The end of the heating season. What is the heating season and when does it start?

Preparing for the heating season

With the arrival of heat and after completion of operation heating system utility services have begun preparing equipment for the new cold period. For this purpose, local authorities have developed a special program, which includes:

1. Creation of a housing commission, the main task of which will be to monitor the readiness of engineering equipment to operate in the winter.
2. The next step in preparation is to develop a special schedule for repair work, which will display all the technical nuances. A test run of the entire heating system is also carried out to identify deficiencies in the system and eliminate them in a timely manner.
3. Next, prepare estimates for repairs and preparatory work.

Control over the implementation of the program is also entrusted to management companies and housing departments at the address of residence. If all necessary measures are completed on time, this will ensure timely supply of heat to apartments and other buildings.

When does the heating season start and end?

Previously, the heating season began on October 15 and ended on April 15. However, this turned out to be completely unprofitable, since temperature indicators are not the same in different regions of the country. For example, in the Urals the first frosts occur already in August, but in southern towns you can still sunbathe in September. As a result, local authorities will regulate the heat supply process based on the climatic characteristics of their area.

However, there are norms prescribed by law that apply to the entire territory of Russia:

• Heating is started if the average temperature over the last 5 days has not exceeded 8 degrees Celsius;
• Heating will be turned off if this indicator exceeds +8 degrees for 5 days.

Completion heating season, like its start, lasts about seven days. First of all, the heat supply is stopped in administrative buildings, then in residential buildings and social facilities (kindergartens, schools, hospitals).

When will Muscovites get heat?

The last heating season in Moscow passed without serious accidents or accidents, with the exception of a pipe break in a residential building in the South-Eastern Administrative District, which resulted in several floors being flooded. Fortunately, the cause of the flood was quickly eliminated and the heat supply was restored.

The start of the heating season this year, according to official sources, is planned for mid-September, since in the capital the air temperature does not rise very high even in summer. Moreover, Moscow has already prepared for this and its level of readiness is assessed as excellent.

Deadlines start of the heating season are clearly stated in Russian legislation.

However, although we usually say “when according to the law,” these rules must be sought not in the Law, but in Government Decree, whose number 354 with release date dated May 6, 2011.

When in Russia the heating must be turned on by law:

In law(or more precisely, by government decree) turn on heating in Russia in the fall, after the average air temperature outside has remained below 8 degrees for 5 days (that is, for five days it will remain at 7 degrees or less). If the above condition is met, the heating must be turned on on the sixth day.

In addition to temperature, the ability to supply heating is also affected by the readiness of heating networks to start heating. Usually, networks are prepared in the summer, pressure testing is carried out, and equipment is changed. Now it is difficult to imagine that the reason for the delay in the start of the heating season was the sluggishness of utility services, but, unfortunately, no one is immune from accidents.

That is, if the networks are technically ready, heating in Russia by law includes:

* On the sixth day after the average daily temperature outside remains below 8 degrees.

This standard applies to apartment buildings with central heating (from a boiler room or CHP plant). If individual heating equipment is installed in an apartment building, then the owners can order the heating to start at any time at their discretion. At the same time, if they do not make any decision about launching the system earlier, then their batteries will become warmer along with everyone else.

When does the heating season usually start in Russia:

Our country is huge, and in different regions (and even in different parts same region), weather conditions may differ significantly. This applies to both territory and time - the weather behaves differently in different years, and if last year October, for example, was warm, this year it can be very cold. That is why the beginning of the heating season in Russia is not tied to specific date, but depends solely on the weather.

It is impossible to accurately predict when in a particular point in Russia it will get so cold that the “cold” will last for five days, sufficient to turn on the heating. However, the approximate dates are the same from year to year.

Russia is located in the most severe climatic conditions, and without properly functioning heating it is quite difficult to survive the frosty and long winters. Spring, on the contrary, arrives differently in different regions. And if somewhere people are already starting to feel uncomfortable at home with working batteries, then in other regions winter does not even think of giving up its rights, and a hot radiator is just in time.

Who is responsible for determining the start and end dates of the heating season?

Many of us are concerned about the question of what criteria and who makes the decision to supply heat to the radiators of apartment buildings and stop this supply. Probably, each of us at least once wondered who decides the beginning and end of the heating period in cooperative houses. After all, if the concern for heat in a private house falls on the shoulders of the owners themselves, then in the case of central heating everything is different.

City local municipal authorities make this decision by issuing orders to utility workers. And in Russian realities this most often occurs in the month of October. Decisions are made locally, and the main catalyst for the opening of the heating season is the average daily temperature, which remains at or below 8 degrees Celsius for 5 days. To turn off the heating, accordingly, the opposite factors are necessary - the average daily temperature is above 8 degrees for more than 5 days. But at the same time, meteorological services must give a forecast that prolonged cold weather will not return.

