Rich from Plumbdog Plumbing responds to a customer report of a strong gas smell around their hot water system — something that always needs to be taken seriously.
What initially appears to be a possible gas leak quickly turns into a full diagnostic process involving gas tightness testing, appliance inspection, burner pressure testing, and system commissioning checks.
In this video, Rich walks through the exact process professional gas fitters use to safely diagnose gas appliance faults and confirm whether the issue lies within the pipework or the appliance itself.
In This Video
•Performing a full property gas tightness test using a U-gauge / manometer
•Inspecting the hot water system and checking pilot and burner operation
•Leak testing fittings using soapy water / leak detection spray
•Identifying installation compliance observations and clearances
•Testing burner pressure using a digital manometer
•Testing inlet gas pressure while the appliance is running
•Diagnosing erratic burner pressure caused by a faulty gas control valve
•Replacing the gas control valve and recommissioning the system
•Performing final safety checks and confirming stable operation
The testing revealed that while the gas pipework to the property was completely gas tight, the burner pressure was behaving inconsistently. After confirming that inlet pressure was correct, the fault was traced to a malfunctioning gas control valve regulating gas flow to the burner.
The Result
Gas pipework confirmed leak-free
Faulty gas control valve identified and replaced
Burner pressure restored to the correct 1.0 kPa specification
Hot water system recommissioned and operating safely
Gas smell issue resolved
This video provides a real-world example of professional gas fault finding and shows why systematic testing is critical when diagnosing gas appliance problems.
Location: Perth, WA
Need help with gas appliances, leak detection, or plumbing repairs? Visit Plumbdog Plumbing
