Thomastown's homes
Post-war beginnings
Residential development began after a housing co-operative formed in nearby Lalor in 1947, and settlers who moved in were mostly Italians, Macedonians and Greeks. Thomastown is in the City of Whittlesea, about 16 km by road north of the CBD.
Houses, mostly
Of 7,347 occupied homes in 2021, 84.3% were separate houses, 9.5% semi-detached or townhouses and 6.1% flats.
Owned outright
42.7% of homes were owned outright, 25.1% with a mortgage and 28.7% rented.
Factories to the south
There are numerous factories and an electricity terminal station in the south of the suburb.
Older heaters first
Energy Safe Victoria says any gas heater, old or new, can spill carbon monoxide, and asks for a service by a qualified gasfitter at least every two years. It has also named the Regency i31, Regency F38/FG38 (excluding LP models), Nectre 2000 and Real Flame Pyrotech open-flued heaters, and says not to use one until a qualified gasfitter has tested it. Check the model plate on yours.
If the heater is past saving, a reverse cycle split in the main living area replaces it and adds summer cooling in one go. For a whole house, compare the options on ducted heating in Melbourne.
Live right beside the industrial area? Daikin's warranty card makes the owner responsible for extra corrosion protection where there's industrial pollution, so ask whether your chosen brand treats your spot that way.
Before winter: yours, and the installer's
You can
- Find the heater's model plate and the date of its last service.
- Look for a yellow or sooty flame, soot stains, or a pilot light that pops or bangs, which Better Health lists as warning signs.
- Fit a carbon monoxide alarm as a back-up, never as a substitute for servicing.
Leave to a licensed installer
- Servicing and carbon monoxide testing of a gas heater, by a licensed gasfitter.
- Removing an old gas heater and capping the gas.
- Installing a split, which in Victoria needs plumbing registration and a refrigerant licence.
What we'd do
Our take in Thomastown
Book a gasfitter's service and safety check before the cold weather. If the report is bad or the heater is on Energy Safe Victoria's alert list, we'd replace it with an efficient reverse cycle split in the living area rather than repair it.
Give us the job and the 3074 postcode. Local installers who do that kind of work, licences checked, can see it, and only the one who takes it gets your contact details. If none near Thomastown takes it within 48 hours, installers elsewhere in Victoria may see it as well.
