Old gas heater disposal: what changed in Victoria, and how to actually get rid of one

When the cold really sets in, the old gas heater in the lounge gets switched on for the first time in months. If yours is getting on in years, it is worth knowing that the rules around gas heaters in Victoria have tightened, and an older unit can carry a genuine safety risk.

Here is a plain-English run-down of what has changed, how to work out whether to keep, replace or remove your heater, and the right way to get rid of an old one once it is on its way out.

What changed in Victoria

Since August 2022, Energy Safe Victoria has banned the sale and installation of open-flued gas space heaters that do not meet the current safety standard (AS5263.1.3). To be installed today, an open-flued heater has to be fan-assisted with a device that shuts it down within 15 minutes if it starts spilling combustion fumes.

The change is about carbon monoxide. Open-flued heaters draw air from the room they sit in, and an older one can spill carbon monoxide back into a sealed room, or when a flue is blocked. Consumer Affairs Victoria sets out the open-flue heater ban in plain terms if you want the detail.

If you are keeping a gas heater, Energy Safe Victoria recommends having it serviced by a licensed gasfitter at least every two years, including a carbon monoxide test. Alongside this, Victoria is steadily moving households off gas, so a lot of people now treat a dead or non-compliant heater as the moment to switch to electric.

Repair, replace or remove?

It comes down to the condition and type of your heater:

• Newer, compliant and serviced: fine to keep, but book a service if it has been more than two years.
• Old, open-flued and non-compliant: it cannot be reinstalled to the current standard, so once it fails it is a replacement, not a repair.
• Switching to electric: many households are putting in reverse-cycle air conditioning instead, which leaves the old gas unit to remove.

If the heater is going off for good, the next job is getting it out safely.

Step one: a licensed gasfitter disconnects it

You cannot legally disconnect a gas appliance yourself in Victoria, and it is not worth the risk. A licensed gasfitter will turn off the supply, cap the gas line, and check for leaks before the heater comes out. This is the one step you should never skip or try to DIY.

Step two: how to get rid of the old heater

Once it is disconnected, an old gas heater is mostly metal, so it does not belong in landfill. Your options:

• Scrap metal recycler: most take old heaters, stoves and hot water units, and many offer free pickup.
• Council hard waste: many councils collect old appliances and send the metal for recycling. Check your council’s accepted-items list and book it in.
• Transfer station: drop it off yourself at a resource recovery centre, and call ahead for fees and what they accept.
• Retailer take-back: if you are buying a new heater or a split system, ask the supplier to take the old one away.
• Removal service: if it is part of a bigger clear-out, we will take it with everything else once it is disconnected.

Old gas heaters often come out during a winter tidy-up or a switch to electric, alongside other bulky items that have been put off. It’s Done can take the disconnected heater and the rest in one trip as part of a regular household rubbish removal. For offices, shops and cafes upgrading their heating, the same applies through our commercial rubbish removal service. We cover Hawthorn, South Yarra, Prahran and the rest of Melbourne’s inner south and east.

If you have an old gas heater to shift once it is disconnected, give the team a call on (03) 9820 1927 for a free, no-obligation quote, and we will clear it on a day that suits you.

Frequently asked questions