Thinking of replacing my Brivis Buffalo 85 Gas heater as when it's turned on I get a slight headache and a feeling of suffiness.
Is it possible there is incomplete combustion going on somewhere i.e. when the air passes over the heater some gas is also getting drawn in.
The unit is about 10 years old I think and was serviced in February

The effects you describe are carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

THIS CAN EASILY BE DEADLY

It's the classic "car exhaust" means of suicide and it's a very fine line between a little bit of exposure and death. It doesn't take much to kill you.

I'd stop using the heater immediately even if that leaves you without heating. Buy a couple of cheap portable electric heaters if need be until you get something permanent installed. But please, stop using the gas heater if it's giving you headaches - THIS IS SERIOUS.

You should call out a gas plumber. They should be able to test the output of the heater for any inpurities.
Give them a call on 1300 BRIVIS (1300 274 847) and ask them if they can send someone out to test it.

I have my gas heater on right now and it also gives me headaches and makes me feel dizzy. I prbably should get a pummer out to loook at it somefgtime esoon. Bren gehtin worsef ofre thwe lafrt fwe dyasanf ier b nnhnhnjhdfnhjm

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I'm no expert, but know enough to be dangerous...
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Cheap-est solution is to go get yourself a canary. Preferably one that been trained to sit and crap on your shoulder. The amount of times that I got called out back in the UK for a stiff budgie at the bottom of the cage. Had nothing to do with the owner smoking 40 high tar a day of course. Get a gas specialist in to investigate. Could be a cracked heat exchanger, a poor flue, blocked flters. Who knows

Thanks for all the replies, really helpful especially the Brivis contact number which I will call first thing tomorrow. I did think about CO poisoning and will not use the heater till I get it checked out. In the meantine we are using our oil filled radiators.

Bit of a delay here in replying but did get the heater checked and serviced and was given the okay.

However I did turn it on again to test it and I still felt a stuffiness, fuggy heady feeling.
Out of interest what is the best way to use ducted heating ?

--> Have a constant supply of fresh air being circulated i.e. keep a window open


Other thing I though about was maybe replacing the ducting itself
or maybe go the full hog and install a new 4-5 star system maybe in the roof space.

Let's see now: January in Melbourne and you are testing your gas central heater in a closed up house and when doing so feel stuffy and fuggy headed. Just a guess, but maybe a serious possibility you are getting a bit hot . . .

You should makes sure that fresh air is able to be exchanged sufficiently in your house in winter. This can be a bigger or smaller problem depending on how busy the house is - if people are coming and going with external doors opening and shitting regularly that can often be sufficient, but if the house is closed then you need to allow fresh air - best to be near the intake/ return vent for the central heater so that it is heated and circulated evenly.

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Advice from me on this forum is general and for guidance based on information given by the member posing the question. Not to be used in place of professional advice from people appropriately qualified in the relevant field. All structural work must be approved and constructed to the BCA or other relevant standards by suitably licensed persons. The person doing the work and reading my advice accepts responsibility for ensuring the work done accords with the applicable law.

Dietry issue causing fugginess perhaps?

Visitors doing that will definitely cause fugginess - and typos too . . . just shows spell chequers are not perfect . . . but regularity is supposed to be a good thing of itself!

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Advice from me on this forum is general and for guidance based on information given by the member posing the question. Not to be used in place of professional advice from people appropriately qualified in the relevant field. All structural work must be approved and constructed to the BCA or other relevant standards by suitably licensed persons. The person doing the work and reading my advice accepts responsibility for ensuring the work done accords with the applicable law.

Okay. Going to kill 2 birds with the one stone.
We are having an extension built on the back of the property and will put in a new 5 star ducted zoned system with brand new ductwork for the current residence and the extension.

However it will be at least 6 - 9 months down the track before that happens so we have to go through the Winter without using the ducted system that's currently in place.

Plan is to use some sort of portable heating system. The house is about 100m2 and has a large hallway with access to all rooms. Is there any solution whereby I can have a heater in the hallway (portable) that is powerful enough to service all rooms.
An LPG would be ideal but I have found out that you cannot have a gas cylinder in the residence ( unlike the UK which you can).

I have read reports about Infrared heaters but they have had mixed reports.

Would appreciate any ideas that are not to expensive

Since you are in Vic which has regulations making portable gas heaters very difficult, your options for a portable are basically restricted to plug-in electric heaters.