Reliable Gas Fitter Services in Adelaide

Gas safety checks

If your one to procrastinate about whether you have a gas leak, your gas piping is installed correctly or your gas appliances are working the way they should be, well STOP!!!, just get it checked. Its simple, why take the risk and wait until something goes wrong like a fire, carbon monoxide poisoning or even worse, someone gets hurt, its just not worth it.

Whether your gas appliances has just been installed by a gas fitter or its been existing in your home for years and years. Its crucial to ensure these are checked if you’re uncertain they are working correctly, more importantly you should be getting you gas appliances looked at yearly or as per recommended by the manufacturers of the appliances.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is very dangerous and a toxic gas, it can be fatal. Carbon monoxide occurs when a gas appliances don’t work the way they were intended and not burn correctly. Carbon Monoxide can occur when gas appliances are not installed correctly, not have correct ventilation, or your flue may be choked and not allowing the products of combustion to exit properly.

Appliances are important to get checked, why?

• To ensure the gas appliances is operating the way it was intended too, for example:
• Gas hot water heaters should be checked to make certain the gas pressures are set correctly and all components like the gas burner, gas control valve, thermostat etc., are in good working order. The location of a gas hot water heater is important to ensure it meets compliancy. The location of a hot water heater in crucial, as not having the correct ventilation for the gas hot water heater may cause the unit to malfunction and be unsafe.
• Gas room heaters should also be checked to ensure no gas leaks are present on components within the unit as these leaks can be in close vicinity to a naked flame/ignition source which can leak and cause a catastrophic fire. Checking the flue is also important, this allows the products of combustion to exit the property in a safe manner. Not having a correctly installed flue may lead to suffocation of the room heater which will escort the heater into malfunction and being unsafe. Its critical to make certain a spillage test is performed on the heater safety check, this will indicate if there are products of combustion entering back into the room and to ensure the unit is working correctly. A spillage test can be conducted using a smoke match, this is usually held (depending on the heater) near the draft diverter which will show the smoke being drawn up through the flue and exit through to the outside atmosphere. Correct ventilation is needed within the room where the gas room heater is located, this again ensures the correct operation of the heater, gas burner etc. Not allowing correct air back into a room which is undersized for a particular heater will cause the gas heater to malfunction and be unsafe, keep in mind every heater has its owner requirements when it comes to ventilation, its best to seek a Adelaide gas fitter like us to check this for you. Its common for customers not to get room heaters check for years which can lead to a build up of dust, pet hair and other forign object to accumulate with the heater and removing this from the heater will not only allow the heater in some cases work more efficiently but reduce the risk of the gas room heater failing as well.
• Gas cooktops and gas ovens can also be checked to make sure no gas leaks are present on gas connections or piping. Gas appliances like these need to have the correct gas pressures flowing through the burners on the gas cooktop or oven, this will ensure you can cook and bake to the best of your ability. Grease, fats and oil build up is a common cause why gas cooktops or gas ovens malfunctioning and stop working normally, these products can be get caught in the gas injectors stopping the correct flow of gas to the burner which can lead to incorrect combustion. A general clean once you have finished cooking will help stop the build up of these elements to cause you trouble.

Installation of new gas piping

Installing gas piping in your home is a great way to take advantage of the great benefits of gas. Whether is be having a continues hot water heater allowing you to have endless amounts of flowing hot water or heating your home with a gas room heater.

Its important to have a qualified Adelaide gas fitter installing new gas piping on your home to make certain your gas appliances work they way they were intended.

Sizing consumer gas piping and making sure the right size gas piping carrying gas throughout your home is crucial, as not having the correct size may cause your gas appliance not to work correctly, cause damage and be a safety risk.

Its important to install gas piping in a safe and compliant location in your house to make sure there is a reduced the risk of damage and leaks.

