Geyser not heating? Five checks before you call a plumber

A geyser that stops heating usually comes down to a handful of causes. These checks take a few minutes and tell you whether you need a plumber, an electrician or nothing at all.

1. Check the breaker. Look at the geyser breaker on the distribution board. If it has tripped and trips again after resetting, leave it off and call us, because the element or wiring is likely faulty.
2. Check the timer or controller. Geyser timers, smart switches and solar controllers can be set wrongly after a power cut. Confirm the geyser is scheduled to heat.
3. Look for water. Check the drip tray, the ceiling below the geyser and the overflow pipe. Water running steadily from the overflow can mean a faulty pressure valve. Water pooling under the tank can mean the tank itself has failed.
4. Check the hot taps. If only some taps run lukewarm, the fault may be a mixer cartridge or a blocked pipe rather than the geyser.
5. Think about age. Many electric geysers need replacing after roughly ten years, and a tank that leaks cannot be repaired.

Do not open the geyser's electrical cover or work on the element yourself. Mains electricity and hot water make that unsafe, so leave it to a qualified person. If the checks do not solve the problem, see our geyser repair and replacement service or call us.

Need help now? Call 082 748 7019 or WhatsApp us.