Replacing a gas stove in an apartment: fines, laws and legal subtleties of replacing equipment

One of the most difficult issues in legislative practice for citizens is replacing a gas stove in an apartment that you own or rent. At first glance, there is no difficulty in removing one device and installing another; almost anyone can do it, you don’t even need to be a specialist or a gas service worker.

But what about the documentary base? Do such changes need to be legalized and how to do this? And if you bypass the paperwork, wouldn't it be cheaper to pay the fine?

We will try to answer all these questions, we will tell you about the existing laws, norms and rules for replacing this important device.

Reasons for replacing the stove

There are many reasons why you will need or want to change your gas supply equipment.

The most common among them:

• purchasing a more modern model;
• replacing a gas stove with an electric one;
• desire to change colors or change the design of the room;
• poor appearance, wear;
• carrying out major renovations in the house;
• device breakdown;
• expiration date.

Also, the replacement of a gas stove is established at the legislative level, according to PP No. 410, which states that gas-using appliances should be replaced when they fail, unless changing nozzles is no longer necessary, when the appliance does not meet safety standards, at the usual request of the customer and, again, at the end of its service life.

To do this, you need to contact the gas service company with which you have a contract. maintenance contract. This is what yours should look like maintenance contract.

If during maintenance it turns out that the gas stove does not meet safety standards in its current condition, it will either be recommended to be repaired or replaced if its condition is irreversible and cannot be repaired

If everything is clear on the first points, then what does “expiration date” mean?

According to GOST R 50696-94, the service life of a gas stove cannot be more than 14 years. But this document has long been canceled, as well as the GOST R 50696-96 that replaced it, in which the maximum service life of the device was 20 years, if gas workers approve its performance at the end of the operating time designated by the manufacturer.

Now this is actually not regulated, although the current PP No. 410 states that gas supply can be turned off when the expiration date of the equipment established by the manufacturer expires. Before this period expires, you just need to apply for a technical inspection and if the gas workers write you a certificate of validity of the device, you will extend its life until it wears out. Wear is considered to be a violation of the tightness of taps designed for 11,000 cycles, burnout of the oven and other defects that cannot be repaired.

What is needed to change the stove?

So, you are about to change the stove. What you need to prepare for this:

1. The stove itself, in the case where you do not have the preferential status necessary for a free replacement. The device must comply GOST 33998, have a gas control system.
2. Equipment for installation, necessary tools, consumables and materials.
3. Equipment - everything for sealing, flexible hoses and so on.
4. Documents for redevelopment if the kitchen is moved to another location.
5. Documents confirming the authority of the owner or tenant of the apartment.
6. Identification.
7. Consent of all apartment owners.
8. All papers on gas supply.
9. Technical passport of the apartment.

Again, if the location for the device remains the same and only the device itself is replaced with a similar one, there is no need to legalize the conversion.

If you are changing a gas stove to an electric one, you must legalize the conversion; if you are moving the appliance to another room, then the redevelopment. If you are simply replacing it with a similar one, you do not need to carry out any approvals on both points.

The requirements for a new stove are standard. It must have all the necessary certificates and meet the requirements of GOST.

It is also recommended to check whether there will be free access to it and the gas pipeline in case of redevelopment, whether the chimney is in working order, Is the ventilation working? as needed.

Does the replacement need to be legalized?

According to Art. 7.19 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation For independently connecting the main line, you may be fined for unauthorized and uncontrolled connection of a gas stove in the amount of 10-15 thousand rubles. And if, in the event of an incorrect connection, an explosion or fire occurs, then you will face criminal liability and a fine of up to 300 thousand rubles.

If you look at PP No. 410, it also states that the replacement of gas-using equipment must be carried out by a specialized organization with a license and a contract. This could be a gas service or a private company with the appropriate approvals.

In the same document in Part 8, paragraph 77 there is a subclause that states that a factor for disconnecting gas supply without notifying the customer may be its unauthorized connection to the main line, as an option explosion threats.

Besides, in PP No. 549 It is indicated that when replacing equipment with a new one that meets the technical requirements, it is imperative to notify the supplier of the change in the overall composition of the devices.

When registering gas supply, you indicate a list of gas-using equipment in the apartment and provide technical specifications for them. Also, when replacing, you must notify the State Registration Office that you are installing another stove and provide them with documentation for the device for registration

There is also a temptation to change the device yourself, having previously agreed with a friend from the gas service to complete the necessary documentation. Of course, the option is much cheaper, but it is better to entrust work with such dangerous equipment to professionals who will connect the hoses reliably and carry out the first start-up of the device, noting all its shortcomings, if any.