When should the heating be turned off in 2017?

The decision to turn off heating will be made individually for each region, depending on weather conditions. If somewhere in Russia spring is already showing itself in full force, then in many areas winter still holds its position. It is quite natural that residents of Voronezh, Vladivostok, Serpukhov, Angarsk, Kurgan, Kursk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Perm, Lipetsk, Saratov and Sevastopol will feel the end of the heating season at different times. But we can say with confidence that in many cities of the country this will happen in April.

At the end of the heating season, a lot of questions always arise. Today we will try to figure it out and answer everything that is really important.

1. Houses with central heating: when to expect the end of the heating season?
2. Can the heating be turned off later or earlier than the specified period?
3. What should you do first after turning off the heating and how to prepare for the next season?

What the law requires in 2017

There are a number of laws that are worth noting first. If your home already has its own autonomous heating system, then the start and end dates for heating the living space are set directly by the owner of the premises, that is, you. The disadvantage of this type of heating is that you will also have to pay for electricity. Warm up or save - it's up to you.

If you have a central heating system installed in your house, then you cannot change the heating shutdown date in any way. The duration of the season in 2017 will depend only on external factors, that is, on the average daily temperature. Heating usually starts when the thermometer shows +8 degrees and below for five days. The end of the heating season depends on the same indicators – +8 degrees and above.

In 2017, a decree was already issued to turn off heating in the following numbers:

• Moscow – April 27;
• Yaroslavl - April 28;
• Tver – April 30;
• Tula - April 29;
• Novokuznetsk - May 4;
• Moscow region - April 26.

What is really happening and who solves the problems

Of course, no one canceled the order in 2017, but in reality it is much more difficult to find out specific numbers for completing heating of the batteries. There are many reasons for this, here are some of the most obvious:

• Thermal power plants and heating mains are a very difficult thing. To start heating, all indicators must be brought to a certain mode established by specialists, and the correct difference between the required pipelines must be created. In summer it is not there, if it is there it is minimal. In winter, a pressure of 6-7 kgf/cm 2 was registered in heating mains with a supply of 3-4 kgf/cm 2 to the return. Good heating of the coolant and, of course, the creation of the drop itself is impossible without certain energy resources. In addition, this process takes quite a long time. Thousands of cubic meters pass through the highways of a small city. Therefore, it is impossible to prepare for launch within an hour after the forecaster’s forecast;
• The end of the 2017 heating season, as well as the beginning of a new one, must be accompanied by special service organizations, as the order says. Both events bring with them a sharp increase in accident rates. For this reason, the staff work plan must be planned and prepared in advance.

1. When heating was started in previous years, flooding of apartments often occurred, since flushing taps could be opened, and in some cases, the connections to already dismantled radiators.
2. Many people try to replace heating devices themselves, which means that leaks in threaded, welded and fitting connections are inevitable. Unfortunately, many “masters” are simply unfamiliar with the crimping process.
3. As soon as the official notification about the start of heating was received, a sharp wave of complaints began from residents about cold heating appliances. The reasons for this can be different: it is possible that the apartment above is empty without tenants, or someone may simply not know how to use a tap.
4. The end of the heating season is always and massively accompanied by leaks between sections of cast iron heating radiators; this can be especially often noticed in old buildings, for example, in a school, garden, or hospital. As the sections cool, they shrink slightly in size. There are also those that have completely lost their elasticity, and this leads to an inability to retain water.

During the period when the harsh winter frosts are replaced by spring warmth, you can see more and more windows in residential buildings open for ventilation. The existing contrast between the temperatures in apartments and outside is such that it creates a feeling of absolute stuffiness. This is especially true for those houses that were built over the last 50 years. Such intense heating during this period significantly affects the amount of utility bills. Taking into account the fact that in recent years housing and communal services tariffs have shown constant and confident growth (this is especially true for Russian cities with a population of over a million), and now the amounts of payments are gradually exceeding reasonable limits, I would like a clear understanding of when the heating systems will be turned off (especially in the case of when there is no real need for it).

According to the current legislation in Russia, the beginning and end of the heating season has clear deadlines. However, no one is in a hurry to inform citizens about exactly when the heat in their homes will be turned on/off.

Every time the townspeople are at a loss when the batteries will become warm (at the end of autumn), and when the batteries will be turned off (in the spring). At the same time, it is impossible to independently predict when the heating will be turned on and off this year (the human factor plays an important role here).

To simplify the lives of citizens, it will be enough to familiarize them with the relevant legislative acts, as well as with statistics from past periods. This will help clarify the question of when to wait for the end of the heating season and turn off the heating in 2017.

