Even if you live in a comfortable apartment, sooner or later you will face the question of replacing risers. If you are faced with such a problem, then it is better to change the pipelines for hot and cold water at the same time. Even when the sewer riser seems intact in appearance, if you look closely at it, you can understand that it will eventually require replacement.
The consumer of housing and communal services should not carry out such work on their own, because there are appropriate services for this. But in reality, everything turns out differently. You can replace the pipes yourself. The main condition is the observance of technology. Frightened by problems, you should not put off the need to replace pipes indefinitely. This can lead to unpleasant consequences in the form of leaks when you are not at home.
Getting Started
If your apartment is located in a multi-storey building, then you need to start manipulations with obtaining permission for dismantlingsewerage and plumbing. For this purpose, you should contact the housing maintenance service. It is important to warn the residents of the entrance that the replacement of risers is coming.
It is necessary to report the time and date of turning off the water supply and heating. Activities must take place on weekdays. Disabling the risers is done by a plumber. It is better to replace the risers with the entire entrance, so it will be not only easier, but also cheaper. If it was not possible to agree with the neighbors, then steel pipes will have to be installed, which does not always suit everyone. An alternative solution is the installation of transitions from metal to plastic. In this case, you can install polypropylene.
Material selection
Before replacing the risers, it is recommended to choose the material that will underlie the pipe. Relatively cheap are steel structures that can withstand high pressures and temperatures. Among the disadvantages of such communications, one should highlight the growth of limescale during operation, the complexity of installation, susceptibility to corrosion, as well as high electrical conductivity.
Usually, steel pipes are used to install the plumbing system. The risers can be replaced with polypropylene pipes, which are elastic and durable. They can easily withstand changes in temperature and pressure, and the material does not corrode. The parts are light in weight, easy to assemble, during which docking elements with a lowvalue.
The main disadvantage of polypropylene is the inability to disassemble the finished connection. If necessary, repairs will need to be cut. This material can be used to make a water riser, but it is also ideal for a sewer pipe.
Dismantling and installation of water risers
If you decide to replace the water supply risers, you can use the experience of specialists who advise installing shutoff valves at the inlet. This approach is practical and convenient. If the design has a tap, it is cut off to eliminate problems with water flow. The new design should be spherical. It is located as close as possible to the joint on the branch.
It is necessary to start work on replacing the risers by inspecting the structures of the neighbors where you will perform the joint. Connecting to a plastic pipe should not be accompanied by difficulties. It is provided with a polypropylene solder sleeve. If you plan to replace the cold water riser by junction with steel communications, then a thread is cut into them, which will allow you to install an adapter.
The structure is inspected for strength. If the pipe is in poor condition, then it is better to use the services of a welder who will weld the thread. Otherwise, when cutting, the structure may burst under the influence of the load.
Pros advise cutting or welding 5 or 6 turns. As an alternative, in the connection process, you can consider usingcollet coupling. When replacing a cold water riser from metal to plastic, an adapter sleeve is used, which has an internal thread.
Flax or a special fum tape is used to seal the threaded connection. The coupling is screwed onto a metal pipe. The soldering iron will allow you to connect the plastic element with the pipe end-to-end. As soon as you pass the overlap, you need to solder the tee, from which the wiring to the apartment will be provided.
Preparing tools before replacing sewer pipes
Before dismantling the sewer riser, you must ensure that you have the appropriate tools. You will need equipment for cutting the pipe. Usually, a pipe cutter or angle grinder is used for this. The chisel will remove the cut pieces from the system.
You will need a screwdriver to remove the small pieces. A hammer should be used to loosen the elements when replacing the sewer riser. In the process of work, you will need a nail puller or crowbar. They are great for removing stubborn items. For crushing cement in those places where the pipes are interconnected, a perforator is usually used. A grinder should be used to prepare pipe sections for installation. The worker must wear personal protective equipment such as gloves and goggles.
