Decommissioning, retrofitting or replacing fireplaces in accordance with the 1. BImSchV

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In 2010, the „1. BImSchV“ came into force in Germany. This ordinance specifies replacement obligations (retrofitting or decommissioning where necessary) for single-room firing installations for solid fuels.

The ordinance is available to everyone online free of charge, and chimney sweeps, associations and the media have been providing continuous information on the topic since 2010.

German version of the 1. BImSchV:

1. BImSchV – Erste Verordnung zur Durchführung des Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetzes *) (gesetze-im-internet.de)

English translation: First Ordinance on the Implementation of the Federal Immission Control Act (Ordinance on Small and Medium-Sized Firing Installations) (Erste Verordnung zur Durchführung des Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetzes – Verordnung über kleine und mittlere Feuerungsanlagen – 1. BImSchV (bmuv.de)

Due to the fact that the last date for retrofitting or decommissioning is 2024, we are receiving a flood of telephone and written inquiries. Many fireplace owners are worried due to false reports in the media, need proof of compliance with limit values or are looking for consulting.

Our notified body is not the right contact for this.

As a testing and certification body notified by the European Commission, we are not permitted to make test results or documents accessible to third parties or to make statements to third parties about tests or certifications carried out by us, as these are legally the property of the respective client/manufacturer. We are also not permitted to provide consulting on products tested or certified by us.

If you have any questions, you should first contact the distribution channel through which the construction product was purchased (e.g. specialist dealer, hardware store, shipping chain).

If this cannot provide information, please contact the manufacturer listed on the type plate or documents.

Even if manufacturers no longer exist or cannot be found, this does not release us from our duty of data protection and confidentiality.

The following transitional periods are listed in the 1. BImSchV:

Date on the type plateDate of decommissioning, retrofitting or decommissioning
Up to and including December 31, 1974 or date can no longer be determinedDecember 31, 2014
January 1, 1975 to December 31, 1984December 31, 2017
January 1, 1985 to December 31, 1994December 31, 2020
January 1, 1995 to including March 21, 2010December 31, 2024

The current phase affects fireplaces that were marked between January 1, 1995 and March 21, 2010 (date/year on the type plate). These must be decommissioned, retrofitted or replaced by a new low-emission fireplace by December 31, 2024 if the existing fireplace does not comply with the applicable limit values.

For all fireplaces that are affected by a previous phase but have not yet been considered, immediate action must be taken by the district master chimney sweep.

The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) assumes that up to approx. 4 million fireplaces are affected by this legal regulation in the 1. BImSchV. The number of inquiries we receive is correspondingly high.

Please understand that we are unable to answer detailed questions for the reasons mentioned above.

Successful notification according to EN 16510

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We were one of the first European laboratories to receive notification in relation to the new EN 16510 series of standards. The notification certificate was sent to us by the Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik, which means that we are now authorized to issue test reports in accordance with EN 16510.

The notification concerns the following construction products:

EN 16510-2-1Roomheaters
EN 16510-2-2inset appliances including open fires
EN 16510-2-3Cookers
EN 16510-2-6 Mechanically by wood pellets fed roomheaters, inset appliances and cookers

The notified bodies have submitted a draft on the use of historical data related to part 2-1 (room heaters) to the European Commission. The decision will be communicated within the next 14 days.
The proposal for the use of historical data for the other parts of the standard EN 16510 2-2 to 2-6 will be processed by the notified bodies in the coming week.

The EN 16510 series of standards replaces the standards EN 13240, EN 13229, EN 12815, EN 12809, EN 14785 and thus the majority of standards for small fireplaces. From 09.11.2025, the fireplaces concerned must be placed on the market with a test report in accordance with the corresponding part of EN 16510. The standard for storage fireplaces EN 15250 will be harmonized at a later date and is not yet acutely affected.

Further information on EN 16510 can be found here: Harmonization of EN 16510 – RRF (rrf-online.eu)

You are welcome to contact us about tests in accordance with EN 16510 or the use of historical data from your fireplaces.