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Appliance Servicing

Gas Appliance Servicing — Wellington, Hutt, Kapiti & Porirua

Southern has been servicing gas appliances in Wellington for close to 50 years. Every call starts with a full safety check — pressure, clearances, flue, ventilation — and only once the appliance is confirmed safe do we do the actual service work.

Booked servicing is cheaper than a breakdown. Your Gas Servicing On Time, or It’s Free. Call 0800 484 353.

Brands We Service

We carry parts and tooling for the brands Wellington homes and businesses actually run:

  • Rinnai (Infinity, Energy Saver, Symphony, Avenger)
  • Bosch Hydro Power internal & external
  • Rheem continuous flow and storage
  • Parmco, SMEG, Fisher & Paykel, Electrolux hobs and ovens
  • Escea, Rinnai, Able gas fires and flame-effect
  • Asko, Braemar, Brivis, Cannon, Enviro Gas, Indesit, Lennox, Masport, Parkinson Cowan, Super Ray and more

If your appliance isn’t listed, call us — chances are we still service it.

What’s Included in a Gas Appliance Service

  • Safety check — ventilation, clearances, flueing
  • Gas pressure test at the inlet and burner
  • Visual corrosion and pipe-securing inspection
  • Air intake and filter check
  • Clean pilot burner and injector
  • Check fans, switches, ignition electrodes
  • Check safety devices and controls
  • Flue inspection and updraught test
  • Flame picture check, radiant adjustment
  • Gas Safety Certificate reissued

Expect around 45–90 minutes per appliance depending on type. Most jobs are done in one visit.

Warning Signs You Need a Service Call — Now

  • Yellow or flickering flames (should be mostly blue)
  • Gas smell or burning smells near the appliance
  • Soot or black marks around the burner or flue
  • Pilot light keeps going out or ignition problems
  • Hissing or banging noises
  • Reduced hot water output or heating performance
  • Unexplained gas bill increases

Any of these? Stop using the appliance and call 0800 484 353. We’ll have a gasfitter on-site fast — 24/7 response available.

Book Before Winter — Don’t Wait for Breakdown Week

Gas fires and heating should be serviced before the cold hits — ideally late summer through early autumn. By June we’re flat-out with call-outs to appliances that should have been serviced in March.

Book your pre-winter service now and we’ll schedule it in at a time that suits. Covers Karori, Johnsonville, Khandallah, Lower Hutt, Paraparaumu and every suburb between.

Repair or Replace? Honest Advice.

Gas appliances over 8 years old with failing components often cost more to repair than replace — and a modern unit will pay that difference back in gas savings within a few years. If we think you’re better off replacing, we’ll tell you, give you options, and quote both paths.

No upsell. No commission on units. Just a straight call based on what’s in front of us. See our gas appliance repairs page for common fault costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Caravans-and-Boats

Marine & Caravan Gasfitters Wellington

Your boat or caravan isn’t a house — and the gas rules that apply on land don’t transfer directly to a hull or a chassis. Southern has been certifying LPG appliances afloat and on the road for 40+ years, and we’re on the Chaffers Marina approved contractor list — meaning we can walk straight onto the berth and get to work.

Call 0800 484 353 for a free quote on gasfitting or plumbing for your vessel or caravan.

Gas Safety Certificates for Boats & Caravans

LPG on a boat or caravan is held to a different standard — NZS 5428 covers gas installations on vessels, and the appliance safety rules differ from the residential code. Insurers on boats over 10 m will often require written proof the installation is compliant.

Every job we finish is signed off with a Gas Safety Certificate from one of our Certifying Gasfitters — the document your surveyor, your insurer, and Maritime NZ want to see.

What We Do On Your Boat

From the cockpit to the galley, we handle every gas and plumbing system on the vessel:

  • LPG cylinder connections, regulators and solenoid valves
  • Gas sensor / alarm install and solenoid wiring
  • Marine gas cooker, oven and grill installation
  • Gas-fired cabin heaters with through-hull flue venting
  • Hot water heaters and engine-cooling coils to cylinder
  • Marine toilets, holding tanks and macerator pumps
  • Fresh water tanks, pressure pumps and shower mixers
  • Bilge pumps, blowers and through-hull fittings

Caravans, Motorhomes & RVs

Same rules, different chassis. Caravans and motorhomes get inspected against the gas standard before self-containment certification — a failed gas check means no WoSC sticker, and no freedom camping. We sort:

Chaffers Marina Approved Contractor

Most marinas insist on an approved-contractor list before you let a tradesperson on your vessel — insurance liability, hot-work permits, marina access keys, it all adds up. Southern is signed off at s and works regularly at Seaview Marina and Evans Bay Marina.

