Smell gas near an appliance, hear a faint hiss at the meter, or noticed an unexplained rise in your gas bill? Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting is a BPC-licensed Type A gasfitter handling gas leak detection, pressure testing and repair across Melbourne's east, south-east, inner-east and bayside suburbs. We locate the fault, repair it to AS/NZS 5601, and lodge a Certificate of Compliance with Energy Safe Victoria the same day.
Under the Gas Safety Act, only a BPC-licensed Type A gasfitter can legally test, diagnose or repair gas leaks in Victoria. DIY or handyman attempts void your home insurance and can be prosecuted by Energy Safe Victoria. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting holds current Type A licences - the licence number appears on every quote, invoice and Certificate of Compliance we issue. If an insurer, property buyer or body corporate asks for proof of compliance, the certificate is your record.
Related plumbing topics:
All gas installation work must comply with AS/NZS 5601 - the Australian/New Zealand gas installation standard. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting works to this code every time, covering pipe sizing, joint types, ventilation, appliance clearance and pressure testing.
Completed gas work is re-tested after repair and a Certificate of Compliance is lodged electronically with Energy Safe Victoria. You receive a digital copy the same day. Insurers, buyers and real-estate agents recognise the certificate as proof the work meets Victorian standards.
Modern gas leak detection uses electronic sniffers calibrated to catch very small leaks - below the smell threshold but still gradually dangerous. Soap-and-water confirms a repair is sealed; it is not sensitive enough to find a slow leak that is costing you money every month.
We isolate the gas supply at the meter and attach a calibrated manometer to a test point. The pressure-drop test takes around 15 to 20 minutes and reveals whether the whole installation holds pressure or is losing it to a leak.
If the installation fails the test, we escalate to electronic detection and, if needed, tracer gas for buried lines or wall cavities. The leak point is located precisely before any repair work starts, so there is no exploratory digging or speculative replacement.
Once the leak is located we quote a fixed price for the repair - re-thread, flexi replacement, compression fitting change or a section re-run. You approve before any work begins. If you would rather get a second opinion, we leave the isolation in place and provide the diagnosis in writing.
Repair is completed to AS/NZS 5601. The installation is re-pressurised and re-tested to confirm the fault is fixed and no secondary leaks exist. Appliances are reconnected, re-lit and checked for correct combustion before we leave.
Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting lodges the Certificate of Compliance with Energy Safe Victoria the same day the work completes. A digital copy is emailed to you for insurance, property sale or body corporate records.
Evacuate everyone from the property and leave doors open as you go. If safe to do so, turn off the gas at the meter - the quarter-turn lever perpendicular to the pipe means off. Do not operate electrical switches and do not use your phone inside the property. From a safe location, call 000 if the smell is strong, then call Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting during business hours for the licensed repair and Certificate of Compliance.
A pressure-drop test takes around 15 to 20 minutes. Location and repair on top of that varies from 30 minutes (loose joint, clear access) to several hours (buried line requiring tracer gas and excavation). We quote the test as a fixed price, and any repair is quoted separately after the leak is located.
Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting operates during business hours. For a strong smell or suspected active leak outside business hours, call 000 or your gas distributor's emergency line - AusNet, Multinet or United Energy depending on your area. They will make the property safe and isolate the supply. Then call Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting during business hours for the repair and Certificate of Compliance.
Possibly. A small leak too faint to smell can add dollars per day to a bill over months. A pressure-drop test definitively rules in or out a leak on your installation. Other causes include an ageing hot water system running less efficiently, pilot lights that should have been converted to electronic ignition, or genuine price rises.
In Victoria, recent gas work requires a Certificate of Compliance, and buyers and conveyancers often ask for evidence the gas installation is compliant - especially where renovations or appliance swaps have been carried out. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting can test the installation and document it as part of vendor due diligence.
It happens. What smells like gas can sometimes be sewer gas from a dry trap, a dead animal in a wall cavity, or a pilot light on a neighbouring property drifting on the breeze. Our electronic sniffer and manometer test together give a definitive yes/no on whether your gas installation is leaking. If it is clean we tell you so and help identify other possible sources.
We quote on site — fixed price in writing based on your address, the scope you describe, and whether the likely leak is at an appliance fitting or a buried line. If repair is needed after detection, we quote the repair separately and in writing before starting work.
Melbourne's east, south-east, inner-east and bayside suburbs - including Ashwood, Chadstone, Noble Park North, Mulgrave, Malvern, Elwood, Burwood, Ormond, Gardenvale, Caulfield, Carnegie, Wantirna South, Rowville. If your suburb is not listed, send your address through the contact form and we will confirm coverage.
