Guide 6 of 6
Gas appliance recalls
To check whether a gas appliance has been recalled, search Product Safety Australia’s recall list, which has a topic for gas products and appliances, and, in Victoria, Energy Safe Victoria’s product recall notices. If your appliance is on either, Product Safety Australia’s first step is plain: stop using it.
What to do when a product is recalled
Product Safety Australia, whose website is managed by the ACCC, gives three steps, in its own words and in this order:
- “Stop using it.”
- “Keep it out of reach of children.”
- “Contact the supplier to receive a repair, replacement or refund.”
It adds: “Don’t delay contacting the supplier.” Recall notices can carry their own instructions as well; one Energy Safe Victoria notice, for a heater, tells owners to stop using it immediately, turn off the gas supply if possible, and disconnect it from the power point.
Where to check
| Where | What it covers | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Product Safety Australia recalls | National consumer product recalls. Its topic “Gas products and appliances” listed 121 recalls when this page was checked. | Search by keyword, or filter by the gas topic and a date range. |
| Product Safety Australia email alerts | Recall alerts by category, including “Gas products and appliances”. | Choose the gas category to be told of new recalls. |
| Energy Safe Victoria product recalls | Recall notices from Victoria’s energy safety regulator; 22 were listed when this page was checked. | Read the notice for your model; Energy Safe Victoria also says to check whether your heater is affected by a safety alert. |
Have the appliance’s details ready when you search. Energy Safe Victoria says a gas appliance’s identification plate shows whether it is certified for natural gas or LP gas, and that appliances carry a certification label.
The kinds of fault recall notices describe
Notices on Energy Safe Victoria’s list describe faults such as these, quoted without the product names:
- An LPG regulator whose diaphragm “can fail, causing the regulator to leak LPG gas”.
- A heater that “does not meet the Australian standards for the maximum allowable carbon monoxide emission levels”.
- A gas stove whose hose has an incorrectly sized brass ring, “which could allow gas to leak from the hose”.
- A cooktop connecting elbow that “could crack and cause a gas leak” if not supported.
Alongside recalls, Energy Safe Victoria has issued safety alerts for several models of gas heater, asking owners to contact the supplier and have them checked by a qualified gasfitter “immediately”. The carbon monoxide guide explains why heaters get particular attention.
Reporting an unsafe gas product
Product Safety Australia asks to be told about an unsafe product when a supplier is not providing a repair, replacement or refund for a recalled product, when a supplier is selling a recalled product, or when “a product has injured a person or is unsafe”. Its report form is on its report an unsafe product page.
In New South Wales, NSW Fair Trading says that if you become aware of an unsafe gas situation or item, including missing or wrong safety labels, to alert the supplier; you can also report it to NSW Fair Trading on 13 32 20 or online, or to Product Safety Australia. It asks for serious gas accidents to be reported to it as soon as possible.
If there is a fire or you need urgent medical help, NSW Fair Trading’s words are: “don’t delay - call 000 immediately”. If you smell gas, the first guide quotes what to do.