There are different types of gas piping which can be used for the installation of gas piping, taking into account a number of factors is important to installing gas piping as it can reduce cost of the installation, some common pipes which can be used, are:

1. Copper tube piping
2. Galvanized piping
3. PEX piping

Replacing gas piping

Replacing gas piping is something that home owners around Adelaide need to do from time to time. And this could be for a number of reasons. Here are some of the following reasons why:

• The most common, a gas leak. In some cases replacing your gas piping could be due to a number of gas leaks on the piping. You might ask yourself, why would I replace my gas piping if I can just repair the leak, well sometimes finding a gas leak can be more costly than acuallty replacing the gas piping it self, keeping in mind this is all subject to the property and the footprint of your home, it’s a case by case scenario, we need to take all things into account when we recommend this option to our home owners. It could also be the case that sections of gas piping need only to be replaced as some sections might be ok, its best for us to come out and assess the situation of your gas leak. so if your smelling gas, gas company has shut off your gas due a leak, or you just want a safety check for your peace of mind please give us a call on 0484600095.
• Rusted and corroded piping, this is just as common in Adelaide as having a gas leak, or could be the reason why the leak has occurred in the first place. Rusty galvanised piping located in the ground is a cause why we replace gas piping in Adelaide, its more common in older homes as installing galvanised piping in the ground now days is unorthodox. Now days we tend to use copper tube or poly piping in the ground to carry gas from your gas meter which could be located at the front of your property to your house. Its not always we find rusted piping below ground, it can occur above ground as well, a pipe located in a damp/humid area is subject to rust as well. If you suspect you may have galvinsed/steel piping causing a leak, rest assured we can come out and run some tests for you, to figure out whether there is a leak present.
• Damaged gas piping can be caused by a number of reasons, you may have accidently hit a gas pipe gardening, the kids playing out in the yard may have hit a gas pipe, or a vehicle may also caused damage, etc. Its un-common for this to happen in our experience.
• You may also opt to replace your gas piping because its just unsafe, there could be a high risk of your existing gas piping causing harm to you, your family or the wider community. Yes, rusty pipes can be a potential for a fire, however poorly installed gas piping can also be a factor along with not using the correct compliant material for carry gas through pipes, this could also be a factor as well. Lets be honest, some home owners love to save money and do the job themselves, but little they know about the right connections, fittings and piping to use, for example we have seem water grade piping along with water grade fittings used to carry gas from A to B, yes some water grade piping can be used for gas and visa vera, but some water grade piping is just not fit for the purpose to carry gas as leaks can occur through these connections. So if your thinking of working on your gas piping, just STOP, its not worth the risk, unless you’re a licensed gas fitter, leave the job to us. You don’t want to have a bad thing happen on your conscience.
• Poorly installed gas piping and not having the right connections and shut off valves is important. Having gas isolation valves and the right connections and fittings on certain appliances and gas piping on your home is critical. Some older connections have rubber olives and tongue and groove isolation valves whcih are now outdated and can cause gas leaks, they are also a non-compliant form of connection and isolation now days and are just unsafe, there are better evolved ways to isolate areas of piping and appliance like ball valves and flared unions for connections. The evolution of connecting gas piping has progressed a lot, there are pressed crimped gas fittings which can be used on copper and poly tube which makes a gas fitters life a lot easier and safer for the home owner. Putting connection’s and isolation valves aside as a reason why to replace gas piping, also having gas piping in a non-compliant and unsafe location can also be the reason why gas piping needs to be replaced, if you would like us to come through and take a look at your gas piping, let us know, we can go through your home and perform a safety check.

Repairing gas leaks

Repairing gas leaks across Adelaide is one of our specialties. Unfortunately it’s a common occurrence and its best to get onto them straight away. You may not even know you have a gas leak until a gas fitter tells you, this may come about when the gas fitter is doing some work on your gas piping, gas appliance or the gas company has turned off your gas meter due to a detection of a gas leak.

You may even have a neighbors or a person walking let you know they can smell an odour of gas. Once you know you have a gas leak, its something best fixed right away. Don’t fret, in some cases fixing the leak is a inexpensive expensive, it could just a tighten up of a loose connection or on the other having a gas leak may turn into a larger repair, where installing new piping or even just new sections of piping may be needed.

