Why timing matters for a Melbourne heater
Winter demand arrives all at once
Environment Victoria and Renew say a cold winter day pulls about three times the gas of a summer day in Victoria. A heater that's sat idle since spring meets that load on the first cold snap, which is when a clogged filter or a tired fan tends to show itself.
A lot of heaters in one city
54% of the gas-area home owners in the 2021 JWS Research survey for the Victorian Government had gas ducted heating. With that many heaters wanting attention in the same few weeks, autumn is the easy time to book.
Plenty of rentals
30.2% of Greater Melbourne's occupied homes were rented at the 2021 Census. From 13 October 2026, the two-yearly gas and electrical safety checks cover every Victorian rental, where before they were mandatory only for agreements entered since March 2021.
Long days in the hills
Mount Dandenong's July mean maximum is 8.2 degrees, so heaters up there run through the day. Seeley says some of its units need servicing more often than every two years, and a heater that works that hard is a good one to ask about.
Common faults when the heater comes back on
It runs, then shuts down. Seeley's technician guide links over-temperature faults to restricted airflow: a dirty return air filter, too few outlets open, a low fan setting or a restriction in the ducts. After a summer with outlets shut and rugs over the floor vents, that's the first thing to rule out.
An error code on the controller. Write it down before you ring anyone. Seeley tells its own technicians not to keep resetting a heater without finding why it locked out, and the same goes for the rest of us.
A change in the flame, or soot marks. Energy Safe Victoria wants a qualified gasfitter to inspect any heater whose flame has changed from its usual colour, and to check it for carbon monoxide, whatever time of year it happens. See our guide to a ducted heater that isn't working.
Your autumn jobs, and the gasfitter's
You can
- Run the heater for a short while on a mild autumn day, so any fault shows up before you need it.
- Clean or replace the return air filter the way your manual shows.
- Open every outlet and move rugs and furniture off the floor vents.
- Note the heater's brand, model and any error code from the controller or manual.
Leave to a licensed installer
- The burner, heat exchanger and flue.
- Testing for carbon monoxide spillage.
- Fan, igniter and control board faults.
Landlords and renters in Melbourne
The rental provider must have a licensed or registered gasfitter do the gas safety check every two years. Consumer Affairs Victoria says that gasfitter needs the Type A Gas Appliances Servicing endorsement, shown on their Plumbers Identity Card, so ask to see it.
Expect a record with the gasfitter's name, their business, their licence or registration number, the date, and what the check found. A renter who asks in writing must get the latest one within 7 days.
Draughtproofing a rental with gas appliances? A gas safety check must be done within 6 months before the work starts. And if the heater can't be repaired, the 1 March 2027 rule means its replacement must be energy efficient and electric. Our rental heating guide explains it.
What to ask before the gasfitter starts
- Do you service ducted heaters of my brand regularly?
- Will the service include a carbon monoxide spillage test, with the result in writing?
- If you find a fault, will you quote the repair before doing it?
- Given its age and condition, is this heater worth repairing, or should I start comparing replacements?
- For a rental: do you hold the Type A Gas Appliances Servicing endorsement?
What we'd do
If it were our heater
We'd book the service in autumn every second year, or every year for a heater that runs most of the day, which is likely in the hills. We'd ask for the carbon monoxide result on paper. And if the same lockout came back twice, we'd stop resetting it and get a ducted heating specialist to find the cause. The national ducted heating service page covers servicing and warranties in more depth.
