Carbon monoxide testing Melbourne — gas heater safety checks by licensed technicians
Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless, and a cracked heat exchanger or blocked flue can release it straight into your living room. RapidFix Solutions carries out full spillage and CO testing on ducted gas heaters, wall furnaces, space heaters and gas log fires across metropolitan Melbourne.
Licensed gasfitters
Calibrated CO analysers
Written compliance report
What carbon monoxide is and why Melbourne heaters are the main risk
Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced whenever gas burns. In a healthy appliance those combustion products travel up the flue and outside. When a heat exchanger cracks, a flue corrodes or separates, or a burner is starved of air, that gas can spill back into the room instead.
Melbourne's older housing stock runs an enormous number of ducted gas heaters and wall furnaces, many of them well past fifteen years of age and many never serviced. Winter is when they run hardest with the house sealed up, which is exactly when a faulty appliance becomes dangerous.
Symptoms of low-level CO exposure look like the flu — headaches, tiredness, nausea, dizziness. If several people in the home feel unwell at the same time and improve when they go outside, turn the heater off, open the windows and have the appliance tested before using it again.
Signs your gas heater needs a carbon monoxide test
Any one of these is reason enough to book a gas heater safety check before you run the appliance again.
Yellow or lazy flames instead of a crisp blue flame
Soot, scorch marks or staining around the heater or vents
A heater that has not been serviced in the last two years
Condensation building up on nearby windows when the heater runs
Headaches, nausea, dizziness or tiredness that eases when you leave home
A heater that keeps shutting down or smells unusual when running
How our technicians carry out carbon monoxide and spillage testing
Every safety check follows the same sequence so nothing is missed, and you get the readings in writing.
- 1
Visual and combustion inspection
We inspect the burner, heat exchanger, injectors, seals and flue for cracks, corrosion, blockages and poor combustion before anything is powered up.
- 2
Negative pressure test
Exhaust fans, rangehoods and the dryer are run together to simulate worst-case conditions, because depressurising a home is what most often pulls combustion products back inside.
- 3
Spillage test
With the heater at full fire we test the draught diverter and flue for spillage of combustion products into the living space using an approved spillage detection method.
- 4
Carbon monoxide measurement
A calibrated electronic analyser measures CO in the flue and the ambient room air, and we record the readings against the allowable limits.
- 5
Written report and outcome
You receive a clear result — pass, repair required, or unsafe and disconnected — with photos, readings and a quote for any rectification work.
Gas safety checks for rental providers and property managers
Victoria's residential rental standards require a gas safety check on every gas appliance at least every two years.
Checks carried out by a licensed or registered gasfitter
Two-yearly cycle across every gas appliance at the property
Date of the most recent check recorded and available to renters
Written report with CO readings, photos and any rectification quote
We work with landlords and property managers across Melbourne on portfolio safety checks and can batch multiple properties into a single visit schedule.
Carbon monoxide testing — common questions
How often should a gas heater be tested for carbon monoxide in Melbourne?
Energy Safe Victoria recommends every gas heater is serviced and safety checked by a licensed gasfitter at least once every two years. Rental providers must have gas safety checks carried out every two years and keep a record of the date.
Is carbon monoxide testing required for rental properties in Victoria?
Yes. Under the Victorian residential rental standards, gas safety checks on all gas appliances — including heaters — must be carried out every two years by a licensed or registered gasfitter, and the renter must be given the date of the most recent check on request.
What is a spillage test?
A spillage test checks whether combustion products, including carbon monoxide, are escaping into the room instead of leaving through the flue. It is performed with the home depressurised, which is the condition where most unsafe heaters are caught.
Do carbon monoxide alarms replace a heater safety check?
No. An alarm is a useful backup, but it only warns you once CO is already in the room. Only a technician with an analyser can test the appliance itself, find a cracked heat exchanger and confirm the flue is working.
How much does carbon monoxide testing cost?
It is usually carried out as part of a full gas heater service. Call us on 0424 127 717 for a fixed price on your heater type, and seniors receive 20% off.
Talk to a technician, not a call centre
Send us the details and we'll come back with a time, an approach and honest pricing.
- Monday – Friday: 7:00am – 6:00pm
- Saturday: 8:00am – 4:00pm
- Sunday: Emergency callouts only
- Public holidays: Emergency callouts only