Gas ducted heating service and replacement in Traralgon

Energy Safe Victoria and the Building and Plumbing Commission both advise booking a gas ducted heater in for a service no less often than once in two years, using a gasfitter who holds the Type A appliance endorsement. Melbourne guide prices put a ducted system service at $210 to $580 per system and a new gas ducted heater, supplied and installed, at $4,000 to $11,550. Owner-occupiers in Traralgon are not required to remove a working gas ducted system, so servicing and like-for-like replacement are still open to you.

What are the signs a gas ducted heater needs attention?

Most furnaces give some warning before they stop. Book a gasfitter if you notice:

• The heater will not light, or lights and then shuts down after a short run.
• It cycles on and off far more often than it used to.
• Warm air is weak at the outlets, or some rooms stay cold.
• New rattling, banging or whistling from the roof space or the unit outside.
• A burning or gas smell when it starts. If you smell gas, turn the heater off, get outside and call your gas emergency line.
• Soot marks near the unit or the flue.
• The last service was more than two years ago, or nobody knows when it was.

Weak airflow can also come from split or crushed ducts rather than the furnace. That problem is covered on the ducted heating ductwork page.

What does a gas ducted heater service involve?

Energy Safe Victoria lists what a gas appliance service should include: a visual check of the appliance and its flue, a negative pressure and combustion spillage test, internal cleaning, repair or replacement of parts where needed, and running the appliance to confirm it works safely. On a ducted furnace the gasfitter may also look at the burner, heat exchanger, fan, filter and thermostat, and check that the return air path is clear.

Some ducted heaters are open-flued. Energy Safe Victoria’s open-flued heater FAQ notes these can be affected by negative pressure, for example when the unit is installed indoors in a cupboard. That is one reason the spillage test matters on an indoor furnace. The full detail on carbon monoxide testing, flue types and warning symptoms sits on the gas heater servicing and safety check page, and this page does not repeat it.

Should I repair or replace an old gas ducted furnace?

There is no single age at which a furnace must go. The questions a gasfitter will weigh with you:

Question	Leans toward repair	Leans toward replacement
Does it pass the spillage test?	Yes, with a minor part fault	Fails because of a fault that cannot be fixed
Are parts available?	Yes, at reasonable cost	Discontinued or hard to source
How often has it broken down?	First fault in years	Repeated call-outs each winter
What is the repair quote compared with a new system?	Small share of a new unit	Approaching the cost of a new unit
Are the ducts in good order?	Yes	Ducts also due for replacement
Is the house a rental?	Rental rules allow repair	Permanent failure triggers the electric rule below

If the furnace is beyond repair, you have three paths: a new gas ducted heater, a ducted reverse cycle system, or wall-mounted reverse cycle units. The switch to electric is its own job, explained on the gas to electric heating upgrade page. This page covers keeping gas.

Do I have to replace my gas ducted heating with electric?

Not if you own and live in the home. Energy Victoria’s page on existing residential buildings confirms an owner-occupied house can keep its gas heating: current gas appliances may stay in use and be maintained and repaired. The 2027 change for existing homes is about gas hot water, not ducted heating.

Rentals are different. Under the Consumer Affairs Victoria heating standard, a landlord whose gas ducted unit dies beyond repair on or after 1 March 2027 must put an energy efficient electric fixed heater into the main living area. Landlords and property managers should read the rental heating standards checklist, and anyone unsure where they stand can use the guide on whether you have to replace a gas heater.

How does a gas-for-gas ducted replacement run?

1. The gasfitter inspects the existing furnace, flue, gas supply and ducts and confirms a new gas unit is the right fit.
2. You agree on the new unit’s capacity and position. Swapping into the same spot is usually simplest; moving it changes the job.
3. The gas supply is isolated and the old unit and flue are removed.
4. The new unit is installed, connected to the gas supply and flued.
5. The ducts are connected to the new unit, or replaced if they are in poor condition.
6. The heater is commissioned, with gas pressure, combustion and spillage checks, and the thermostat set up.
7. You receive any compliance paperwork the job requires.

The Building and Plumbing Commission requires a compliance certificate for gasfitting work above a set value, and also when an appliance is moved or the gas piping is modified, whatever the value. Ask the gasfitter whether your job needs one and to give you a copy.

What does gas ducted heating cost?

Two published Melbourne metro guide prices apply, with GST included, from an October 2026 check:

Job	Melbourne guide price
Ducted system service	$210 to $580 per system
New gas ducted heater, installed	$4,000 to $11,550

A service quote may rise if parts are needed or the unit is hard to reach. A replacement quote moves with the heater’s capacity and star rating, whether the ducts are reused, any change to the gas line, and travel. These are Melbourne figures, and a Traralgon gasfitter’s price can differ. If you would like to price a service and a replacement at the same visit, you can request a gas ducted heater quote and say so.

Who is allowed to work on a gas ducted heater?

The person servicing your furnace needs Building and Plumbing Commission registration or a licence as a gasfitter, plus the Type A appliance servicing class. The classes a person holds are printed on the back of their licence card, and you can check them on the commission’s find and check a practitioner tool. Gas work on a heater is never a DIY job.

Any electrical work, such as a new thermostat circuit or a hard-wired control, is for a licensed electrician.

How does the Latrobe Valley climate affect a ducted furnace?

Winter nights in the valley are cold. The Bureau of Meteorology records for the Latrobe Valley Airport station show a July average low under 4 C, so a gas ducted furnace in Traralgon, Morwell or Moe can run every evening from late autumn into spring. Long running seasons are the reason the two-yearly service interval matters here, and booking it before the first cold snap avoids waiting during the busiest weeks.

Next step: send the details off the compliance plate

To book a gas ducted heating service or quote, include:

• The make and model from the compliance plate on the unit.
• Roughly how old the heater is.
• When it was last serviced, if you know.
• What it is doing: not lighting, cycling, a smell, a noise or weak airflow.
• Whether the unit is in the roof, under the house, outside or in an indoor cupboard.
• Whether you want a service only, a repair, or a price for replacing it with another gas unit.
• Your suburb and whether the property is owner-occupied or rented.

An independent gasfitter covering your area receives the details and makes contact to arrange a quote.

Send a job enquiry