Gas log fire not lighting, glass going black, or overdue for its two-yearly check? Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting is a BPC-licensed Type A gasfitter that services and repairs gas log fires and gas fireplaces across Melbourne's east, south-east and bayside suburbs. Every service includes a carbon monoxide spillage test, and every repair is quoted in writing before we start.
Dust and lint build up on the burner and pilot, so the flame burns yellow and lazy, and the glass starts to black up with soot. Logs and embers get knocked out of place when the glass is cleaned, and a log sitting over the flame causes the same sooting and more carbon monoxide. Birds and debris block chimney flues. The thermocouple or thermopile wears and the pilot keeps dropping out. On open-flued fires, a house full of exhaust fans and rangehoods can pull flue gases back into the room, which is why the carbon monoxide warnings from Energy Safe Victoria focus on open-flued appliances. A service every two years catches the wear before it becomes a hazard or a breakdown, and it keeps the manufacturer's warranty valid on newer units.
One thing we are upfront about: Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting services gas log fires and gas fireplaces only. We do not take on wall furnaces, gas space heaters or ducted heating.
Type A gas appliance servicing in Australia follows AS 4575. For a log fire that means checking the gas pressure at the test point, cleaning the burner, pilot and injectors, checking the flame failure device, inspecting the firebox and glass seals, checking the flue, and testing for carbon monoxide spillage with the room under negative pressure. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting works through the full list on every service and records the readings on the report you receive.
Open-fronted and open-flued log fires draw combustion air from the room. If the house is sealed up and the rangehood, bathroom fan and clothes dryer are all running, the room can drop below outside pressure and the flue reverses, sending combustion gases back inside. The test turns those fans on, runs the fire, and measures CO at the fireplace and in the room with a calibrated analyser. If the fire fails, it is not safe to use until the cause is fixed, and we tell you that plainly on the day.
Under Victoria's Residential Tenancies Regulations, rental providers must have the gas appliances, fittings and installations they supply checked every two years by a licensed gasfitter and keep the record. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting issues that record after the check, with the appliance details, the test results and the date the next check falls due, so property managers have what they need on file. Where repair work needs a Compliance Certificate, it is lodged and you get the copy.
Tell us the make and model, roughly how old the fire is, and what it is doing. A photo of the rating plate saves guesswork. Fires that will not light, smell of gas, or are blacking the glass get treated as a fault call rather than a routine service.
On site we run the fire, check the gas pressure at the test point, inspect the burner, pilot, flame failure device, firebox, glass seals and flue, and take a carbon monoxide reading with the exhaust fans running. Everything is recorded before any cleaning starts, so you can see the before and the after.
Burner, injectors, pilot assembly and fan are cleaned, the glass is cleaned where the model allows it to come out, and the logs and embers go back where the manufacturer's layout shows. Flame settings are adjusted and seals checked. Most two-yearly services finish here, with the fire burning clean and passing the spillage test.
If the fire needs a part, you get a written price for the repair before we go ahead. For older fires where parts are no longer made, we say so and talk you through replacement rather than patching something that will fail again next winter. New installs are covered on our gas fireplace installation page.
You receive the service report with the test readings, anything we found, and the date the next service is due. Rental checks include the record the regulations require. Any Compliance Certificate for repair work is lodged and sent to you as a PDF.
Four things that make a log fire service quicker and cheaper.
On many log fires the rating plate is on a tag behind the lower grille or in the control compartment, and it lists the model number and gas type. Send a photo with your booking so we can check parts availability before the visit.
Turn the fire off a few hours before we arrive so the glass and firebox are cool enough to work on. Move rugs, furniture and ornaments off the hearth and mantel, and clear access to any cupboard or roof space the flue runs through.
Pilot dropping out, a delayed or noisy ignition, a smell when it starts, headaches when it runs, tall yellow flames, black glass or soot above the fireplace: these tell us where to look first. Write them down so nothing gets forgotten on the day.
A gas smell is not a service booking, it is a fault. Turn the fire off, open the windows, do not use switches or naked flames, and call us or your gas distributor's emergency line. Our step-by-step guide covers what to do while you wait.
Energy Safe Victoria recommends at least every two years by a licensed gasfitter, with a carbon monoxide test as part of the service. Rental properties must be checked on that cycle by law. Open-fronted fires in homes with strong exhaust fans are worth checking more often.
Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting quotes a fixed price for a standard service when you book, and repairs are priced in writing on site before any part goes in. The price depends on the fireplace type and the access; a glass-fronted fire with a short wall flue and an open fire in an old chimney are different jobs. Ask for the price when you book.
Usually the logs or embers have moved and are sitting in the flame, or the burner needs cleaning and the fire is burning rich. Both make soot and more carbon monoxide, so book a service rather than just wiping the glass. A light white film on a brand-new fire during its first few burns is normal and cleans off.
Most of the time it is a worn thermocouple or thermopile, or a dirty pilot assembly, which is a straightforward repair. It becomes a safety issue if the pilot drops out and gas keeps flowing, which the flame failure device is there to prevent. Do not keep relighting it every day; book a repair. Our pilot light guide explains the common causes.
We run the fire with the house's exhaust fans and rangehood on, then measure carbon monoxide at the fireplace and in the room with a calibrated analyser. It shows whether flue gases are being pulled back into the living space. It is part of every log fire service we do, which is why a proper service takes longer than a wipe-over.
No. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting services gas log fires and gas fireplaces only. Wall furnaces, gas space heaters and ducted systems need a different provider.
You get a service report with the test readings and the next due date. Rental gas safety checks come with the record the Residential Tenancies Regulations require. Where repair work requires a Compliance Certificate, Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting lodges it and sends you the copy.
Melbourne's east, south-east, inner south and bayside suburbs. See the full list on our servicing suburbs page.
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