Having the right equipment and experience diagnosing and pin-pointing a gas leak on your property is important, it can save a gas fitter a lot of time on site which in turn saves you money. More importantly less damage to your property trying to locate the cause of leak, the reduction of knocking out bricks, cuttings wholes in you walls, removing concrete and cabinets in your kitchen can get quite messy and can become unnecessary.

Equipment like gas leak detectors can help pinpoint the location of gas leaks along with other forms of gas leak detectors will help unnecessary damage to your property, we are your Adelaide gas leak repairing business to help you find and repair your gas leaks with manual fuss and mess to your property.

If you have a gas leak:

1. Turn your gas meter off immediately, you can find your gas meter either out the front in your garden area or on the side of your house, if you can’t find it please give us a call as soon a possible on 0484600095.
2. If the gas leak has occurred within your property and not outside where ventilation is natural, its important to ventilate your home by opening windows and doors to help disburse the gas outside.
3. Best to get to a safe space whilst the gas leak is exiting the property to make certain you are safe from harm, whilst the gas leak is existing the property its best not to use any form of ignition sources as this may ignite that gas, so not lighting up a cigarette with a match or gas flint lighter is not a great idea, avoid turning on lights or anything electrical like ovens, lamps or a lighting a candle if its late at night.

Once you are safe from harm the next step is finding your gas leak which may involve the following:

1. In the first instance a gas test for soundness will be performed to make certain and to confirm the gas leak itself is on your property, as it may be your neighbour or the supply side of your gas meter causing the leak, should the leak be on the supply side or the gas meter this would be the cost of the gas company to fix as this is there infrastructure and property to maintain. Its best to contact the gas company or your gas retailer to get this resolved free of cost, but please make sure this is a free cost prior to getting them out.
2. The next step, should the gas leak be on your side piping, would be the to start a process of elimination to help diagnose the location of the leak which may involve isolating gas appliances on your property individually or altogether, then preforming another test using a manometer or other testing equipment to perform a pressure drop test to determine if the leak is still present. Should the leak be confirmed on a gas appliance or associated piping this can then be repaired and the gas turned back on. However, should the leak not be on an appliance and rather on the gas piping itself, it may result in segmenting sections of the gas piping and replacing sections with new gas piping. The installation of new gas piping may be cheaper that replacing sections, or its best to get a gas fitter price up both options for you.

Once you gas leak has been repaired and your piping and appliances are deemed safe to use the gas meter can now be turned on and safe for you to use.

Installing gas hot water heaters

Whether it be replacing your gas storage, gas solar or gas continues flow hot water heater we got your covered. Picking the right brand and model will allow you to have your desired flow of hot water through out your taps in your house. You may also want to consider your carbon foot print and heating costs, by choosing an energy efficient unit, like gas solar, this will reduce your heating costs and save you money in the long run. The installation cost of installing a gas solar may be a little higher than a continues flow hot water heater or a gas storage tank, but you can sleep at night knowing your reducing your carbon foot print and saving money on your heating costs, as these costs increase if you have a large amount of people living in your home.

Keep in mind there are incentives to installing like STC’c, which essentially means you get money back on the installation of selected brands and models.

What to consider when it comes to gas for your hot water heater:

1. Supply pressure at your gas meter
2. Configuration of gas piping on your property feeding the gas hot water heater
3. Pipe size suppling the gas hot water heater, the correct flow and pressure of gas is important for the correct operation of the gas hot water heater.

Servicing gas room heaters

Gas room heater servicing is something that should be taken seriously by the homeowner and gas fitter when servicing. You as the home may not be well informed when it comes to servicing a room heater and know what should be done for a correct and well-rounded service, which is why it should be kept to a qualified gas fitter to perform the service.

Part of servicing a room heater will involve cleaning the unit from dust which collects on and within the fan itself, removing dust from wiring looms and the outside and inside of the gas room heater. Household materials such as carpet fibres, pet hair and general day to day foreign matter which can build up on within the unit as well.

Its recommended by the manufactures every one to two years a room heater be serviced or checked, room heater not maintained tend not to operate efficiently and can cause the unit to work outside normal correct operation, which potentially causes the unit to be unsafe and cause harm. A visual look at the heater and turning it off and on is not a recommended form of servicing.

