Ventilation and flue inspection in Brasa - pre-war buildings and institutions

Where there are still flues in Brasa

Brasa has the mixed and residential development typical of the historic centre. The roof of a pre-war building often has rows of brick chimneys with many channels that once served stoves in every room. Many of them may be unused today, but a flat may use its channel for a gas boiler, fireplace or stove. So first you need to find out which channel is active and what is connected to it.

An active flue is cleaned according to the appliance deadline: a stove or fireplace with masonry mass by 1 November, a gas boiler with a liner once every two years, a brick gas flue once a year. In an apartment building a certificate is needed after every cleaning. More: chimney sweep for apartment buildings.

Unused channels and ventilation

Old flue channels that are no longer used are not dangerous in themselves, but flue gases must not be discharged into a ventilation duct, and a heating appliance flue must not be used as a ventilation duct. After flats have been remodelled it is often no longer clear which channel is a flue and which is ventilation. A camera and a draught measurement can establish this, and the technical condition certificate marks each channel with its use.

Natural ventilation ducts in an apartment building are checked once every 10 years, in rooms with gas appliances once every five years. More: ventilation duct cleaning and camera inspection.

An unused chimney head above the roof also crumbles over the years, and pieces of brick can fall onto the pavement or into the yard. Riga's rules on property maintenance list a damaged chimney among damage to a building's external structures. During cleaning the specialist can also inspect the heads on the roof and tell you which ones need repair: chimney repair.

Hospitals, schools and offices

Brasa has hospital and other institutional complexes. Large institutional buildings often have mechanical ventilation, their own boiler or historic flues; the inspection visit shows what exactly your building has. Mechanical ventilation is checked and cleaned once every five years, with photos or video attached to the certificate. An institution needs a certificate after every flue cleaning, and from 01.01.2027 a written contract will have to be concluded with the service provider. More: chimney sweep for businesses.

Changing the heating in a flat

If you plan to replace an old gas boiler or stove in a flat in Brasa, Riga rules allow replacement with a new ecodesign appliance of up to 50 kW using the same fuel. The application to the municipality must include a certificate of the technical condition of the existing appliance, the flues and the natural ventilation ducts, and the appliance is then registered with the Riga Energy Agency. In zones I and II the choice of a new heating type is restricted more strictly than in zone III, so check the zone for your address on the municipal zoning map.

Access and price

On Brīvības iela and Senču iela you often cannot park for long, so say in the request whether we can drive into the yard and who will unlock the attic. In a pre-war building the roof is usually reached through the attic hatch; if there is none or it is locked, the flue is cleaned from below through the cleaning doors. Flue cleaning costs from €100, usually €100–130, with the certificate and call-out. Prices: prices.

Neighbouring areas: Riga centre, Teika, Čiekurkalns and Sarkandaugava. All of Riga: chimney sweep in Riga.