9 Things you need to know about your geyser
Here are 9 Things you need to know about your geyser:
1. Geysers are the responsibility of the home owner to ensure that they are not only in good condition but also fully compliant with required regulations.
2. A safety tray (drip tray) must be installed.
The geyser needs to be supported as per regulation, and a slope on the geyser tray towards the outlet needs to be provided by lifting the end of the tray opposite the outlet to ensure that water runs out quickly not filling the tray should the geyser fail as per building regulation.
A tray is not required if the geyser is on top of a concrete roof or outside the house.
3. The geyser must be supported on planks
The geyser must be installed on planks placed onto the tie beams (bottom cords) of trusses which trusses must be supported on internal walls.
The alternative, where there are no internal walls for that purposes, shall be that the tie beams of at least three trusses shall be strengthened with addition, same size timber as the tie beams, bolted onto the existing tie beams.
The timber must be at least twice the length of the geyser tray.
4. The geyser must be earthed
The geyser must be earthed with copper strapping as required in a position where it can be seen.
It needs to be visible so one does not have to guess if the geyser is earthed, or not wrongly assume that it is.
The standard practice to earth is a copper strap secured to the hot and cold uprights to which the vacuum breakers are fitted.
5. You must be able to easily reach a switch to turn off power to the geyser
The geyser must have an isolator in a position where it can be seen and within 1m of the geyser for ease of access and in plain view, secured to a roof truss and not placed on the ceiling or on top of an internal wall.
6. Two vacuum breakers are required
Vacuum breakers need to be fitted which are small brass components mounted at the end of a 300mm length of pipe.
The two vacuum breakers (one for cold and one for hot water) stand vertically about 300mm above the geyser.
They stop the water from siphoning out of the geyser when the cold supply is stopped. They also extend the lifetime of the geyser.
7. A water pressure value (regulator) is compulsory
A water pressure regulator needs to be fitted which is mandatory and mostly for the proper functioning of the geyser.
It can be installed outside the house on the main water feed or on the geyser piping, of each geyser, in the roof cavity.
8. It must have an overflow pipe
An overflow pipe must be fitted as per regulation.
The overflow pipe must be 20mm diameter and must be copper or galvanized steel and must be extended to discharge on the outside of the roof where it will not cause a nuisance.
9. A water shut off value must be close by
A water shut off valve needs to be installed close to the geyser and needs to be immediately visible, as with the electrical isolator.
One should not be searching for them which will be a problem during an emergency.
Furthermore, when the geyser needs to be replaced or repairs are done, then water to the geyser only need to be closed off and not to the entire house by the external main feed.
