Ensuring the safety and compliance of gas installations in apartment buildings
In order to ensure that apartment buildings comply with requirements and provide a safe living environment for residents, ventilation and gas systems must be approached holistically. Gas systems inside apartments require air to function, which is provided by a functioning ventilation system. Every apartment building is different, so standard solutions cannot be applied to all buildings. Buildings were constructed at different times and different technical system solutions were implemented in them. What is suitable for one building may not be reasonable for another. If the gas systems are located in the apartment, a proper and safe apartment building meets the following points:
An apartment building must be equipped with a compliant ventilation system, including both supply and exhaust ventilation.
Chimney flues intended for the removal of combustion gases must be in proper working order and undergo regular inspection and cleaning.
Gas appliances installed in apartments must be properly inspected and kept in good working condition.
Carbon monoxide detectors must be installed in all apartments.
Shared gas systems must undergo proper, compliant auditing.
In many cases, it is wise to look ahead and consider upgrading the entire technical infrastructure to a modern, safe, and energy‑efficient solution. One option is to replace individual gas water heaters in apartment bathrooms with a centralised system and, if desired, integrate a heat‑recovery ventilation system. This provides higher energy efficiency and may qualify for KredEx support schemes.
Each building requires an individual approach, as every solution has its own advantages and limitations. Therefore, it is essential to work closely with specialists and designers. The most common solutions for apartment buildings using various gas systems include the following:
Restoring the existing natural ventilation and gas infrastructure to proper working condition.
Renovating this solution ensures a safe living environment and a healthy indoor climate for residents. Renovation is more affordable than installing a modern heat‑recovery ventilation and heating system. The downside is that a natural ventilation system can increase monthly heating costs by up to 30% during the cold season, which results in higher heating bills. Nevertheless, any financial expense is insignificant compared to human life. When renovating this type of system, the following points must be taken into account:
Ensure adequate air supply to any room equipped with a gas appliance.
In any room containing a gas appliance, the door must be fitted with an air‑supply opening near the floor, with a minimum size of 300 cm². A separate ventilation exhaust opening must be installed near the ceiling in its own flue and must not be connected to the chimney flue. The building’s exterior wall should be equipped with fresh‑air intake openings to ensure sufficient air exchange. These exterior ventilation openings must remain open at all times.
Ventilation and gas flues must be in proper working order and regularly inspected.
To ensure that exhaust flues remain in proper working condition, they must be inspected once a year by a certified company. This requires a video inspection, cleaning, and, if necessary, air‑duct measurement and renovation.
Check all gas appliances and the gas piping system.
To ensure safety, gas appliances must be serviced regularly in accordance with the maintenance instructions. This is the responsibility of the apartment owner. Gas piping and gas installations also require regular inspection. If they are more than 15 years old and located in shared areas, they must be inspected once every four years. Any unmaintained or faulty equipment must be repaired or replaced.
Install carbon monoxide detectors in all apartments.
Remember that carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, can be fatal within minutes, and cannot be sensed or seen. If a gas appliance is located in a bathroom or washroom, a moisture‑resistant carbon monoxide detector must be used.
Renovating technical systems to a modern, safe, and energy‑efficient standard.
To modernise an apartment building and ensure safety and energy efficiency, the building’s technical systems must be assessed as a whole. Renovation of both the ventilation and gas systems should be considered. It is essential to identify the most optimal solution for the building, and this requires the involvement of qualified specialists. The available options depend on the stage and condition of the apartment building. The main criteria are:
Has the apartment building already been renovated (insulated walls and new windows installed)?
Is the ventilation system in place, and how has it been designed?
Has the heating system been renovated?
Is it possible and reasonable to relocate the building’s gas water heaters out of the apartments and convert the system into a centralised solution?
To make the building’s technical systems energy‑efficient, a suitable method of implementing heat recovery—either through the ventilation system or the heating system—must be identified. The main options include:
Central heat‑recovery ventilation system.
In this solution, a ventilation system is installed for the entire building using a central ventilation unit. Fresh air is supplied to the living rooms and bedrooms of each apartment, while extract air is removed from the kitchen, toilet and bathroom. The ventilation unit is installed in the attic (on the roof), the stairwell, or the basement.
For this system to be implemented efficiently, the exterior façade should not yet be renovated, as the ductwork is installed beneath the wall insulation.
Decentralised heat‑recovery ventilation system.
In this solution, autonomous ventilation systems are installed in each apartment, providing every unit with its own ventilation device and independent fresh‑air supply.
The main advantage of this system is that air exchange can be individually controlled by each apartment owner. The solution is energy‑efficient, but its drawback is the need to install ventilation ductwork within the apartments to ensure proper air exchange in every room.
Combined central heating and ventilation system.
In this system, a heat‑recovery ventilation unit is installed on the roof of the building and connected to a heat pump located in the heating substation. Extract air is drawn from the wet rooms through the ventilation shafts and discharged at the roof. The recovered thermal energy is then used to heat the central heating water.
To implement this solution in buildings where domestic hot water is currently heated with gas, it is essential to remove the gas water heaters from the wet rooms and convert the system into a centralised solution.
Installation of a central gas water heater.
In this solution, a central natural‑gas water heater is installed in the building’s attic or basement. A new domestic hot water system is constructed, and the existing autonomous water heaters in the apartments are removed.
The major advantage of this solution is the elimination of potential hazard sources within the apartments, ensuring full control over the operation and safety of the equipment.
Installation of a combined heat and power (CHP) plant.
The overall system layout is similar to the previous solution — a central energy source is installed along with a new domestic hot water system. A natural‑gas‑fired combined heat and power (CHP) unit produces not only hot water but also electricity that can be used to power the building’s energy systems.
Apartment buildings typically use small‑scale CHP units starting from 5 kW. The main advantage of this solution is straightforward: by generating both heat and electricity on‑site, transmission fees, distribution losses, and other external energy costs are eliminated.
In summary
Each building must be assessed individually, based on its existing condition. The best results are achieved by combining the systems described above. Although energy‑efficient solutions may seem more expensive at first, they can be significantly more cost‑effective in the long term. When the renovation includes an energy‑efficiency component, it is possible to apply for additional support from KredEx, even if the apartment building has already been partially renovated or has previously received funding.
It is essential to involve specialists who work in the field of building‑specific energy‑efficiency systems and have experience in designing comprehensive technical solutions for apartment buildings. In gas‑heated apartment buildings, it is crucial to work with partners who can see the complete picture of the ventilation, heating, and gas systems.
There are buildings where standard modern solutions are not suitable, and an innovative approach is required — combining different systems to achieve the most optimal result.