Table: how often to clean by fuel and appliance
| Appliance | Fuel | Cleaning | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masonry stove, tiled stove, bread oven, masonry cooker with a solid mass of brickwork | wood, briquettes | once a year, by 1 November | point 69 |
| Heating boiler | wood, pellets, coal, wood chips | twice, if the boiler stores heat for no longer than 3 hours: by 1 November and between 1 November and 1 March | point 68 |
| Metal stove, stove fireplace, fireplace with a metal firebox | wood, briquettes | twice: by 1 November and by 1 March | point 68 |
| Sauna stove | wood | twice: by 1 November and by 1 March | point 68 |
| Wood-burning cooker without a masonry mass | wood | twice: by 1 November and by 1 March | point 68 |
| Liquid-fuel boiler | diesel, heating oil | the appliance by 1 November; a brick flue once a year, with a liner or metal once every two years | points 69, 71 |
| Gas boiler, gas water heater | natural gas, liquefied gas | the appliance once a year; a brick flue once a year, with a liner, ceramic or metal once every two years | points 70, 71 |
The dividing line in the regulations is heat storage: an appliance that stores heat for no longer than three hours is a long-burn appliance, and its flue is cleaned twice. In the table we put the boiler, the metal stove and the sauna stove in this group on the basis of this definition. If a fireplace has a solid masonry casing that holds heat for hours, it is closer to a masonry stove, and we assess it on site.
Cabinet Regulation No. 238 of 19.04.2016 “Fire Safety Regulations”, point 68: long-burn solid-fuel appliances that do not accumulate heat for longer than three hours, by 1 November and once between 1 November and 1 March of the following year. Point 69: other solid-fuel and liquid-fuel appliances by 1 November. Point 70: gas appliances once a year, unless the manufacturer has set otherwise. Point 71: liquid-fuel and gas flues. The grouping of appliances in the table is our reading of the definition in point 68. Source: likumi.lv. Regulations checked 04.11.2026; from 2 January 2027 they will be replaced by new fire safety regulations, which we will check as soon as they are adopted.
Other deadlines that are not cleaning
| What | How often | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Technical condition inspection of a solid-fuel or liquid-fuel flue with a certificate | once every five years | point 74 |
| A gas appliance disconnected for more than six months | an extraordinary check before use | point 70 |
| Natural ventilation ducts in rooms with gas appliances | once every five years | sub-point 80.1 |
| Natural ventilation ducts in other rooms of a house or flat | once every 10 years | sub-point 80.2 |
The five-year inspection and cleaning are two separate jobs with separate certificates. What each one involves: chimney sweep's condition report. For ventilation: ventilation duct cleaning.
Cabinet Regulation No. 238, points 70, 74, 80.1 and 80.2. Source: likumi.lv, checked 04.11.2026.
When to clean more often than the regulations require
The regulations set a minimum. The amount of soot depends on how you fire the appliance. The State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) points out that soot builds up from wet wood and household waste. If the wood is freshly split, if the stove is fired with the damper half closed and a slow flame, or if the boiler runs at low power for a long time, tar quickly builds up in the flue. Then it is worth cleaning every few months during the heating season.
- the stove starts to smoke or the draught gets weaker;
- a lot of soot falls out of the cleaning door or the flue pipe;
- a black, sticky liquid runs down the firebox door or at the flue pipe joints;
- a thick black layer is visible at the top of the chimney or there is a sharp smell;
- the pellet boiler stops more often with a draught error.
If there is tar in the flue, an ordinary brush will not remove it: chimney tar removal. If there is no draught even after cleaning: chimney has no draught.
VUGD, 31.10.2025: soot builds up from wet wood and household waste; it urges cleaning before the heating season, by 1 November, and cleaning long-burn flues once more between 1 November and 1 March. Source: vugd.gov.lv, checked 04.11.2026.
Summer house, sauna and a rarely used stove
The regulations do not link the deadlines to how much the appliance is used. A metal sauna stove fits the definition of a long-burn appliance, so its flue is cleaned twice, even if the sauna is heated once a week. For a summer house that is heated only in summer, the most important cleaning in practice is the one before the first fire: over the winter, birds often get into the flue or bits of mortar fall into it. More: chimney sweep for a summer house and sauna stove cleaning.
What insurers require
The home insurance terms of the largest insurers require flues to be cleaned at least once a year. If this has not been done, the insurer may reduce the payout or refuse it. For long-burn appliances the regulations require two cleanings, so once a year is the minimum, not the norm. Who requires what: chimney report for insurance.
BTA private property insurance terms No. 0801.01, 5.1.1.1; Balta terms No. 1202.08, 8.1; ERGO terms No. IP 01.12.2025, 7.10 and 7.14: flues must be cleaned at least once a year. Sources: bta.lv, balta.lv, ergo.lv, checked 04.11.2026.
When it is best to book cleaning
The deadline is 1 November, so in September and October many people want their cleaning at the same time. If your stove or boiler is cleaned once a year, it is easier to have it done in summer or early autumn. For long-burn appliances, plan the second cleaning for the middle of winter, when the season is already half over. More: chimney cleaning before the heating season and chimney cleaning in winter.
Sources
- Cleaning frequency: points 68, 69, 70, 71; technical condition inspection 74; ventilation 80.1, 80.2 checked 4 November 2026
- VUGD: soot from wet wood and waste; clean by 1 November, long-burn appliances once more by 1 March checked 4 November 2026
- BTA 5.1.1.1: flues and chimneys must be cleaned at least once a year checked 4 November 2026
- Balta 8.1: flues and chimneys must be cleaned at least once a year checked 4 November 2026
- ERGO 7.10, 7.14: cleaning at least once a year; the payout may be reduced by up to 50% or refused checked 4 November 2026