These appliances are used most in winter, and that is when soot and tar build up fastest. If the roof is icy, the flue is usually cleaned from the bottom through the cleaning door. Cleaning one flue costs from €100, certificate included.
Which flues need a second cleaning
The regulations divide appliances by how long they store heat. If an appliance does not store heat for longer than three hours, it is a long-burn appliance, and its flue is cleaned twice: by 1 November and again between 1 November and 1 March. A masonry stove with a large mass needs only one cleaning, by 1 November.
| Appliance | Second cleaning in winter |
|---|---|
| Wood, coal, wood-gasification boiler | yes |
| Pellet boiler | yes |
| Metal stove, stove fireplace with a steel or cast-iron firebox | yes |
| Sauna stove | yes |
| Masonry stove, tiled stove | no, cleaning by 1 November is enough |
| Gas boiler | no, it has its own deadlines: once a year or once every two years depending on the flue |
Cabinet Regulation No. 238 “Fire Safety Regulations”, point 68 (long-burn solid-fuel appliances that do not store heat for longer than three hours), point 69 (other appliances) and point 71 (gas and liquid-fuel flues). The appliance examples in the table are our reading, not the text of the regulations. Source: likumi.lv, checked 04.11.2026. 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.
Why there is most soot in winter
In frosty weather the boiler runs almost without a break, and many people burn at low output so that the wood lasts longer. When the fire smoulders, the smoke is cooler and carries more unburnt particles and moisture, which settle in the upper part of the chimney as soot and tar. In winter people also more often burn wood that has not dried enough.
That is why the risk of a soot fire is also higher in winter. If soot is burning in the flue, call 112 and then do not use the flue until it has been checked. What to do after a fire: chimney soot fire.
An icy roof: cleaning through the cleaning door
It is not safe to climb onto a snowy or icy roof, so in winter many flues are cleaned from the bottom: flexible rods with a brush are pushed upwards through the cleaning door at the chimney base or in the attic. How this works and when it is not enough: cleaning a chimney from the bottom.
If the flue has sharp bends or the cap mesh is clogged, in winter it is usually cleaned from the bottom as far as possible, and the certificate records that the upper part must be examined once the roof is safe.
What happens to the chimney head in winter
The smoke from pellet and gas boilers is cool and damp. In frost the moisture freezes in the chimney head and on the cap, and ice or hoarfrost forms at the outlet, narrowing the opening and weakening the draught. In a masonry chimney without a liner the moisture soaks into the bricks, and after a few winters the joints crumble. If you see icicles or dark damp patches on the outside of the chimney, mention it in your request: condensation in the chimney.
How to prepare for a winter visit
- Stop heating the evening before so that the boiler and flue can cool down. Working on a hot flue is not safe.
- Clear the way to the cleaning doors and clear the snow from the path to the house.
- If the door is in the attic, make sure there is light there.
How much chimney cleaning in winter costs
Cleaning in winter costs the same as in autumn: from €100 per flue, usually €100–130, with the certificate and call-out in Riga and the Riga region. In winter the price is more often affected by the amount of tar in a heavily used boiler and by having to work through the door in a long or winding flue. All prices: prices.
Sources
- Long-burn appliances that do not store heat for longer than 3 hours: cleaned by 1 November and again between 1 November and 1 March (68); others by 1 November (69); gas and liquid-fuel flues (71) checked 4 November 2026
- VUGD urges cleaning long-burn flues again between 1 November and 1 March; burning soot damages the flue (19.01.2026) checked 4 November 2026