Flue cleaning in Zaķusala - office and infrastructure buildings on the island

What buildings there are on the island

Zaķusala is a long island in the Daugava. It is home to the television complex, office buildings, transport infrastructure and development sites, but there is little housing. What heating a particular building has is not compiled publicly, so before the work we ask you to describe the appliances: whether the building has its own boiler house, a gas boiler, a backup heat source or a fireplace in its reception rooms.

If the building gets its heat from the city heating network and has no appliance with a flue, a chimney sweep is only needed for the ventilation ducts. We tell you this straight away, so that you do not order something you do not need.

In the few residential buildings on the island the work is the same as in a private house: the stove or boiler flue is cleaned before the heating season, and the owner may also clean their own solid-fuel flue themselves. More: chimney sweep for a private house.

What the rules require for a business building

• A certificate for every cleaning, with the name and number of the sweep's qualification document.
• Gas appliances: servicing and inspection once a year; the flue once a year if brick, or once every two years if lined or metal.
• Solid-fuel boilers: cleaning by 1 November and once more by 1 March.
• Solid and liquid-fuel flues: a technical condition inspection once every five years with photos or video.
• Natural ventilation ducts: once every 10 years, in rooms with gas appliances once every five years.

The work is done by a qualified chimney sweep, and the certificate states their qualification document. More: chimney sweep for a business.

Wind and water around the island

On the island the waterside conditions are set by the Daugava, the floodplains and the wind. On tall metal flues against building walls, wind and damp put strain on the fixings, guy wires and joints. So we check whether the fixings are loose, whether there is rust in the joints and whether the cap is in place. If needed, we also look at the inside of the flue with a camera: camera inspection.

If a new boiler is to be installed in the building or the flue rebuilt, a technical condition certificate is needed before it is put into service: flue inspection for commissioning.

Working in a building that is in use

In office and media buildings the work must not disrupt daily routines. When a flue is cleaned at a boiler or fireplace, fine dust can rise into the air, and it can set off smoke detectors. So the timing has to be agreed with the building manager or security, so that the relevant alarm zone in the room can be switched off for the cleaning.

If the boiler has a burner, after cleaning it is switched on by the service specialist or the building technician, and then the draught is checked. The certificate for each flue also states what needs fixing.

The Riga rules for a new appliance

If a business plans to change its type of heating or install a new appliance, the Riga heat supply rules require approval from the municipal Heat Supply Commission. The requirements depend on the zone, which can be checked on the zoning map on the commission's page. In all zones new coal, peat and liquid-fuel appliances are banned, and from 1 January 2031 so are any new individual fossil-fuel appliances.

Access and price

Zaķusala is reached by the Salu Bridge, and the transport junctions are concentrated, so in your request tell us which entrance to use to reach the building and who will meet us. In office buildings the roof exit is usually locked, and the keys are with the building manager.

Flue cleaning with a certificate costs from €100, usually €100–130, with the call-out included. Ventilation duct inspection, a technical condition report and a camera inspection are priced for your situation: the price depends on the number of flues and ducts, the height of the building and roof access. All prices: prices.