As of: February 3, 2024, 8:02 a.m
By: Amy Walker
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For many people, the fireplace is essential for coziness in winter.
But at the end of 2024, a regulation will come into force that could mean the end of many wood heating systems.
Berlin – If you like to sit in front of the cozy, warm fireplace in winter, you should order a chimney sweep to your home soon.
At the end of the year, the second stage of a regulation will come into force, which could mean the end of some wood heaters and tiled stoves.
But there is a way out: By converting them, many fireplaces can be saved and continue to be used after 2025.
The table shows: Wood heating systems must comply with these limit values in 2025
Specifically, it is about the fine dust pollution caused by the use of wood stoves.
The permissible limit values are precisely regulated in the so-called Federal Immission Control Act, or BImSchV for short.
Accordingly, all so-called individual room combustion systems (e.g. fireplaces, pellet stoves, tiled stoves, coke ovens) that were installed before January 1, 2015 had to gradually meet the level 1 limit values.
For systems that were newly installed since 2015, higher limit values, level 2, applied from the start.
According to the BImSchV, older systems will soon have to comply with the limit values of level 2, from January 1, 2025. So anyone who wants to continue to operate an older device must check in the current year whether a conversion is necessary.
This particularly applies to systems that were installed before 2010.
Here is an overview of the limit values including deadlines:
Table of limit values for level 1: For all systems installed before 2015
Type of heating |
CO in g/m³ |
Dust in g/m³ |
Minimum efficiency in % |
|---|---|---|---|
Flat firing space heater |
2.0 |
0.075 |
73 |
Space heater with filling firing |
2.5 |
0.075 |
70 |
Storage individual fireplaces |
2.0 |
0.075 |
75 |
closed fireplace inserts |
2.0 |
0.075 |
75 |
Tiled stove with flat firing |
2.0 |
0.075 |
80 |
Tiled stove with filling firing |
2.5 |
0.075 |
80 |
herd |
3.0 |
0.075 |
70 |
Heating stoves |
3.5 |
0.075 |
75 |
Pellet stoves with water pocket |
0.40 |
0.03 |
90 |
Pellet stoves without a water pocket |
0.40 |
0.05 |
85 |
Table of limit values for level 2: From 2025 for all systems older than 2010 and for systems installed since 2015 (minimum efficiency remains unchanged):
Type of heating |
CO in g/m³ |
Dust in g/m³ |
|---|---|---|
Flat firing space heater |
1.25 |
0.04 |
Space heater with filling firing |
1.25 |
0.04 |
Storage individual fireplaces |
1.25 |
0.04 |
closed fireplace inserts |
1.25 |
0.04 |
Tiled stove with flat firing |
1.25 |
0.04 |
Tiled stove with filling firing |
1.25 |
0.04 |
herd |
1.50 |
0.04 |
Heating stoves |
1.50 |
0.04 |
Pellet stoves with water pocket |
0.25 |
0.02 |
Pellet stoves without a water pocket |
0.25 |
0.03 |
Fireplace Retrofit Can Save Wood Stove
So if you have such a fireplace, you should have the limit values checked by a chimney sweep this year.
If he later discovers that these have been exceeded, he has to switch off the fireplace or stove.
However, ovens that still exceed the limit values can be retrofitted.
To reduce fine dust, for example, there are so-called particle separators that suck up the dust from the smoke like a vacuum cleaner.
A chimney sweep can explain the options – and the costs.
In addition to firewood and kindling, you also need a suitable lighter to heat up the fireplace.
© Bernd Feil/MiS/Imago
Another option would of course be to replace the existing oven with a completely new one.
This can also have the advantage that new types of wood stoves work much more efficiently than old devices.
However, this is of course expensive: such a fireplace can cost up to 10,000 euros.
In any case, owners with older devices shouldn't take too much time.
Transparency note: An earlier version of the article did not clearly state that systems installed between 2010 and 2015 can still comply with Level 1. The conversion obligation applies to older systems.