Geyser repairs and replacement

• Water pouring through the ceiling or out of the overflow pipe
• No hot water, or water that is only lukewarm
• The geyser breaker trips the DB board
• Water dripping from the drip tray or the pipe outside
• Rusty or discoloured hot water
• Banging, hissing or a geyser that runs non-stop

1. 01

   Make it safe

   Power off, water off, and the leak stopped so the ceiling stops taking water.

2. 02

   Find what failed

   Element, thermostat, pressure valve, vacuum breaker, fittings or the cylinder itself. A burst cylinder is replaced; most other faults are repaired.

3. 03

   Quote in writing

   Repair or replacement, what size, where it goes, and what the installation needs to comply. Nothing beyond making it safe starts until you approve.

4. 04

   Install to SANS 10254

   Drip tray, pressure control valve, vacuum breakers and safety valve discharge, fitted the way the standard requires, because that is what an insurer checks.

5. 05

   Paperwork

   A report with photographs of what failed and why, and the plumbing certificate of compliance for the installation.

Geyser work has to be done by a licensed plumber and follow SANS 10254, which every geyser installed since 2001 is expected to meet. The plumber issues a PIRB certificate of compliance for the installation. Insurers check for it, and for the drip tray, vacuum breakers and pressure valve, when they assess a burst-geyser claim; a non-compliant installation gives them grounds to reject it.

• Repair or full replacement
• Geyser size (100, 150 or 200 litres) and whether it is electric, gas, solar or a heat pump
• Where it sits: an easy roof space or a tight one that has to be opened up
• Whether the old installation has the drip tray, valves and vacuum breakers the standard needs
• Ceiling and water damage that has to be put right afterwards

Will my insurance pay for a burst geyser?

Most home policies cover a burst geyser and the damage it causes, less your excess. What insurers usually ask for is a plumber's report on what failed, photographs, the quote, and the certificate of compliance for the new installation. We give you all four.

What goes in a burst geyser damage report?

What failed and why, the date, photographs of the geyser and the damage, whether the old installation met SANS 10254, and what the replacement needs to comply. Insurers and their assessors work from it, so we write it for every burst geyser we attend.

Repair or replace?

If the cylinder itself has burst or rusted through, it is replaced. If it is the element, thermostat, a valve or a fitting, it can usually be repaired. We tell you which before quoting.

Can you move my geyser to a better spot?

Yes, where there is room and the roof can carry it. It is a good time to do it when the geyser is being replaced anyway.

Should I switch to a heat pump or solar geyser?

If the geyser is being replaced, it is worth pricing. A heat pump or a solar geyser costs more up front and less every month. We can quote both side by side.

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Geyser repairs & replacement near you