That means we already have the site-safety paperwork, the hot-work permits, and the marina office knows who we are when we drive in. You don’t have to arrange anything — just tell us the berth number.

Salt Air Eats Cheap Fittings

The marine environment is brutal on fittings. Galvanised steel corrodes inside a season; regular brass valves go green and stick. On every marine job we specify:

  • Marine-grade copper or 316 stainless for rigid gas lines
  • UV-stable, CNG/LPG-rated flexible hose for vibration zones
  • Bronze or nickel-plated regulators (not painted brass)
  • Stainless cylinder brackets and vented lockers
  • Double-clamped hose tails on every wet line

It costs a little more on day one — and it’s still working five seasons later when the cheap fit-out is on its second replacement.

Your Job On Time, Or It’s Free

If your haul-out slot is Tuesday, you need the gasfitter Tuesday — not “sometime next week”. Southern has been doing this since 1982, roughly 29,000 jobs completed, and we back every booking with our own promise: Your Job On Time, or It’s Free.

All work is backed by the Master Plumbers Guarantee. We service boats and caravans from Kapiti through Wellington city and across to the Hutt and Petone marinas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Residential

Residential Gas Fitting — Wellington Homes, Done Properly

If it runs on gas, Southern Plumbing can install it, service it and repair it. New build, renovation, replacement — we handle residential gas work end-to-end across Karori, Johnsonville, Khandallah, Lower Hutt, Paraparaumu and every Wellington suburb between.

Family-owned since 1982. Around 29,000 completed jobs. Certifying Plumber & Gasfitter on staff so your Gas Safety Certificate is issued the same day. Master Plumbers member for 25+ years. Call 0800 484 353.

What We Install in Wellington Homes

  • Gas fireplace installation — natural gas and LPG (Escea, Rinnai, Able)
  • Gas hobs and cook tops — Parmco, SMEG, Fisher & Paykel, Electrolux, Bosch
  • 9kg LPG bottle installation and relocation
  • Rinnai Infinity continuous-flow hot water
  • Gas space heaters and flame-effect fires
  • Gas BBQs — LPG and natural gas bayonet connection
  • Ducted gas central heating and hydronic radiator systems
  • Gas hot water cylinder conversions from electric

Southern Plumbing also handles gas appliance repairs, annual servicing, and LPG cabinet heater fault diagnosis.

Safety Requirements & Clearances

Gas installations aren’t a DIY job. Clearances to combustible materials, flue routing, ventilation area and cylinder siting are all legally prescribed under NZS 5601 parts 1 & 2 and NZS 5262 for appliance safety. A few of the rules we work to every day:

  • Gas hob: minimum 200mm to combustible surface behind/above
  • Continuous-flow water heater: 300mm from internal/external corners, 300mm from opening windows, 1.5m below opening windows, 500mm from electrical meter vent openings
  • LPG cylinders: outdoors or in a ventilated housing, upright on a stable flood-free surface, min 200cm² ventilation, away from ignition sources
  • Pipe sizing: sized to MJ/hr demand — a 26L continuous-flow needs 20mm for 9m then 25mm

When Southern Plumbing installs it, it’s installed right.

Gas Hot Water — Endless Showers, Smaller Bills

Swapping an electric hot water cylinder for continuous-flow gas is one of the quickest energy upgrades you can do. No 180L tank in the cupboard, no pilot light wasting fuel, no running out halfway through the second shower.

Sizing guide: 1-bathroom home → 16L/min minimum. 2–3 bathrooms → 26L/min. Spa bath or large family → 32L/min. Southern Plumbing sizes your unit to the actual household so you’re not paying to heat more than you need.

See gas water heating options → or compare against a heat pump water heater.

