Victorian families have been urged to get their gas appliances regularly serviced and checked to stop accidental carbon monoxide deaths in a new campaign featuring the parents of two children who died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carbon monoxide poisoning in the home becomes a danger when gas appliances, such as heaters, malfunction and do not burn the gas. The appliance may appear to be functioning normally but is also producing poisonous carbon monoxide. There have been nine fatalities from carbon monoxide poisoning in Victoria in the last 11 years.

What should be done?

Regularly check the colour of the flame in the heater. A blue flame burning within the heater is normally an indication of a good flame and that the heater is working properly.

A yellow or sooty flame indicates a faulty heater - apart from appliances where yellow flames are deliberately used for decorative effect.

Look for the following visible warnings that problems exist:

* Soot or discolouration around the gas appliance;

* Yellow flame;

* Heater goes out after a short time for no apparent reason;

* Debris falling down the flue pipe;

* Missing or damaged cowl on the top of the flue pipe.

If property owners and tenants have any concerns about the adequacy of the ventilation in their homes they should arrange an inspection by a registered or licensed gasfitter. Alternatively call ESV on 1800 652 563 or the Plumbing Industry Commission (PIC) on 1300 815 127.

The gasfitter who services your appliance must have a carbon monoxide (CO) analyser/detector that has been calibrated correctly in the required time frame to detect CO. The CO reading must be less than 10 parts per million (ppm).