Preparation of tools and materials for mounting the riser
Before starting the installation of the risersewer should prepare plastic pipes. Their diameter is 110 cm. You will need rubber cuffs for fastening between cast iron and plastic. Obtain a plastic tee with the necessary taps.
An expansion pipe is used for the transition between cast iron and plastic. For the sewer riser you will need fasteners. Traditional clamps usually act as them. The entry of the pipe into the connecting elements will facilitate the usual liquid soap. Don't forget to take care of the vertical level.
Replacing the sewer riser
When carrying out such work, one should begin with the dismantling of the old structure. At the level of a meter above the tee with an angle grinder, it is necessary to cut a cast-iron pipe. The upper part of the structure is cut using the same technique. About 8 cm must be retreated from the ceiling. It is not worth cutting off the pipe completely. A metal wedge is inserted into the incision, which must be hit hard with a hammer several times. This will cause a crack to appear along the perimeter of the pipe.
The part is removed from the hole, and then a conical chamfer is made using an angle grinder. It will be located in a circle of the remaining part. When replacing the sewer riser, pipes and a tee will remain in the lower part. These fragments are dismantled to free the socket. It is enough to take hold of the edges of the pipe and swing it, which will allow you to remove the element. If this approach did not achieve a result, then the grinder needs to cut off the tee.
Trumpetcleared of dirt. When replacing a sewer riser in an apartment, assembly must be carried out "roughly". This is required to fit the parts to size. A plastic tee is installed in the socket. The diameters must match, otherwise you will need to install a transition pipe. The design is disassembled, and mounting clamps are installed on the wall to fix communications. After that, you can proceed with the installation of the system.
Cuffs should be chamfered outward. They are treated with silicone sealant. Chamfers on pipes should also be smeared, like other parts. The design is assembled in the same sequence as in the fitting process. All connections must be made with particular care. At the final stage, it is necessary to tighten the screws on the mounting clamps.
When replacing risers in an apartment building, a tee connection is sometimes required. To carry out such work, the riser section must be cut and deburred with a file. The outer side of the pipe is treated with a sealant. This is where the compensator will be located.
A branch pipe is put on the pipe so that there is room for a tee. The pipe is treated with a sealant, and then a tee is put on it. The narrow side of the compensator should be lubricated with sealant and the element should be firmly seated in the socket of the tee. The latter is ready for operation at this stage. This indicates the possibility of further assembly of the drainage system.
Additional nuances for assembling the sewer riser
Disassembly andthe replacement of the riser is carried out in the reverse order after dismantling. Rubber cuffs must be inserted into the cast-iron socket and the end of the pipe. A tee is connected from below, while an adapter will be located on top. The joints must be as tight as possible, otherwise you may experience leaks.
If the tee moves freely, then the connection must be sealed with silicone or ordinary linen. The plastic sewer riser must be firmly fixed. Clamps for fastening the pipeline are installed in the next step. If the ceilings in the room are standard, then three clamps will suffice, which are located in the central, upper and lower parts of the pipeline. For higher ceilings, the system should be installed using additional fixings.
Next, you can proceed to the preliminary assembly and fitting of the system. The compensation pipe is lowered into the tee. It is necessary when connecting between cast iron and plastic. Pipes are connected in the right places and finally mounted. Next, you can proceed to attach the riser to the wall. The disconnected riser is then started up and checked for leaks. Particular attention should be paid to pipe connections. If you did everything according to the instructions, then the sewer riser will have to last a long time.
Heating riser: the formal side of the issue of replacement
Replacing heating risers is quite a challenge, especially when it comes to unscheduled work. In such cases, there are usually no problems with neighbors, because pipeswith regular thermal deformations, they do not stick to ceilings, and damage to the ceiling and floor during the dismantling of old communications is minimal. It will be more difficult to understand the documentation.
