ALL GAS APPLIANCE SERVICE - Gas Appliance Repairs Brisbane

Should I have my gas appliances regularly serviced?

YES. All types and models of gas appliances (domestic, commercial or industrial) need to be regularly checked and have routine maintenance or a scheduled straight service.
One reason for this is to diagnose the early stages of any potential problems an appliance may have thus, the repairs are considerably cheaper. In some cases the damage due to lack of proper maintenance or servicing are so large that it is cheaper to install a new unit.
The next reasons for regular servicing are to maintain the appliance’s peak performance, ensure the optimum amount of gas is applied for energy efficiency and to diminish any possible safety risks associated with the nature of a gas appliance.
Do not wait until the appliance fails or ‘explodes’ before calling a serviceperson.
Generally, the better the maintenance, the longer the utility life you'll get from the machine.
We strongly recommend that the manufacturer's specifications for servicing are strictly followed. Such information should be available by the appliances’ manuals along with the warranty that is handed over to you by your Plumber/Gasfitter at the completion of the installation of the appliance.
Please note that these considerations are fully applicable to electric appliances as well.

Should I contact a Plumber or a Gasfitter to service my gas water heater?

As recommended by manufacturers of gas appliances, the customer must contact a proper and dedicated gas technician or a service company specifically trained for the service and maintenance of gas appliances – service personnel that are also regularly retrained by the factories and carrying the proper parts and testing equipment for the correct service.
Plumbers and Gasfitters might assist you in case of a replacement of a gas appliance. For maintenance or servicing, a proper gas appliance service company is strongly recommended.

My instantaneous gas hot water heater caught fire last night and it is gone. Looks like it was not serviced since it was installed apparently over 10 years ago. I bought the house only a few years ago . Nobody told me it was supposed to be serviced.

After the installation of a new gas device, plumbers and gasfitters have the obligation to hand over all instruction booklets and technical information that came with the appliance, to the customer. Customers are obliged to read the information and keep it.
In the event that the house is being sold, the new owner should be receiving ALL manuals related to gas or electric appliances that are attached to or are part of the house (water heaters, cookers, space or room heaters, air conditioning equipment, dishwashers, pool or spa pool equipment, etc.). Unfortunately this is rarely happening.
Just be proactive. Do not expect someone to come and to tell you what to do. Always assume that there is something around the house that might need attention, even if it is still working fine. If you believe or suspect that your gas appliances and particularly your water heater was not checked or serviced for the last three years, a checkup by a licensed technician can’t hurt.

The pilot flame on my instantaneous gas hot water heater is on, but when I turn on a hot water tap the main burner is not kicking in and yet the gas supply is fine. What's going on?

If the heater has been properly relighted and you are still unable to get hot water in your taps, then it is possible that your heater needs urgent service as one or more parts inside the water section are faulty or broken. You must refer the matter to a licensed gas technician or accredited gas appliance service company.
Note that the manufacturer’s specifications for relighting can be found on a sticker attached to the front, side or back of the heater’s front cover.

The pilot flame on my water heater keeps extinguishing and I have to relight it on a constant basis. What should I do?

Pilot flames on gas appliances generally function with a safety device called a "flame failure valve" which might require attention. It is designed to turn off the gas to the appliance after a specific amount of seconds if the pilot flame goes off.
Contact a gas appliance service company for help as the components of the flame failure valve need testing for performance and replacement if necessary.
It is dangerous and illegal to try to bypass that device.

Last time my gas water heater stopped working it took a few days until a serviceperson turned up and another week to find the parts to repair it. Is that normal?

If you contact us in the morning as early as possible, then there is a high chance that your water heater will be working again in the afternoon. We carry most of the parts for the most popular types of gas hot water heaters in Brisbane.

I called my plumber a few weeks ago and he made some repairs on my gas water heater but it still keeps alternating between hot and cold water in the shower-place. He came back three more times and now says that we should replace the water heater. Is that right?

No. Looks like some key parts have not been replaced yet or proper adjustments still need to be done.
By experience with similar cases we are sure your water heater does not need replacement. All it may need is proper servicing by an experienced and properly trained technician.

My gas instant hot water system stopped working last night. I've called my gasfitter and he says that it needs replacement. It is nine years old. Is that the typical utility life or should they last longer?

The expected average utility life of a regularly maintained instantaneous water heater is around 20 to 25 years. Before making any decisions, ask for a second opinion and have the heater checked by a proper gas appliance service company. We are pretty sure all it needs is a proper maintenance service usually below a price mark of 200 dollars.

I can smell gas sometimes when opening a drawer or a door under the gas cooktop. Sometimes there is no smell at all and some days it is very strong. What should I do?

There should be an isolation gas tap under the cooktop. Turn it off and give us a ring to organise repairs asap. There is a leak in the pipework connecting to the cooktop or an internal leak in the appliance possibly from a faulty gasket or the manifold taps needing regreasing to stop gas leakage. For safety reasons any repair must be done by a licensed gas technician.

I've got a European gas freestanding cooker and I am cannot get the oven burner going. I am doing the usual recommended procedure for relighting but as soon I release the oven knob the flame on the burner goes off. What's going on?

A component of the oven's “Flame Failure Valve” is faulty and can’t signal that the flame has been established. Ring us to make a booking so we can identify the faulty part and install a new one.