Before We Arrive — Gas Installation Checklist

  • Confirm gas type — natural gas (piped) or LPG (bottled)?
  • Check appliance compliance — imports and auction-site finds often aren’t NZ-approved and can’t be certified
  • Identify the location — clearances to windows, walls, meter box, combustibles
  • Plan the flue — external termination points and minimum rise
  • Check the supply — is pipe size adequate for MJ/hr demand?
  • Check ventilation — flueless appliances need room volume calculated

Don’t worry if this sounds like a lot — you call, we survey, we quote fixed-price, you say yes or no. No hidden charges.

Fixed-Price Quotes, On-Time Promise, 24/7

Every Southern Plumbing gas job is quoted fixed-price in writing before we start. No hourly-rate games, no mid-job surprises. And we back it with our own promise: Your Job On Time, or It’s Free. We come when we promise, or you don’t pay.

Gas leaks and failed heaters don’t wait for business hours. Call 0800 484 353 — 24/7 emergency response, every weekend, every public holiday including Christmas Day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Commercial

Commercial Gas Fitting — Wellington, Hutt Valley, Kapiti & Porirua

Restaurant kitchens, café fit-outs, school boilers, rest-home hot water, workshop heating. Commercial gas has higher loads, stricter compliance, and no tolerance for downtime on a Friday night service. Southern Plumbing handles it — from single-appliance swaps to multi-day installations.

Founded 1982. Nearly 200 years of combined trade experience on the team. Master Plumbers 25+ years. Certifying Gasfitter on staff. Call 0800 484 353 — 24/7 for service calls.

Commercial Gas Appliances & Systems

  • 6- and 8-burner restaurant ranges (Garland, Waldorf, Moffat)
  • Commercial griddles, chargrills, salamanders, pasta cookers
  • Gas-fired pizza and combi ovens
  • Large commercial water heaters — Rinnai, Rheem, Bosch manifold banks
  • LPG vaporisers and bulk-cylinder installations
  • Commercial space heaters and radiant tube heaters
  • Ducted gas heating for offices, warehouses, schools
  • Type 3 gas appliance installation and servicing

Southern Plumbing strongly recommends that only a qualified and experienced gasfitter undertakes Type 3 appliance work — the commissioning tolerances are tight and the compliance paperwork is non-negotiable.

Our 14-Step Commercial Gas Fitting Process

Commercial jobs live or die on the process. We follow the same 14-step sequence on every install so nothing gets skipped and the paperwork stacks up first time:

  1. Site survey & plan check
  2. Load calculation (MJ/hr)
  3. Pipe sizing to NZS 5261
  4. Materials spec and supply
  5. Pipe run installation
  6. Isolation valve placement
  7. Pressure test to regulation
  8. Appliance connection
  9. Flue and venting installation
  10. Commissioning to manufacturer tolerances
  11. Leak test post-commissioning
  12. Safety walkthrough with site manager
  13. Gas Safety Certificate issued
  14. Energy Work Certificate + PS3 lodged with PGDB

Service Calls & 24/7 Emergency Gas

Pilot light’s out, burner pressure is dropping, or you’ve got a smell of gas from the plant room — we know what that costs you per hour of closure. Southern has service vans across Wellington, the Hutt Valley, Kapiti and Porirua for fast response.

24/7 emergency gas response every day of the year, including public holidays. Leak detection, pressure testing, burner tuning, and full servicing of commercial appliances.

Your Job On Time, or It’s Free — same guarantee applies to commercial jobs.

Commercial Compliance — PGDB, PS3, Insurance

Your insurer, your council, and the PGDB all want to see the same thing: documented proof the gas installation was done right. We issue:

  • Gas Safety Certificate on completion
  • Energy Work Certificate lodged with PGDB
  • PS3 Producer Statement for building consent sign-off
  • Commissioning reports and pressure-test logs
  • Appliance-specific compliance records

Work done to Gas (Safety and Measurement) Regulations 2010, NZS 5261 (pipe sizing), NZS 5262 (appliance safety), and NZS 5601 parts 1 & 2.

