What are the implications of non-compliant geyser installations?

02 September | Bernice van Leeuwen

The plumbing industry, especially with regard to the installation, replacement, and repair of geysers/hot water heaters are always subject to the constant changes in its regulations, compliance and safety standards, and guidelines.

As a result of these changes, a lack of understanding, and in some cases misinterpretation or misguidance, has crept into the industry.

With this misunderstanding regarding the installation, replacement and repair of geysers/hot water heaters, insurers have become stricter with the use of non-approved plumbers, who don’t necessarily ensure that the geyser is up to current South African National Standards (SANS) Specifications.

Regulation No. 7079 dated 8 June 2001, as Gazetted by the South African Government, requires all fixed electrical storage water heating systems to comply with SANS 10254 installation specifications. This legislation requires that all new geyser installations, and replacement geyser installations performed after 8 June 2001, must be in accordance with the specifications, which requires the installation to have a geyser drip tray, as well as an overflow pipe draining to the exterior of the building. In addition, vacuum breakers must be installed on the hot and cold-water supply and the overflow from the safety valve, and the expansion relief valve must be drained to the exterior of the building.

Problems with geysers are very common in the day-to-day running of sectional title schemes. The implication of not having compliance certificates, and a geyser burst, the bodies corporate insurance company is entitled to repudiate the claim. 

The challenge bodies corporate face is the maintenance of geysers which often they are not responsible for. Prescribed Management Rule 31(1) of Annexure 1 of the Regulations to the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act 8 of 2011 states that although a water-installation forms part of the common property, and is insured by the body corporate, a member must maintain, repair and, when necessary, replace such an installation which serves that member’s section. If such an installation served multiple sections, then the members concerned must share in the maintenance, repair and replacement costs on a pro-rata basis.

The owner of a section is therefore responsible for repairs and maintenance, including replacement, irrespective of where the geyser is situated. Geysers are however insured through the general building insurance cover of the body corporate.

Geysers installed, repaired, replaced or maintained in 2018, or later, need a compliance certificate. Without a valid geyser compliance certificate in place, where the geyser was worked on in 2018 or later, and should something go wrong, an insurance claim may be rejected.

It has therefore become imperative for bodies corporate to educate owners and tenants in terms of the geyser compliance regulations.

We would love to hear your thoughts on the matter, please leave them in the comment section below or contact us at TVDM Consultants on info@tvdmconsultants.com or 061 536 3138.

About the Author: Bernice van Leeuwen is a General Manager VCIB Property Insurance Sorted.

If you have not already done so, click here to sign up to our newsletter.