Chimney report for insurance

What insurers' terms say

In Latvia Gjensidige has merged with ERGO, so the ERGO terms are now the ones to look at. If your policy has a different version, the requirements may differ, so check the point on safety requirements in your own contract.

Do you need a certificate from a certified chimney sweep specifically?

In their published terms, insurers do not require the certificate to be drawn up specifically by a chimney sweep certified by the Latvian Chamber of Crafts. They require cleaning or compliance with the regulations, and after a loss they ask for evidence. A certificate with the name and number of the cleaner's qualification document is the best evidence, because that is exactly what the fire safety regulations require. The qualification can be checked in the LAK register.

With us, the work is done by a qualified chimney sweep, and the certificate states their qualification document.

Which documents to keep

The Latvian Insurers Association advises keeping the certificates and invoices prepared by chimney sweeps and certified service providers as proof that the house has been maintained. The Association also stresses that cleaning and the technical assessment need two documents, each for its own job.

• A cleaning certificate for every cleaning: two a year for long-burn appliances, one for masonry stoves.
• A technical condition inspection certificate on the Annex 8 form: once every five years and after replacing a boiler or stove.
• An invoice or proof of payment for each job.
• A certificate and an invoice for a repair or lining, if the flue has been rebuilt.
• A gas boiler service certificate from a gas appliance specialist.

Keep them at least until the next five-year inspection, preferably longer, together with the policy. Photograph them and keep a copy on your computer or in the cloud, so that the documents are not lost along with the house in a fire. The difference between the two certificates: chimney sweep's condition report.

What happens if there is no certificate

A breach of the terms does not mean the insurer will automatically refuse the payout. The Association points out that the insurer must prove the circumstances on which a refusal is based. The If terms reduce the payout if the breach causally contributed to the loss, while ERGO may reduce it by up to 50% or refuse it if the flue has not been cleaned. Without a certificate it will be harder for you to prove that the flue was in order.

The ERGO and If terms also contain an exception: a fire from a non-compliant flue or appliance is covered if the house was bought from a third party or built by a certified builder, or if the appliance was installed by a certified company. The Balta terms exclude losses from breaches of the regulations, but point 7.1.19.2 provides cover for a fire caused by flues. Read the exact conditions in your own policy.

After a fire or a soot fire

1. 112 If something is on fire, call 112 first. Insurance and documents come second.
2. Notify the insurer After the fire is out, report the incident within the deadline and in the way set out in your policy.
3. Document it Photograph the damage and keep the earlier cleaning certificates and invoices.
4. Do not light a fire until it has been checked Using a damaged flue is forbidden. A camera inspection and a certificate show whether the flue can be used: chimney check after a soot fire.

If a fire broke out because fire safety requirements were not followed, the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) may also impose a fine: €140–430 for a natural person. More: chimney cleaning regulations.

Is one cleaning a year enough?

Insurers require cleaning once a year, but the fire safety regulations require two cleanings for long-burn appliances (usually heating boilers, metal stoves and sauna stoves). The If and Compensa terms specifically require compliance with the fire safety regulations. So the safest course is to clean according to the regulations and get a certificate every time: how often to clean a chimney. If you clean the flue yourself, also read: can you clean your own chimney.