Scheduled Maintenance — Stop Breakdowns Before They Happen

Commercial gas equipment runs harder than residential — and neglected servicing is usually why equipment dies mid-service. We offer scheduled maintenance contracts for restaurants, rest homes, schools, workshops and industrial sites:

  • Annual or six-monthly full service
  • Burner cleaning, injector clearance, flue inspection
  • Pressure checks, safety device calibration
  • Thermocouple and thermopile replacement
  • Full servicing records for insurance audits

Call 0800 484 353 to book a site visit and quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

CCTV and Drain Unblocking

Residential Drainlaying

Drainlaying

Water Heating

Wellington Water Heating Experts

Hot water is the job Southern does more than any other — and has done since 1982. Electric cylinder swaps, gas continuous-flow, heat pump water heaters, solar systems. We install them, service them, and stand behind them 24/7.

Same-day replacement if you call before 10am — stock permitting. Cylinders in stock for every major NZ brand. Serving Karori, Johnsonville, Khandallah, Lower Hutt and the Kapiti Coast.

Call 0800 484 353 — 24/7. Your Job On Time, or It’s Free.

Four Types of Hot Water Systems

  • Electric cylinder — tank with an element inside. Cheapest capital cost, moderate running cost. Typical lifespan 10–25 years depending on quality.
  • Gas continuous-flow (Rinnai Infinity etc.) — heats water on demand, no tank. Endless hot water. Fast-recovery for big households.
  • Heat pump water heater — highest capital cost, lowest running cost. Great COP (~4) in Wellington’s climate. Needs an outdoor unit.
  • Solar hot water — rooftop collectors feeding a cylinder. Best paired with electric boost for winter.

7 Things to Know Before Replacing Your Cylinder

  1. Size — too small and you run out in winter, too big and you’re heating water you won’t use.
  2. Element size — drives recovery time. Bigger element = faster reheat.
  3. Electrical — who’s connecting it? We usually do it so there’s no second trade to book.
  4. Valves — don’t reuse 15-year-old valves on a new cylinder. Replace them together.
  5. Tank quality — 5-year vs 10-year warranties behave very differently in reality. Cheap tanks often barely make the warranty.
  6. Resale value — a cheap tank looks cheap at sale time.
  7. Pressure upgrade — going from low to high pressure? Increase capacity, because high pressure uses more hot water.

Gas Water Heating vs Heat Pump — Which Wins?

The honest answer: gas wins on capital cost, heat pumps win on long-term running cost.

Gas continuous-flow is $4,500–$6,000 installed. Running cost ~17c/kWh equivalent. Lasts 10–15 years, familiar technology, easy servicing.

Heat pump water heater is $9,000–$12,000 installed. Running cost ~7c/kWh equivalent (assuming COP of 4 — not all units hit that, some do better, some worse). The fridge-style compressor adds maintenance complexity down the line, but operating cost is roughly 40% of gas.

Over 15 years of use, a heat pump comfortably pays back — if you expect to stay in the house. If you’re selling in 2 years, gas is usually the better call.

Smart Tanks, Mains Pressure Upgrades

Smart tanks learn when you use hot water and only heat it just before you need it — cutting standby heat loss. Good for households with predictable routines, less so for shift workers.

Upgrading to mains pressure gives you modern shower performance and opens up contemporary tapware choices. You’ll use more hot water, so we usually recommend a capacity bump at the same time. See our shower pressure page for a breakdown.

External installations? See our external cylinder guide. Tight spaces? Underbench and remote-sink options available.

No Hot Water? Here’s Where to Look

Electric cylinders — common causes: faulty element, failed thermostat, blown fuse, tripped ripple-control at the meter board, or a stuck tempering valve. Do not open any electrical covers — 240V inside.

Gas systems — pilot out, gas supply issue, flat batteries in older Bosch units, or a tripped surge protector in an electronic unit. On continuous-flow: power off and back on often resets electronic faults.

If your hot water is off entirely, call 0800 484 353. We usually diagnose over the phone first and bring the right parts. 24/7 dispatch across Wellington, Hutt Valley and Kapiti.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What size hot water cylinder do I need?

    Rough guide: 135L for a 1-2 person household, 180L for 3, 250L for 4-5, 300L+ for large families. Upgrading from low to mains pressure? Go up a size — mains pressure uses more water per shower.

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