No, seriously, when was the last time you had your gas heater serviced?
Stop reading and pull out that last receipt, and I guarantee you’ll find that it’s not two years ago, it’s more like three or four… Time just has a habit of slipping away from us.
Or maybe you never have had your gas heater serviced. Why should you, it still runs.
Whilst it’s still running, if it’s a space heater you probably aren’t seeing much of those lovely blue flames anymore. Instead, in all likelihood, you will be seeing bright yellow flames.
Of course, if it’s a gas wall furnace you cannot see a flame, and if it’s a gas log fire the flames aren’t designed to be blue.
But just because you can’t see the same thing, it doesn’t mean that a service is not required. Quite often a dusty smell comes from your wall furnace or gas log fire if you try turning it on – a sure sign it needs a thorough cleaning inside out by a professional!
Manufacturers all recommend a two-year maximum gap between gas heater services, some even stating that their warranty depends upon it, and they do that for a reason.
You see in that maximum period, a whole pile of dust accumulates in your heater.
It causes the heater to work harder, and parts break down as a result of this. It also causes your gas bill to go up as the heater uses more fuel to do the same job.
Of course, the manufacturer doesn’t care about your gas bill!
No, the reason they make sure that service details are put in their customer manuals is so that whilst the new heater is under warranty they can ensure it is taken care of.
So what is involved in a gas heater service?
- A Service involves the thorough cleaning of all components of your gas heater after disassembly.
- All internal components are tested to see that they are in good working order.
- Gas Pressures and Connections are checked.
- Flue Gas Spillage and Negative Pressure Tests will be performed as required.
- Carbon Monoxide Tests will be performed as required.
Naturally, once the heater is out of warranty this is up to you. The question then becomes do you want a semi-regular costly repair or a regular preventative service?
The Manufacturers want you to give up on costly repairs and any type of servicing and buy a new heater several years after paying for the first one.
Here at Patrick Thermal, we believe you have the sense to want to save on your overall expense by investing in regular gas heater services here in Adelaide for longer-life appliances. Just take a look at our Servicing page for more information.