Getting your gas heater serviced is a chore that a lot of us try to avoid, or at least put on the back burner. Delaying this issue for too long, can cost you an absorbent amount of money or even your life!
Serving your gas heater regularly is easy and won’t take much time out of your week. Regardless, making sure that your home is safe with a correctly working gas heater far outweighs the consequences. Here’s why you need to service your gas heater often.
1. You could be wasting money
Small cracks in a gas line could be costing you lots of money in wasted gas. You could also be running up your electricity bill as gas heaters that aren’t running efficiently tend to work harder.
2. Gas can kill
A gas leak can increase your gas bill and be damaging to your health. In Australia, natural gas has a smell added to it so you can smell a leak – this explains why you can tell if you’ve left the stove on. If undetected, gas can affect your body in many ways, over exposure can potentially lead to permanent damage or death.
Another type of gas to be weary of is carbon monoxide, also represented as CO. Unlike natural gas, CO is odorless, tasteless and invisible. If there is a carbon monoxide leak in your home, you may not know until it’s too late. CO leaks are more common in older units that don’t receive much attention, which is why it’s even more important to get your gas heater serviced by a professional.
As mentioned, you may not know that your heater is leaking CO. Headaches, dizziness, nausea and general discomfort are symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. If one or more people in your family are suffering from one or all of these symptoms, it could be a good indication that something might be wrong and that you should call 000.
If you believe that your appliance is playing up, turn it off, make sure that there is plenty of ventilation and book a service with one of our specially trained technicians on 9735 3958.
3. Increased fire risk
Gas can lead to fire. The smallest of sparks can start a fire when exposed to gas. A spark can come from anywhere: A stove, cigarette lighter, even the heater itself – the latter is particularly dangerous during the night. It’s important for all homeowners to have their gas heaters serviced regularly to reduce the risk of a gas leak and/or fire.
For all landlords and renters: it’s worth noting that tenants can request a clause to be added to the lease that will require a landlord to have all gas appliances checked every 2 years. Of course, if the appliance isn’t safe, it will need to be repaired or replaced urgently. Landlords should seek further advice to ensure that a property and its appliances are safe.
Please make gas heater safety a priority. If you think your heater could be running poorly, or is overdue for a service, contact John’s Refair as soon as possible.