When winter hits and the weather begins to become unbearably cold, you need to be confident that your heating system will keep you toasty warm and comfortable inside. Francis Plumbing can accommodate all your heating needs from the sale of your new heater to the installation through to repairing and servicing your existing heater. With a team of experienced and professional technicians Francis Plumbing won’t leave you shivering this winter.

Diagnostics & Repairs:

Heater not functioning as it should? No problem. Our team can perform diagnostic testings on your heater and get your heater back up and running for you or offer free replacement quotes if required.

Servicing:

It is recommended to have all gas heaters serviced regularly to ensure they are safe and working efficiently. Our dedicated technician will perform and full gas safety check including testing for the deadly carbon monoxide. Ask us about our bulk gas appliance servicing discounts we offer in store as it is also important to service other gas appliances also.

Carbon Monoxide Notice:

Winter is a good time to remind ourselves of the potential risk of carbon monoxide exposure from faulty or unflued gas heaters or other gas devices.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odourless, colourless and tasteless gas arising from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. In a domestic setting, sources of CO include gas heaters (with and without flues), gas stoves and gas ovens. This is why it is important to not only have your heater regularly checked for carbon monoxide but to also have your internal gas hot water systems and gas cooking appliances checked as well.

Emissions in enclosed and unventilated domestic spaces can, and do, cause fatalities and hospitalisations.

CO is the most abundant pollutant (measured by mass) in the atmosphere. Many heaters we use to heat our homes work by combusting gas. When gas is burned it releases carbon monoxide, as well as other gases, and if these are not flued to the outside of the home (a pipe or other mechanism to exhaust the smoke and gases to the outside of the home) or if the heater is faulty or old, and there is insufficient ventilation of the home, these gases can build up inside the home to hazardous levels.

When present at elevated levels, CO can diffuse rapidly into blood, binding with haemoglobin to form “carboxyhaemoglobin”. This reduces the capacity of blood to carry oxygen, which our tissues need to survive. It’s uncertain what the effects of CO are at low concentrations, but at very high concentrations CO can lead to unconsciousness and death, which can occur within several minutes.

Symptoms of CO poisoning can be mistaken for the flu, and include dizziness, headaches, malaise and nausea. Potentially susceptible groups include the elderly, people with health conditions, children, pregnant women and their unborn babies.

URGENT: Below is a health warning issued by Energy Safe Victoria. If you have either a Vulcan Heritage or Pyrox Heritage call us today to have your heater tested.