ABOUT GAS LEAKS

• If you should smell gas around your appliance the first step, however basic it sounds, would be to check that all knobs are in the off position.

• It is easy for knobs, especially on hot plates, to be accidently turned on during cleaning.

• Turn off all the gas appliances in your home including the pilot on your hot water system.

• Open windows for ventilation and extinguish any ignition source for example candles, matches.

• Locate your gas meter and turn off the supply. The meter is usually in a metal box on the side of the house or somewhere in the front near the driveway.

• To turn the gas meter off the valve should be moved 90 degrees to a horizontal position.

• Contact us to investigate which appliance may be the source.

• The cause of many gas leaks in the home is usually lack of service or faulty appliances.

 

IGNITION TO HOT PLATES

Many people wonder how they can use a hot plate that is not igniting automatically whilst they are waiting for a repair. Many appliances are able to be lit manually in the short term. Always light the match or handheld ignitor( such as a BBQ lighter) first then hold this over and close to burner turning the tap on slowly to light. It is a common mistake turn the tap on first allowing gas to escape and build up before the lighted match is close to the burner causing an explosive ignition.

1.   Light the match first

2. Hold close to the burner

3. Turn the burner on slowly       

Using a handheld lighter is preferable to a match as the flame is further away from the fingers.

 

GENERAL MAINTENANCE ON WATER HEATERS AFTER TIME AWAY.

If a house is left empty for a period or you go away on holiday it is always a good idea to check if the eaves above the hot water system are getting black.

It is common for insects to get into aeration ports to the burner causing the flame to produce black soot.

This can become dangerous if left for too long. Letting this situation continue can result in an expensive repair plus the added painting costs.

Soot on eaves above the water heater indicates service is needed as soon as possible.

As part of a service, we can remove all soot from a hot water system effectively prolonging it’s useful life and keeping it in safe operational order.

 

TIP FOR END OF HEATING SEASON

If you have a gas fireplace or heater that operates from a remote control it is a good idea to remove the batteries once the warmer weather is here to stay.

Replacing a remote that has been damaged by leaking batteries can be very expensive.

 

PRE SEASON FOR HEATING

The colder weather can come fast changing from warm Autumn days to sudden temperature drops at night letting us know winter is on the way.

A preventative maintenance service allows us to catch problems before they occur in the dead of winter.

We quite often receive an enormous amount of calls on the first cold rainy day making it difficult for us to respond as fast as we would like to.

Taking advantage of our discounted service rates in February and March can save you money and gives you the peace of mind that your heater will operate efficiently as soon as needed.