Checking all components for correct operation is also part of servicing a room heater, making sure:

1. The fan spins and circulates air through the unit
2. Function buttons are working
3. Checking gas pressures
4. Burners works normal
5. Pilot light flame is correct, and thermocouple are working correctly simultaneously
6. The list goes on, the manufactures may recommend a service check list, if not a qualified gas fitter like us will be able to service most room heaters without too much trouble
7. A spillage test is also part of a good service to make certain all products of combustion are exiting correctly.
8. Checking the flue to make certain it has been installed correctly and compliant.
9. Calculating the room size for correct ventilation is important, this will determine whether ventilation is required within the room so the gas room heater works correctly without malfunctioning.

Part of a good service is not only looking at the heater itself, but also looking at the location of  the unit and making sure its to manufactures and Australian Standards, if a room heater is installed in a non-compliant way or outside the manufactures recommendations, it should not be in use until installed correctly.

On completion of a service it’s good to speak with the customer and advise them how to operate the heater, giving them some tips on what to look out for should the heater malfunctioning

Gas leak detection

How do I know if there is a gas leak on my property?

1. You may smell natural gas wafting around; it may be smelt inside your home or outside depending on where the gas pipe or gas appliance is located. Gas leaks can sometimes be smelt from time to time, this doesn’t always mean that the leak itself isn’t constantly leaking, some leaks may pick up a draft of air and work its way through the property and to your nose. Its really doesn’t matter whether you smell it once, from time to time or constantly, its best to get it checked asap.
2. You may notice your gas has been shut off, this can happen when the gas company are performing maintenance on your gas meter or piping to your meter. If the gas company detect a leak on your gas piping they may shut the gas meter off and leave a note telling you of the issue. In the event you are in this boat, please call a gas fitter so this can be looked at. The gas fitter can run tests to diagnose the location of the leak and repair it, once the leak has been fixed the gas fitter is able to unplug the meter and allow gas to flow to your gas appliance. Once done, a certificate of compliance should be provided for your records.
3. You may notice that your gas appliances are not operating the way they are supposed too or not working at all. This could be an indication that a leak may be present on the piping not allowing the correct flow of gas to the gas appliance.
4. A hissing sound can be heard if you have a gas leak, normally if you are hearing a sound like this, the leak can be quite bad and you should turn off you gas meter immediately.
5. High gas bills may be a cause of a gas leak on your property. Some gas leaks may not always be smelt or heard as gas piping may be located either up in your ceiling, in the ground or in your walls. Keep in mind that natural gas is lighter than air, and if the pipe is located in the ceiling space of your home, the gas may float up and away without you even knowing there is a gas leak present. It’s the same when you have a leaking gas pipe in the ground outside, the dirt/soil may absorb the leak and you wont even know its there. So taking a look at your gas bill is a good idea, you may be paying more than you need if you have a gas leak. Its not allays because the gas costs going up.

How to find a gas leak ?

1. Using your nose to sniff it out maybe one way, natural gas suppliers add a product to your gas to allow it to smell, this product is called Ethyl Mercaptan.
2. You may hear the gas leak hissing though a connection or a crack in the gas piping.
3. Using soapy water is another way locating a leak, once soaping water is applied to the area leaking the bubbles start forming. Be mindful some detergents have corrosive ingredients/properties which can cause rust and corrosion to your gas piping or connections.
4. Looking at your appliance and if you notice the flame isn’t burning correctly, this could be an indication the leak may be close by, or the appliance itself is leaking
5. A electronic gas leak detector can pick up and locate gas leaks, it’s a device that is used by some gas fitters help locate where a leak is to be. These tools are great as they can pick up the smallest of leaks.
6. Sectioning areas of gas piping to determine which section of piping is leaking is another method used by gas fitters to help determine where a leak is on a house, especially if the house if very large and there is a lot of gas piping, a process of elimination can then be performed to help locate the section of gas piping leaking

Emergency 24/7 gas leak repairs

At Will’s Plumbing we know that most plumbing emergencies don’t always happen between the hours of 9am and 5pm. So when it’s a gas emergency, I will be at your place as soon as possible to deal with your emergency gas disaster.