Benefits for replacing a stove

A gas stove is not a common property of an apartment building and therefore, again, according to PP No. 410, its replacement is made at the expense of the owner of the premises.

However, there are exceptions. The MFC or management company will tell you how to replace a gas stove with a new one at the required benefits free of charge.

This is possible if the slab, subject to condition or expiration date, is listed on the state balance sheet:

1. You, the owner of the apartment, are a hero of the Russian Federation or the USSR, a hero of socialist labor, a holder of the Order of Glory, a participant in the Second World War, or you have special subsidies from housing and communal services.
2. The device requires replacement when the queue for an apartment is reached.
3. The residents live in a non-privatized apartment and the contract includes a clause on free replacement of gas-using equipment if necessary.

Also, large and low-income families have the right to such privileges, but not in all regions. Whether you have any, you should check with local municipal authorities or by studying the regulations of individual regions.

For a free replacement, a so-called “defective certificate” is required, that is, a conclusion from specialized services that inspect gas-using equipment and issue a conclusion that the old device is faulty. The basis for its preparation is an annual inspection or an extraordinary inspection upon call from specialists.

Irregularities in the operation of a gas stove can be identified by specialists from the gas distribution department or a private company. However, before you invite them to inspect the equipment, find out whether they have all the necessary licenses for such types of work

The act is drawn up in 2-3 copies. You must transfer one to the DEZ or housing cooperative, one to the consumer, and another one is kept by the GRO specialists.

In addition, it is very important to prepare all the documents - an identity card, a title document for benefits, a certificate of defectiveness of the old stove, its registration certificate and project documents for the apartment.

Replacement procedure

So, you are planning to change the stove and you are also the owner of the apartment.

To replace you should:

• contact the head of the gas distribution department with a request to replace the equipment. You will receive a detailed estimate for consumables, necessary materials, installation of the device and the stove itself. If you buy all this yourself, you should write an application for installation of equipment;
• notify the management company or other body managing your home;
• pay the received estimate;
• wait for the gas workers and receive a document confirming the commissioning of the stove.

If the apartment is not privatized, you must first submit an application for replacement of the gas appliance to the management body of the apartment building in which you live.

When remodeling, it is necessary to follow the recommendations from SP 402.1325800.2018, in particular for the volume of premises of at least 8 cubic meters for a stove with 2 burners, 12 for a 3-burner device, 15 for devices with 4 nozzles

If an apartment is being redeveloped, the management company must be notified about this and all necessary approvals must be carried out, including at GorGaz, before installing the stove in another room.

How is equipment changed?

To make it clear in general terms, we present the technical stages replacing one device with another.

The procedure is not complicated:

1. The valve shuts off the gas flow and turns off the power supply to the old device.
2. The plate is disconnected.
3. Produced replacing the hose (if required) followed by checking it for leaks and the quality of the threaded connection.
4. The new slab is installed and leveled.
5. Hose is connected.
6. The equipment is being checked and started up for the first time.

Next, the specialist issues you a certificate of access to the device for operation, and you sign the work acceptance certificate.

Replacing a gas stove with an electric one

After a series of explosions, and for other reasons, many apartment owners decided to change the gas stove to an electric one, so where to go in this case and what is needed for this, we will now consider in detail.

So, first of all, you need to contact the Criminal Code.This is necessary to determine whether the technical parameters of the MKD electrical network are capable of corresponding loads.

Unfortunately, in gasified apartment buildings, as a rule, the limit of electrical resources is limited. If everything is possible, select a stove model and provide its characteristics to the Criminal Code so that you can receive a conclusion on the compliance of the provided and consumed power with the MKD standards in an approximate calculation.

If the power is not enough, you will have to either abandon the idea or try to register a stove of less power. Also, sometimes a written request for the allocation of additional power helps, in which case it will be necessary to coordinate the project with the management company and the power supply company

Since the parameters specified in the technical passport of the apartment change, the electrification of the kitchen area is a reconstruction and is subject to mandatory approval.

When you have the project documentation in hand, contact the State Regional Office to disconnect the gas equipment in your apartment. Don't forget to take a certificate confirming this fact.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Why you don’t need to change gas appliances yourself can be found in the following video:

Replacing a gas stove with a new or electric one is quite easy. This procedure will not take much time. The main thing is to contact the management company or state registry office in advance to provide a complete list of documents that you need to collect on a general or individual basis and to agree on a project for replacing the device.

And under no circumstances try to carry out the procedure without permission - we have already discussed in detail whether it is possible to replace an old gas stove yourself - this is a fine and a big responsibility.

Have you ever had to replace the gas stove in your apartment? Share your experience in the comments, ask questions on the topic, and participate in the discussion of the material. The communication block is located under the article.