Chimney and ventilation inspection in Klīversala - masonry blocks by the Daugava

Klīversala as part of Āgenskalns

Klīversala is not a separate official neighbourhood: on the neighbourhoods portal it is part of Āgenskalns, and the portal says Klīversala has perimeter-block buildings typical of Riga's centre. There is no separate heating data for Klīversala itself, so here we write about how the work is done in this type of building rather than claiming how many stoves there are in the area.

In 2022 the Riga Energy Agency named Āgenskalns as a whole as a place with many pre-war buildings without district heating. So the older buildings may have stoves and cookers, gas appliances, or a connection to the heating network after reconstruction.

A perimeter-block building: one chimney, many flues

In a masonry building along the street, one chimney usually serves several floors, and each stove or gas appliance has its own flue. The flues run in the fire wall between flats and join in a single chimney head in the attic. In an apartment building a certificate is needed after every cleaning, and each flue must be described separately in the certificate.

In a tall building with a steep metal roof, the chimney head is usually reached through the attic and a roof hatch. If there is no roof access, the flues can be cleaned from below at the stove doors. A car with tools often cannot drive into an enclosed courtyard, so in the request write how to get to the stairwell.

A new building next to an old chimney

New, tall buildings are going up on the Klīversala waterfront. This can cause a problem for an old chimney: the building code sets the chimney height relative to the roof ridge and the nearest taller building, and if a taller block rises next door, the wind can push smoke back down. If a stove has started to smoke after a neighbouring new build, we check the draught and the chimney height and propose a solution: raising the chimney, a deflector or a different flue.

In the new buildings, natural ventilation ducts are cleaned and checked once every 10 years, in rooms with gas appliances once every five years, and mechanical ventilation once every five years. More: ventilation duct cleaning and chimney has no draught.

Changing your heating: Klīversala and the stricter zones

On the 2025 zoning map, the area around Āgenskalns and Torņakalns falls within Riga's heat supply zone I or II. In zone I, when you change the type of heating, new solid-fuel and gas appliances may not be installed; district heating or zero-emission technologies such as a heat pump are allowed. In zone II, new solid-fuel appliances are banned. Check your address in the GeoRiga layer.

In all zones, an existing appliance in a flat or private house may be replaced with a new ecodesign appliance of up to 50 kW using the same fuel. In a flat you first get approval from the municipal Heat Supply Commission, and the application must include an inspection certificate on the technical condition of the appliance, the flues and the ventilation ducts. The commission's decision is valid for five years, and the new appliance must be registered with the Riga Energy Agency. Photos or a video recording and a drawing showing where each flue is are attached to the technical condition inspection certificate.

Offices, hotels and cafés

Klīversala has offices, hospitality and cultural venues. If a restaurant has a fireplace, a building has its own gas boiler or a kitchen has a ventilation shaft, a certificate is needed after every cleaning, and from 1 January 2027 the law requires a written service contract. More: chimney sweep for businesses.

Services in Klīversala

• Chimney cleaning in Klīversala: from €100 per flue with a certificate.
• Chimney sweep's condition report for replacing an appliance in a flat: priced for your situation.
• Fireplace cleaning: from €100.
• Ventilation check in an apartment building: based on the number of ducts.