Gas Heaters and Carbon Monoxide: Staying Safe in Winter
Why gas heaters need regular servicing and what to watch for in a cold foothills winter.
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The hidden risk
Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless gas produced when gas burns without enough air, or when exhaust cannot escape properly. A faulty gas heater can release it into a room without anyone noticing. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, nausea, tiredness and confusion, and they often ease when you leave the house.
Common causes
Cracked heat exchangers, blocked flues, dirty burners and poor ventilation are the usual causes. Exhaust fans and range hoods can also pull fumes back down a flue into the room, a problem called negative pressure.
Service every two years
Gas heaters should be serviced by a licensed gasfitter at least every two years. A proper service includes cleaning, checking the flue and heat exchanger, and a carbon monoxide spillage test with exhaust fans running.
Warning signs
A yellow or orange flame instead of blue, soot marks around the heater, a stale smell, condensation on windows near the heater or a pilot that keeps going out can all point to a problem. Stop using the heater and have it checked.
Alarms help
A carbon monoxide alarm in the living area adds protection, but it does not replace servicing.
Rentals
Landlords in Victoria must arrange a gas safety check every two years.
Ferntree Gully ground and pipes
Ferntree Gully's ground changes as you climb towards the ranges: clay and silty loam on the lower streets, rockier, steeper ground near Upper Ferntree Gully and The Basin. Most homes built before the 1980s were connected with earthenware sewer pipe, and on a slope every joint moves a little over the years and lets roots in. Water service lines from the meter are often long and run through rocky ground or under established gardens. Stormwater has to be carried down the block and away from the house. We use cameras, locators and pressure tests to see what is happening before we dig.
Related services
- Emergency plumbing
- Blocked drains
- Hot water
- Gas fitting
- Hot water replacement
- Heat pumps
- Leaking taps
- Burst pipes
- Toilets
- Leak detection
- Pipe relining
- Stormwater
- Roof and gutters
- Bathrooms
- Kitchens and laundries
- Backflow and maintenance
More guides
Questions on this topic
How often should a gas heater be serviced?
At least every two years, and more often for older heaters.
Do plumbers also deal with gas?
Many plumbers also hold a gasfitting licence. Gas work must be done by a licensed gasfitter, and all of our gas work is done by licensed gasfitters.
Why foothills homes call us
Foothills know-how
Sloping blocks, big gums, clay sewers and gas heaters from the 1970s: this is the plumbing we work on every day.
Price first, work second
A licensed plumber finds the fault and agrees a fixed price with you before anything starts.
Camera, not guesswork
Drain cameras, pressure gauges and leak detection tools show the real cause before we dig or replace.
Respect for your home
Boot covers, drop sheets, old parts taken away and the job tested with you.
Get a free quote
Tell us what is going on and a licensed Ferntree Gully plumber will call you back.
How quoting works
Ring 03 7036 4101 or send the form with a short note, and a photo if you have one. A licensed plumber calls you back, asks a few questions and books a time. On site they find the cause, explain your options and give you a fixed price. Nothing starts until you agree, and larger jobs get a free written quote.
Need a plumber in Ferntree Gully?
Ferntree Gully, Upper Ferntree Gully, Boronia, Rowville, Knoxfield and the Knox foothills. Quote-only: the plumber finds the fault, then gives you a fixed price.