Has your portable gas heater been serviced ready for winter?
An unsafe heater can pollute your home with dangerous fumes or even worse, cause a house fire. If you have your heater regularly serviced and use it correctly, it should be safe and economical to use. A service every 12-24 months is recommended.
Your heater needs to be checked sooner if:
- The fan is noisy
- There is a yellow of sooty flame
- The pilot light goes out unexpectedly or pops or bangs when lighting
- There are signs of heat damage such as discolouration
- There are soot stains around the heater
- There is a smell of gas
What you can do to look after your heater –
- Vacuum all air inlets to keep free from dust. Some heater will have removable filters that should also been cleaned regularly
- Keep anything that can obstruct the airflow away from the heater. Dont drape items over the heater to dry. Any clothing being dried near the heater should be at least one meter away
- Have plenty of ventilation – it allows fresh air to come in and fumes to go out.
Some older heaters cannot be repaired for safety reasons and should be replaced.