Safety

When is the Feuerstättenschau due in Germany?

every 42 months Safety critical High priority

Close-up view of a ceiling-mounted fire alarm system ensuring safety in a building. — Photo by Caleb Oquendo on Pexels

Short answer

Feuerstättenschau (chimney sweep inspection) every 42 months. The commonly recommended range is twice in 7 years, 3 to 5 years apart. It is a legal duty, and a flue that no longer draws properly can push carbon monoxide back into the home. This is a safety-critical task, so do not let it slip.

Add this reminder to Maintainly Free. Opens the app if you have it, or the App Store if you do not.

How often

every 42 months

Accepted range

twice in 7 years, 3 to 5 years apart

Applies in

Safety critical

Yes

In Germany every combustion installation, from a wood stove to a gas boiler, falls under the Kehr- und Überprüfungsordnung (KÜO). Twice in every seven years, and three to five years apart, the district chimney sweep inspects the whole installation in person. This is the Feuerstättenschau, and it is separate from the routine sweeping and emission measurements.

Why does the Feuerstättenschau matter?

It is a legal duty, and a flue that no longer draws properly can push carbon monoxide back into the home.

What happens if you skip the Feuerstättenschau?

Missing the Feuerstättenschau leads to a reminder, then an order from the authority, and in the end the work is arranged for you at your cost. More importantly, a flue that no longer draws or a connection that leaks can push carbon monoxide back into the home.

What does the professional actually do?

Inspects every fireplace, stove, boiler, flue and connection in the building
Checks fire safety distances, air supply and the condition of the chimney
Issues the Feuerstättenbescheid, which lists every installation and the dates for sweeping and emission measurements
Records findings that must be fixed and by when

How do you choose someone qualified?

The Feuerstättenschau is carried out by the bevollmächtigter Bezirksschornsteinfeger for your district, who contacts you. For the routine sweeping and measurements listed in the Feuerstättenbescheid you may choose any qualified chimney sweep, who gives you a Formblatt confirming the work. That form has to reach the district chimney sweep by the deadline.

What does it take?

Time

30 to 90 minutes depending on the number of installations

How do you know the Feuerstättenschau is overdue?

The date on your last Feuerstättenbescheid is three or more years ago
A letter from the district chimney sweep announcing a visit
You have added or replaced a stove or boiler since the last inspection

What do people get wrong?

Throwing away the Feuerstättenbescheid: it is the schedule for every other chimney job
Forgetting to send the Formblatt when a sweep of your choice did the work
Assuming a heat pump home is exempt when a wood stove is still connected

When should you stop and call someone?

Always. Only the district chimney sweep can carry out the Feuerstättenschau.

Want this scheduled for you instead of remembered?

Get the free app

Does this differ in the US, UK, Australia or Canada?

United States

There is no equivalent legal inspection. The NFPA recommends a yearly chimney inspection, which Maintainly covers with the Chimney sweep task.

United Kingdom

There is no equivalent inspection for owner-occupiers. Insurers often expect a yearly sweep for solid fuel, and landlords need a yearly gas safety record for gas appliances.

Australia

There is no national equivalent. Annual sweeping before the June to August heating season is the standard recommendation for wood heaters.

Canada

There is no national equivalent. Insurers often ask for a WETT inspection of a wood-burning appliance.

What about in Europe?

Germany

Required by the KÜO for fireplaces, stoves, and gas and oil heating. The Feuerstättenbescheid also sets the sweeping frequency, for example twice a year for a stove used regularly and once a year for one used on 30 days or fewer.

Common questions

Why does the Feuerstättenschau matter?

It is a legal duty, and a flue that no longer draws properly can push carbon monoxide back into the home.

What happens if you skip the Feuerstättenschau?

It is a legal duty, and a flue that no longer draws properly can push carbon monoxide back into the home. Skipping it does not usually fail immediately, which is exactly why it gets forgotten: the consequence arrives months later as a repair bill rather than as an obvious fault.

Does the Feuerstättenschau differ by country?

Germany: required by the KÜO for every fireplace, stove and gas or oil heating system. Your district chimney sweep carries it out and issues the Feuerstättenbescheid, which also sets the dates for sweeping and emission measurements. Keep the notice and every Formblatt.