It is also worth remembering that in new homes the heating system is airtight. It is usually filled with antifreeze all year round, so there is no need to replace risers. If the pipes burst in the old house, then one section of the entrance will be defrosted, which will cause great damage.
Heat supply systems after overhaul are usually pressed under high pressure. Replacing the risers in the apartment is carried out in a certain sequence. Before the start of the heating season, an application is submitted to the housing office, which indicates a request for repairs. The reason must be mentioned in the document. Based on this, the UK specialists submit an application to the heating network.
During the heating season, an audit of the riser should be carried out and the validity of the application determined. If you want to reduce heat loss by replacing steel pipes with polypropylene ones, then this justification is compelling. Until the end of the heating season, the specialists of the relevant organizations must develop technical conditions for the replacement of risers and present them to the applicant. Then the latter will be able to make preparations, for example, temporarily remove stretch ceilings.
Sometimes, with the application for the replacement of risers, they are instructed to familiarize the tenants of the applicant's house. By a certain date, the written consent of the neighbors to carry out the work must be obtained. If everything is framed correctly, then at the end of summer orthe procedure itself is carried out in early autumn.
When self-replacement is possible
Replacement of risers in the apartment can be done independently. At the first stage, the old risers are dismantled, and then new ones are installed. The final stage is the connection to the wiring and control of the correctness of the work. First you have to block the risers and drain the water. To do this, sometimes you have to contact the housing office.
Old pipes are cut with a grinder. They are dismantled by pulling from the floor slabs. Next, you can mark the places for mounting heating radiators. With a punch and a level, you will be able to install the battery. The latter is equipped with shut-off valves. This area can be blocked if a leak occurs. Such an outcome of events will not affect the operation of the heating system in any way.
Then you can start connecting pipes. Their diameter should not be narrowed. The lower and upper sections of the battery are connected to neighbors. You will need to install a jumper if the taps are closed. Without this element, the heating riser will not work. Once all the work has been completed, you can start the water.
How to write an application
If you are faced with the problem of rotting risers of hot or cold water supply, as well as sewage, and water oozes or splashes from the pipe, you should start repairing. However, it will not work to do such work on your own, because you need to block the supply. All riser valves are under the control of the managing organization. She will repair the risers.
Ifif you are looking for a sample replacement of risers, you can get it at the housing office, but you can draw up such a document yourself. In the right or left upper part of the sheet, it is necessary to reflect to whom you are addressing the letter. Next, enter your last name and address. In the central part below, write the word "Statement", then state the essence of the issue.
The text should provide information on why the risers need to be replaced. Don't forget to mention how things unfolded. Perhaps you have addressed this issue to the relevant authorities more than once. If replacement of water risers is necessary, then you must indicate the location of the leak, the cause of the accident and the material of the riser.
You need to describe the work that you want to receive during the repair. Indicate that you pay for utilities, and the management company must provide them in a timely manner. The application must be made in two copies. One should be marked as received with the signature of the secretary. It will not be superfluous to mention that the replacement of water risers is the preferred repair.
In case of refusal, you must ask for a reason and give an answer within a certain period. If representatives of the organization refuse to carry out the work, justifying this by the fact that the pipes are in good condition, an act drawn up in the appropriate form should be required. If it is necessary to replace the sewer riser or any other communications in the apartment, you should know: if the organization’s specialists do not accept the document, you can sendby his registered mail. Keep a copy for yourself.
A few words in conclusion
Replacing risers is an inevitable problem that every owner of a house or apartment will face sooner or later. These manipulations are part of a major overhaul, but such a need may arise suddenly. This is due to the fact that the condition of pipelines in old buildings that were built back in Soviet times is very difficult to call brilliant.
Over the years of operation, the pipes have been corroded. This caused leaks. Over time, sediment inevitably accumulates inside the communications, which makes the clearance smaller and smaller. The quality of water is declining, and its quantity becomes insufficient over time. A rather expensive solution to the problem, although adequate, is the complete replacement of risers.
