Are you cooking, heating your home, or heating hot water with gas? Having a gas appliance in your home is a great way to access the benefits that come from an efficient source of energy that gives you heat at the touch of a button.
What some homeowners don’t realise is that to get the best value from your gas appliances, you should be taking time to get them regularly serviced. Just like looking after your car, regular maintenance can help your gas appliance work more efficiently for longer, and could stop small problems becoming bigger ones.
Here is some helpful information about servicing your gas appliances.
When should you service your gas appliances?
There are some standard guidelines around when to service different types of gas appliance in the table below. These can sometimes vary depending on the manufacturer’s guidelines. If you’re not sure you can either call the manufacturer or contact East Coast Plumbing and Gas and we’ll do our best to help.
How often to service your gas appliances.
| Type of gas appliance | Recommended service frequency |
| Gas fires and gas heaters | Every 2 years |
| Gas hot water heaters | Every 2 years |
| Gas boilers and furnaces | Every 12 months |
| Gas cookers and hobs | Every 5 years |
What does a gas appliance service involve?
Servicing your gas appliance should typically take 1-2 hours per appliance. Your service technician will take apart the appliance, clean it and carry out a visual inspection of the parts, then put it back together again and make sure it works.
What happens if the service identifies a problem?
Sometimes you may book a service because you suspect something is not working properly. At other times a routine service may uncover a problem that you were unaware of.
Problems can range from damage caused by short circuits and heat; through to rodent damage or cracked casings. Some issues may be easy to identify without even opening the appliance. Other issues may be hidden inside and harder to spot.
If your gas appliance service identifies a problem, your technician will let you know what’s wrong and what’s involved in fixing the problem. The usual recommendation is to fix the problem as soon as possible.
If it’s dangerous to operate the appliance with the existing fault, the appliance should be disconnected from the gas supply and made safe until a repair can be made.
How long it takes to fix the problem will depend on parts availability from either your service provider and the manufacturer.
Why should I service my gas appliances?
Servicing your gas appliances may just seem like an additional cost, but actually it could save you money in the long run. Emergency callouts to fix broken appliances can be a costly process. Identifying a worn or damaged part first can reduce your repair bill and the cost of getting new parts to carry out the fix.
Looking after your gas appliance can also ensure that it operates as safely and efficiently as possible. Just like any piece of equipment, taking good care of it is likely to extend its life and help you get more value from the investment you have made in it.
Buying a new home.
If you want to purchase a property that has gas appliances, it’s important to ask for a copy of the service records. Knowing that the gas appliances have been well maintained will help you to rest assured that you’re investing in fully functioning heating and/or cooking equipment.
If the existing homeowners can’t share service records, why not include a full service of the gas appliances as part of the conditions of your offer? Then you can have peace of mind that your appliances are in full working order, safe, and any issues have been identified before you go unconditional.
Non-compliant gas appliances.
As long as your gas appliance was installed correctly for the regulations that existed at the time of installation, you can rest assured that your service provider can help you to service it and keep it in good working order.
On some occasions a gas appliance service might identify that gas appliances have been installed incorrectly. It’s always important to use qualified technicians to service your gas appliances so you can be confident that they have identified all the issues and your appliances are working correctly, installed correctly and safe.
Ask East Coast Plumbing and Gas to service your gas appliances.
East Coast Plumbing and Gas are members of the Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Association NZ. That means that when you ask us to service your gas appliances you know you’re going to get a qualified member of our team working on the job.
We take pride in getting it right first time, so you don’t need to spend extra money on costly callbacks and repairs. That means we’re your local gas experts who are happy to look after your gas appliances and help you get great value from them for many years to come.
Interested in installing gas or adding a new appliance to your home? We can help you match the best appliance to your needs and your budget, and install it safely and compliantly in your home.
Contact our team today for all your gas fitting and maintenance needs.