If the house is equipped with an autonomous heating system, then the residents (the owners of the premises) decide when to start and when to end the heating season. The only thing that can be negative here is a likely increase in energy consumption, which will naturally entail additional costs. In this case, subscribers decide for themselves what is more important: keeping warm or saving on payments.

If the house is connected to a central heating system, then you will not be able to turn it off yourself. In this case, the heating shutdown date depends on external factors, namely the average daily ambient temperature. Thus, the beginning of the heating season occurs in the fall, at a time when for 5 days in a row the temperature does not exceed +8°C. The end of the heating season also depends on the average daily temperature. It should be higher than +8°C for 5 days in a row.

Today, there is already a corresponding decree on turning off heating in 2017. Thus, heating will be turned off on the following dates using the example of large cities:

• 04/27/2017 – in Moscow;
• 04/26/2017 – in the Moscow region;
• 04/28/2017 – in Yaroslavl;
• 04/29/2017 – in Tula;
• 04/30/2017 – in Tver;
• 05/04/2017 – in Novokuznetsk.

Important points about turning off and turning on the heating

Immediately with the beginning of spring warming, many residents of the capital and other cities begin to be interested in the real days of heating shutdown. The following points are important here:

1. Average daily temperature - this value takes into account all temperature indicators, both day and night. To turn off the heating, it is necessary that the indicator is not lower than +8°C and remains at this level for at least 5 days. If this condition is met, you can expect that the central heating will be turned off.
2. Temperature stability - if the condition is met, and weather forecasters indicate that frosts are not expected in the region, then city authorities may decide to turn off the heating. This decision is communicated to the district authorities, who then inform the housing and communal services and give orders to turn off the heating.

The end of the heating season and the cessation of heat supply to consumers are associated with significant financial and human resource costs. The feasibility of such a decision is determined by city authorities, focusing on average daily temperatures and weather forecasters’ forecasts for future periods. These indicators are objective, and no others will be taken into account when turning off the heating.

There are a number of objective reasons that indicate that untimely shutdown of centralized heating is not a rational measure. Experts include the main ones:

• Features of operation of heating mains and thermal power plants. It is important here that in order to start centralized heating, all necessary indicators must be brought to a certain level, which is established by specialists. In addition, the required difference between pipelines of different levels should be created. And, if in summer there is either no pressure at all in the heating mains, or the level is minimal, then in winter the pressure is registered at 6-7 kgf/cm² with a supply of 3-4 kgf/cm² to the reverse. To sufficiently warm up the coolant and create the proper differential, significant energy resources are required. In addition, this process takes quite a lot for a long time. For example, for heating just a small city, thousands of cubic meters of coolant pass through heating mains. It follows from this that it is simply physically impossible to quickly supply heating (within several hours after weather forecasts).
• The end of the 2017 heating season, as well as the beginning of the next one, according to the order, must be accompanied by appropriate service organizations, since these procedures are associated with an increased accident rate. For these reasons, it is advisable to plan and prepare a work plan for maintenance personnel in advance. During this period, all employees of such organizations will have to work in almost emergency mode. It is quite natural that a vacation schedule should be formed taking into account this moment in such a way that engineers and mechanics are fully present at the time of starting/switching off the heating.

Statistics of heating shutdowns in recent years in Moscow

From the information given above, it is clear that the date of heating shutdown is largely influenced by improvements in weather conditions and their stability. However, in recent years, significant cold snaps have been increasingly observed in Moscow and the Moscow region, which, according to meteorological services, occur in the month of April (when the heating is turned off).

Statistics data for the period 2007-2016. they say that in Moscow and the Moscow region the heat is turned off every year at the end of April - beginning of May. During this period, the ambient temperature in this region stabilizes at +10°C.

Let's give exact dates(by year) when heating was turned off in Moscow in previous periods:

• 2007 – May 10
• 2008 - April 28;
• 2009 – April 29;
• 2010 – May 1;
• 2011 – April 28;
• 2012 – April 22;
• 2013 – April 30;
• 2014 – April 30;
• 2015 – April 30;
• 2016 – May 4.

Additionally, it should be taken into account that the process of turning off heat begins with production enterprises. Next, residential buildings are disconnected from centralized heating, and only after that social facilities are disconnected. As a rule, the time interval between the shutdown of production facilities and residential buildings is 4-5 days.

Summarizing the above, it should be noted that it is impossible to unambiguously answer the question of when the heating will be turned off in the spring of 2017, since this depends on weather conditions and temperature regime. For guidance, you can use last year's figures. According to preliminary forecasts, you can count on a heat outage at the end of April - beginning of May 2017. Immediately after the required temperature regime is established, the city authorities will make an appropriate decision, and then transfer it to regional entities and local housing and communal services.

Regular subscribers can be advised to monitor the weather, weather forecasts, as well as relevant messages on television and in the media mass media. However, you can expect a heat outage this year after the 20th of April.