Ventilation duct cleaning in Riga and the Riga region

When ventilation ducts must be cleaned

The schedule is a minimum. It is worth checking a duct sooner if the windows mist up, mould forms in the bathroom, smells linger in the kitchen or the neighbours' smells come through the grille. These are signs that air is not flowing through the duct or is flowing the wrong way.

Why ventilation is a fire safety issue

In a room with a gas boiler or cooker, ventilation carries away combustion products, and gas if it leaks. If the duct is blocked, flue gases can stay in the room. That is why ventilation ducts are in the same certificate as flues, and in rooms with gas appliances they are checked more often. Discharging flue gases into a ventilation duct is prohibited, and so is cleaning a ventilation duct by burning it out.

How ventilation shaft cleaning is done

1. Duct layout We find out which duct leads from which room. In old houses flues and ventilation ducts sit side by side in one brick block, and they must not be mixed up.
2. Draught before the work At every grille we check whether air is flowing into the duct, and note down the weak ducts.
3. Cleaning From the roof or attic we lower a brush with a weight into the duct or push in a flexible rod. The room is usually covered, and the dirt is collected at the bottom by the grille.
4. Blockages If the brush does not get through, the blockage can be located with a camera: a nest, a fallen brick or building debris after a renovation.
5. Draught after the work and certificate We check the draught again and draw up a certificate covering each duct.

A certificate is drawn up for the cleaning, and it states the cleaner's qualification document. A certificate may be omitted only if the owner of a private house cleans the natural ventilation ducts themselves.

The most common problems we find

• The grille has been painted over, taped over or blocked by a cupboard after a renovation.
• A cooker hood or fan is connected to a natural ventilation duct and disturbs the neighbours' ducts.
• A bird's nest at the top of the duct or a collapsed brick in the middle of it.
• In the attic the duct has been cut off or closed when new thermal insulation was fitted.
• Plastic windows without an air supply: the duct is clean, but no air comes into the room.

In the last case cleaning alone does not help: a trickle vent or micro-ventilation in the windows is needed. We record this in the certificate as a recommendation.

In apartment buildings and private houses

In an apartment building the owner, or the building manager if the management contract provides for it, is responsible for the shared ventilation systems. The job can be done only if residents provide access to the flats, and the certificate must cover every duct. How to plan it: ventilation check in apartment buildings.

A private house has fewer ducts. On chimneys: chimney cleaning and chimney sweep for a house. If a technical condition certificate is needed, the ventilation ducts are entered in the same diagram: chimney sweep's condition report.

From 2027: who may clean ventilation

The new fire safety law lists the cleaning and technical condition inspection of a natural ventilation duct as fire safety services. From 01.01.2027 they may be provided only by a person with appropriate professional training, and a contract will have to be signed for the service. The qualification requirements will be set by the Cabinet of Ministers.

When you do not need us

Mechanical ventilation systems with heat recovery units, filters and fans are serviced by ventilation system companies. We work with natural ventilation ducts: brick and concrete shafts in which air flows without a fan. If the house has both, we will tell you which part needs which specialist.

How much does ventilation duct cleaning cost?

There is no single price. It depends on:

• the number and length of the ducts, and the number of storeys in the building;
• access to the roof and attic;
• how much dirt there is and whether there are blockages that need finding with a camera;
• whether the rooms have gas appliances and a technical condition certificate is needed.

In the form, give the type of building and the approximate number of ducts. The specialist will name the price after you submit the form, before the work. Other prices: prices. We work across Riga and the Riga region, including Purvciems, Imanta and Salaspils.