On Monday, 13 May, annual hydraulic tests of heating networks will begin in Lviv. Hot water supply will be suspended for the duration of the hydraulic tests and the repair of any damages to the pipelines. However, as Lvivteploenergo explains, the hydraulics are organised in such a way that not the entire city is cut off from hot water at the same time and the absence of hot water for consumers is minimised.
“Hydraulic testing of heating networks is an annual mandatory event that allows us to identify and repair the most worn-out sections of the networks and thus prevent damage during the upcoming heating season.
Our networks are mostly worn out. What are the risks?
The more worn out the network is, the greater the likelihood that it will burst and leak coolant in winter. To prevent this from happening in winter, we hydrate the pipes in summer. We fill the pipes with water under high pressure – more than the operating pressure – and if the network can withstand such a load, it means that it is strong and ready to work during the heating season. If the pressure starts to drop during the test, we understand that there was a burst in the network and it could not withstand the high pressure. We locate the leak and repair it by replacing this weak section of the network.
Therefore, thanks to hydraulics and the elimination of all detected damage to the pipelines, we have been able to pass the last heating seasons without emergencies and heat supply interruptions,” says Oleksandr Odynets, Director of Lvivteploenergo.
Hydraulic tests will start on 13 May. As a result, hot water supply will be suspended from Monday to the buildings that receive hot water from CHPP-1, Severnaya shopping centre and the buildings in Zaliznychny district. The rest of the shutdowns will be carried out in stages.
“For example, at 98 Pasichna Street, we are carrying out a scheduled replacement of a 325 mm diameter heating network cofferdam that provides heat supply to the J. Washington Street neighbourhood. Currently, residents of this neighbourhood receive hot water from CHPP-1. But when we start hydraulics of the CHPP-1 network on 13 May, we will be able to switch this neighbourhood to the boiler house on Kitayskaya Street thanks to the replacement of the bridge. This way, about 30 houses in this neighbourhood will continue to receive hot water from another source. And when we hydrate the networks from the boiler house on Kitayskaya Street, we will switch these houses back to CHPP-1. As a result, residents in this area will hardly feel the lack of hot water.
At the same time, we will carry out hydraulics of quarterly networks coming from smaller boiler houses during the summer, and it will last only 3-5 days.
That is, we are trying to redistribute the hot water supply in such a way as to minimise its absence for consumers,” explains Oleksandr Odynets.
Thus, starting from 13 May, hot water supply from CHPP-1 (heat outlet I, II, III) will be suspended to 763 residential buildings. This is:
– Sykhivskyi residential area (Chervona Kalynya Avenue, Morozna Street, Sykhivska Street, Zubrivska Street, Monastyrskyi Street, Dovzhenko Street, Khutorivka Street, Chukarina Street, Hotkevych Street, Polubotka Street, Kavaleridze Street, Antonenko-Davydovych Street, Kolomyiska Street, Kos-Anatolskyi Street, Trilovskyi Street, Vernadskyi Street, Antonycha Street, Dragan Street, Skrypnyk Street, Osvytska Street);
– Stryiska, Bodnarska, Skoryny, Hashek, Lazarenko, Sakharov, Kulykivska, Yefremova, Heroiv Maidanu, Lukash, Morshynska, Kastelivka, Vitovskoho, Naukova, Volodymyr Velykyi and adjacent streets (Rubchak, Troleibusna, Knyahynya Olha, Symonenko, Puluy, Boichuk, Kulparkivska and others);
– Shafaryk, J. Washington, Pasichna, Lisenytska, Kytaytska, Yaroshynska, Dniperska, Rakovskoho, Lypova Alley, Zelena streets.
– Novyi Lviv neighbourhood (Chmola, Ternopil, Yaroslavenko, Myshuga, Tyverska, Panas Myrnyi, Zaporizka, Heroiv Kruty, Lytovska, Lytvynenko, Uzhhorodska, Navrotskoho, Videnska, Kamianetska, Enerhetychna, Karmanskyi streets).
The supply of hot water from the Severnaya shopping centre will also be suspended to 256 residential buildings. These are:
Lennon, Pluhova, Studynskoho, Khvylovoho, Lincoln, Tychyny, L’niana, Instrumentalna, Zamarstynivska, Pancha, Varshavska, Yuriy Lypy, Chornovola Avenue, Pid Holoskom, Pluzhnyka, Masaryk, Okunevskoho, Koshytsia, Sosiura, Lypynskoho, Dzherelna, Sorochynska streets.
The supply of hot water to consumers from CHP-1 and the Severnaya shopping centre is scheduled to resume on 18 June. However, as Lvivteploenergo emphasises, they will try to do it faster.
Hot water supply to residents of Zaliznychny district and Ryasnoye neighbourhood will also be suspended from 13 May. The networks supplied by separate boiler houses will be hydrated. Hot water supply in the area is expected to resume around 27 May.
Hydraulic tests are carried out annually after the end of the heating season, in accordance with the Rules for the Technical Operation of Thermal Installations and Networks approved by Order No. 71 of the Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine dated 14 February 2007 and Clause VI of the Rules for Preparing Heating Facilities for the Heating Season approved by Order No. 620/378 of the Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine dated 10 December 2008. High-quality hydraulics and the elimination of all detected damages are the key to a stable and trouble-free heating season.