I want to replace my existing water heater and my plumber advised me of the convenience of having a Tempering Valve installed. Is that correct?

Depending on your particular situation a Tempering Valve might be compulsory or recommended. We strongly recommend the installation of Tempering Valves even if they are not compulsory for the situation.
The latest generation of gas electronic instantaneous water heaters such as RINNAI INFINITY, RHEEM INTEGRITY, BOSCH HIGHFLOW AND DUX ENDURANCE all have a version that comes with an inbuilt system that limits the temperature to a maximum of 50 deg C (they are named "50 deg C factory preset models") thus saving the cost of installing a tempering valve.

I've got a gas oven that is not heating up. It is a model with a glowing element on the left side of the burner. Previously, the element was glowing and the flame was coming up, but now only the element glows and no flame.
Is this a burner blockage and can you fix it?

Your gas oven is, more than likely, either a CHEF or WESTINGHOUSE or ELECTROLUX brand. These ovens use an American ignition system called "NORTON" that uses gas to produce heat for cooking yet is regulated by electric components.
Usually, the problem will stem from the electronic components.

Under the current Queensland trade and safety legislation, the person working on this applance must be a trained technician with a gas and electrical license.

We at ALL GAS are certified to fix these problems as we hold both types of licenses.

A workmate told me he had recently installed on his house a "Tempering Valve", what does this do?

Tempering Valves are very important safety devices that limit the temperature of the hot water pipes to a maximum of 50 deg C, to minimise the risks of scalding such as in cases of young children and elderly people. Regardless, children and elderly people particularly those with mobility problems should always be supervised when bathing.

I've got an old gas upright cooker that is around 30 years old. The width is 540mm and it is white in colour. Can I get it replaced?

Of course, visit a local appliance retailer such as The Good Guys, Harvey Norman or RT Edwards, purchase one and when it's delivered to your house, contact us and we'll professionally install the new one and remove the old one for metal recycling.
To allow for easier servicing and eventual maintenance, it is strongly recommended to buy Australian brands such as CHEF or WESTINGHOUSE as spare parts will be more readily available. Check the type of gas you've got at home, whether it is natural or propane, and order an appropriate stove.
If you aren't sure or undecided on what to buy, feel free to contact us and we can help you with some recommendations.

I've got one of those old gas elevated (or side by side) cookers sitting on top of a specially designed cabinet. I would like to replace it but are they still available?

Yes they are still available. WESTINGHOUSE is the only manufacturer in Australia for these types of cookers.
They are assembled in Adelaide and delivery takes about 10 working days. You can order it with the oven on the right or the left side.
These cookers are not seen in showrooms but it can be ordered under the model numbers: GEK 1235 W (standard model) or GEK 1385 W (premium model).

Double check with another retailer if the salesperson says that it is not available.
Once you have it delivered to your home, contact us and we'll replace it and remove the old one for metal recycling.

Since my plumber installed a TEMPERING VALVE on my house, I have had trouble with the provision of hot water. Can you come and remove it?

It is strictly prohibited and illegal to remove it. Removing this device may attract a suspension of license, a heavy fine and even prosecution. Do not attempt to remove it yourself and do not ask for it to be removed.
There are several reasons why a Tempering Valve may not be performing well:

It might be faulty.
It might be out of calibration.
The filters may be clogged with debris.
It might be incompatible with the connected hot water system type - Tempering Valves are each specifically designed for certain storage, instantaneous or solar water heaters and are thus, not interchangeable. Installation of the wrong type of tempering valve will cause nothing but trouble.

Sometimes the Tempering Valve may not be at fault and the gas water heater may just need servicing.
Contact your licensed Plumber/Gasfitter for more information or give us a ring to have the Tmpering Valve and the gas water heater checked and serviced for proper performance and efficiency.

I've got a large storage hot water heater that is leaking water and needs replacement. It is a bulky, ugly thing at the back of the house. Can you replace this heater with something more compact or more aesthetically pleasing?

Due to the nature of the design, generally all types of storage hot water heaters are bulky as they keep large amounts of preheated hot water inside. Their bulkyness usually makes them 'ugly' and difficult to hide.
The preferred solution in this case is to replace the storage hot water heater with an instantaneous gas type that is extremely compact and far more efficient in comparison.

The photo sets below show a typical replacement job we previously completed in Wishart and one in New Farm. Removal of the existing broken storage water heater at the back of the house and the installation of the instantaneous replacement on the adjacent side of the house.

Above - typical Tempering Valves in Australia (from left to right):

'AVG' for gas storage types.
'TEMP SHIELD' for gas instantaneous types.
'CALEFFI' for gas instantaneous types.
'RELIANCE' (RMC) for solar types.
All these valves have a modulating thermostatic cartridge made by VERNET in France.

The other day I've been trying to turn off the master gas tap, the one at the gas meter, and I was unable to do so as it looks "frozen". Can I make a booking with you to have it repaired or replaced?

This is a good question related to general safety around the house. Always know where the master gas tap is (generally situated just before the inlet of the gas meter) in case of an emergency. Always be prepared for worst case scenarios and ensure every member of the family knows where the master tap is and that the pathway to reach it is always clear. It is very important to regularly check the tap to ensure that even a child can turn it off freely.
If you are unable to do so, contact the gas company to have it replaced as it belongs to the gas supplier and is generally, a free service.