed . This scheme is applicable for areas where the fall towards the river is not strong. In this case, the pool collectors are connected to the main collector running along the length of the reservoir;
- Radial. In this case, the basin collectors are located in a radial direction from the central point of the settlement to its peripheral areas;
- Perpendicular. In this case, the collectors of different basins diverge perpendicular to the flow of the reservoir.
Note! The perpendicular scheme is used to organize storm sewer systems.
First measures to eliminate emergency situations
If a break in the sewer or water supply or heating pipes does occur in your apartment, you need to take a number of measures to temporarily eliminate the leak before the specialist arrives. Let's look at them.
Installing a rubber tie
Installation of rubber trim
Almost any rubber product is suitable as a tightening, including medical tourniquets, bicycle inner tubes, etc. First, you need to tightly wrap the leak area with this product, then place a metal self-tightening clamp on top of it and tighten it until it clicks.
Installation of self-tapping screw
Note! This method can only be used when repairing new pipes due to the fact that when cutting threads in old pipes, destruction of the metal is possible.
For this method you will need:
- self-tapping screw with press washer,
- drill,
- metal drill,
- nozzle for cutting threads in metal.
In the place where the pipe has burst, you need to drill a hole in the pipe with a drill to the diameter of the self-tapping screw, then, changing the nozzle, cut the thread. After that, screw in the self-tapping screw. This method is good for eliminating water pressure leaks.
Sealing with epoxy glue
Applying adhesive tape
Here you will need fiberglass and the glue itself. First, you need to clean the area to be repaired from traces of rust and paint, then degrease it with white spirit. After this, you need to cut a strip of fiberglass to fit the area and soak it with epoxy glue. Wrap the area of the break as tightly as possible, without creasing the fabric, and subsequently tighten it with clamps.
Note! The glue hardens within 24 hours.
Who is responsible for the accident
It is this question - who is to blame, who should thoroughly repair communications and compensate for possible damage from a leak - that arises acutely immediately after the accident is stopped.
In private cottages, all internal communications are clearly the sphere of interests and responsibility of the owner of the house. As for pipes on and off site, those responsible for their repair and maintenance are usually specified in an agreement with the owner of the networks (for example, a city water utility or a specialized private company).
Apartment flooding
But what if a pipe burst in a city apartment?
There are two options:
- If a pipe burst occurs on the riser or in the interval from it to the first tap in the apartment, then you need to contact the building management company. Common property is their area of responsibility, and their duty will be to eliminate the breach and its consequences;
- In other cases, the owner of the apartment bears all responsibility. Therefore, preventive maintenance of pipes must be taken seriously.
If it happens that a water pipe breaks and floods your neighbors, you will need to establish the cost of the damage caused. There are several ways to do this:
- Together with the victims, calculate the market value of the damaged items and, by mutual agreement of the parties, pay this amount. It is imperative to draw up an act indicating the amount of damage caused or the method of determining its value. After agreeing on the figure, an annex to the deed is made, which indicates that both parties agree to this amount. If at the time of drawing up the annex to the act the entire amount has been paid, you can indicate there that the money was transferred to the victim and the parties no longer have claims against each other. Or you will have to demand a receipt from your neighbor stating that he received money as compensation;
- Together with the party affected by the flood, you can determine the necessary materials and their quantity for independent purchase, repair, restoration and replacement of things lost and damaged during the flooding of the apartment.
If it is not possible to find a common language with neighbors, the amount of damage can be determined in one of the following ways:
- Hire an independent expert. Payment for his services will need to be negotiated with the victims: either both parties chip in, or only one of them pays. If someone disagrees with the expert's assessment, another can be hired; otherwise, you will need to go to court;
- Go to court. If neighbors cannot come to a consensus regarding the amount of damage, an opinion from an independent party is necessary. All kinds of evidence should be prepared: this could be photographs of the apartment, witness statements, a written report, other available documentation - everything that will help the court to assess losses from flooding as fully as possible.
Crack in a pipe
Expert advice
Vitaly, lawyer:
“Representatives of the operating organization must be called to draw up the report. They are required to appear. If they don’t go, you need to write a telegram in which the request form indicates where and when you need to come to draw up a report on the fact of a break in the water supply pipe (hot or cold). At the time of drawing up the act, you need to bring a couple of witnesses (representatives of the injured party can also act as such). The report should indicate the time and place of the accident, a description of the pipe and damage (ceiling paint has peeled off, wallpaper has been damaged over an area of so many square meters, etc.). After replacing the pipe, the dismantled damaged section must be preserved. If your neighbors are flooded and you have to go to court, then this piece of pipe may be needed to establish the cause of the accident.”
You need to make sure that the photo/video contains the following information, if possible:
- Correct time and date. If these are snapshots, then this data should be displayed on each of them;
- Information about the location would be helpful. Modern devices have a geolocation function - you can use it;
- If this is a video, then you need to turn on the microphone and comment on everything that happens in the frame;
- You definitely need to rent the room as a whole;
- Close-ups of specific damage are taken: wet wallpaper, swollen floors, water-filled equipment;
- You definitely need to capture the pipe break itself close-up and along with the rest of the room.
Pipeline break in the basement
Consequences of a pipe break in the basement
If a sewerage break occurs in the basement, in addition to reporting to the housing office or management company, you need to shut off the common water riser before arrival and notify residents that the use of the sewerage system must be stopped until the repair team arrives. It is necessary to close the sewer break, if it is significant, by tightening the metal clip with bolts at the leak site. It is a tin strip with holes for bolts and a rubber gasket. In case of a small leak in the sewer pipe, you can try to close the hole with cold welding or plasticine.
How dangerous is it to flood an apartment with sewerage?
Flooding of an apartment with sewerage is one of the most serious plumbing problems due to the risk of infection of residents. Sewer water is full of contaminants, viruses, bacteria and pathogens that pose a serious threat to people and pets. In some cases, they can even lead to death. This water may contain toxic substances such as pesticides, pharmaceutical residues, fungi, etc. Wastewater also contains organic matter that creates an odor that attracts flies. They can become carriers of contaminants found in wastewater.
The most common bacteria found in sewage waste are hazardous to human health:
- E. coli – causes abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and sometimes death;
- Acanthamoeba – causes infections of the eyes, nose, throat and ears;
- Salmonella – causes abdominal cramps and diarrhea;
- Helicobacter Pylori (Helicobacter pylori) - increases the likelihood of stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcers, gastritis, duodenitis, stomach cancer;
- Hepatitis A – causes liver infection (Botkin's disease / “jaundice”) and liver failure;
- Leptospirosis – creates muscle pain and vomiting.
Beware: Sewage spills contain contaminants that can cause serious illness. The pathogens in untreated wastewater include bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses, which can cause serious illnesses including bacterial infections, tetanus, hepatitis A, leptospirosis (Leptospira), Cryptosporidium & Giardia infections and gastrointestinal diseases.
General recommendations
- If there is a sewerage break, you must shut off the water supply, and you must also stop using the toilet and sinks in the damaged area; try to clear the blockage with a flexible metal cable;
- If the DHW system leaks, shut off the water supply using the shut-off valve at the outlet from the common riser. Promptly collect water from the floor surface, trying to prevent leaks into the underlying rooms;
- If heating pipelines break, the first thing you need to do is close the Mayevsky taps on the heating devices (stop taps). Take measures to prevent flooding of neighbors below in the event of a breakthrough of coolant on risers and pipelines.
Having familiarized yourself with this material, you will now be able, without getting confused if your sewer system breaks, or there is a leak in heating or water supply pipes, to take timely measures and prevent adverse consequences for yourself and others.
