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Key factors for Geyser installation service works. Professional geyser installers follow proper steps for the fitting of water heaters, to ensure safe working and use. These are important safety aspects of hot water storage tanks that needs to be considered for proper function. According to the regulations and requirements of SANS 10252-1 and SANS 10254, all mandatory parts must be included.

Geyser installation service providers should include all the mandatory geyser parts when fitting a new geyser or replacing an old water heater.

Temperature And Pressure Valve

The temperature and pressure valve should be fitted and have a pressure rating not exceeding the one in the existing system. The tp valve can have equal pressure rating to the one on the existing system.

Expansion Control Valve

The expansion control valve should be fitted and have a pressure rating not exceeding the one in the existing system. The expansion control valve can have equal pressure rating to the one on the existing system.

Pressure Control Valve

The pressure control valve should be fitted and have a pressure rating not exceeding the one in the existing system. The pressure control valve can have equal pressure rating to the one on the existing system.

Water heaters should sit on a solid structure. The dip tray and water heater, must be placed on

tie beams that are supported on load bearing walls. The spacing of such beams must not be more than 500mm apart.

Drip tray should be professionally installed and have proper discharge pipe for drainage.

installed in the correct manner. The drainpipe should be fitted to allow smooth draining of water away from the building and should be easy to see from outside.

Vacuum breakers

These are fitted on cold water supply as well as hot water disposal pipes.

This will ensure no siphonage of the water heater.

Isolating Valves

Isolating valve must be installed on the inlet pipe of the pressure control valve.

Beauty salons deal with body and skin health, improvements in appearance of face and body skin. Classes of beauty treatment include facials treatments, fingernail treatments, toenail, and foot treatments as well as facial skin treatments. Hair treatment is another common service offered at beauty salons.

Facials – a common service to find at a beauty parlor, facials come in many forms such as anti-aging and hydration treatments. They improve skin moisturizing and deal face wrinkles that come with age. Another aspect of facial skin improvement is scarring and pigmentation of the skin.

Nails – While there are beauty parlors offering all in one service, you also get specialist services. Nail spas offer specialist pedicure services and manicure services. Here, toenails, fingernails and feet get special attention. Nail spas offer foot massage to accompany pedicures. Nail treatment addresses problems of cracked feet and weak nails. At the same time, pedicure and manicure services enhances the appearance of toes, fingers, and feet.

Eyebrows – eyebrow and lash tinting, eye shaping, and threading are common forms of eye lash service.

Body – relaxation massages and other body muscle relaxing techniques are employed here. Body massages are for muscle and tissue health, mental and psychological revitalization. There are various forms of body massages that aims to relief different body parts, such as head massage, shoulder massage or whole-body massage. Most athletes undergo massage after competition a practice session, and there is a special massage for that. Pain and aches are relieved by this process.

Hair – hair treatment, cutting and trimming is a common service that beauty parlors offer. Professional hairdressers also offer mobile hairdresser service, where they treat you in the comfort of your home. Hair treatment works well to protect hair from breaking, and to help in hair growth. Moreover, it helps fight dandruff by careful use of proven chemicals.

Electrical faults that occur most in homes and offices relate to tripping electricity, electric shock, circuit breaker failure, and electricity surge. Electrical issues are not to be taken lightly, as they pose a threat to life, safety and damage to appliances or property. We look at basic electric problems that are easy and correct. However, it is advisable to hire your local electrician if the problem is bigger and complex.

Circuit breaker is an extremely import safety device of an electric circuit. Its job is to instantly cut off power whenever electrical current jumps beyond the safe value. Therefore, if your circuit breaker is tripping, it is a good sign of a working safety system. This means that you have cover from possible fires at home or in your office. Additionally, your electrical appliances and machines are safe from electrical damage as well as from overheating or melting.

Although a tripping circuit breaker shows a working safe system, repeats in electrical tripping suggests an electric issue that needs attention. Here are some of the things to look out for if you have tripping electric problems.

Loose or rusted wires – it is often advisable to call an electrician even for small problems like fixing loose wires or rusted wires.

Circuit overload – use only a number of appliances at once and not more, as they cause overload and tripping.

Faulty appliances – if your tools and appliances are not in good working order, this too can result if electrical issues.

Using multiple large appliances at once can push the amount of current flowing to levels above safe capacity. This will trigger tripping the breaker. It is easy to identify which appliance is faulty. Every time that gadget is in use, it will trip electricity even if you change the plug from which it is getting power supply.

Bad wiring is another cause for circuit breaker tripping.

Electric surge is a sudden rise of electric charge. The risk of electric surge is damage to electrical appliances. The damage may occur at the time of incident, or can be a gradual weakening of gadgets that will eventually cause total damage.

In order to maintain a long lifespan of electrical appliances, you have to protect them against surge.

Unlike other electrical faults, a surge is often something that a homeowner can prevent or predict the time of occurrence. Electrical surge problems do not begin in the house, but can be a result of natural and man-made causes. Lightening, slip ups form companies and issues with powerlines can induce a surge in houses.

The use surge protectors is a very good protection of appliances against surge-related damage.

A very few power outlets can result in overloading the few ones that are present. When that happens, you will have electric tripping more often.

Homeowners should be careful to repair damaged or dead power outlets. Call your electrician to fix such a problem as soon as you notice it.

Although electric shocks are usually mild, they can be severe at times and cause serious harm.

Electrical shocks happen when you turn a device on or off. The problem can often be traced to faulty appliance or poor wiring.

Electric faults may also result from accidental damage during renovations, especially where ground digging or drilling of walls takes place. That is why you may need to get utilities detection services before renovation. A good maintenance contractor can also give advice on the matter, or have this service included in his price.

Hazards for electric shock

Damaged or worn electrical cords

Equipment and appliances with improper or faulty wiring

Contact with electrical sources while wet or while you handle wet substances or stand on wet floor.

Solution

Ensure your hands are not wet as you use plugs and other electrical sources.

Do not plug anything with exposed wires be it a cable or an appliance.

Blocked sewer lines pose a risk to health. Apart from the bad smell and the ugly site of a blocked drains spilling dirty water outside, there are health issues relating to exposure to sewer drain gases. Health problems common from raw sewerage exposure can come from bacteria or parasites. Clogged sewer drain is a problem that needs no motivation to act on, and drain cleaning specialists are always ready to jump at short notice.

Sewerage pipe systems transfer waste water that collects from sinks, bathrooms and other home appliances. Domestic appliances such as washing machines, dish washers and ice machines for instance, will collect and end up in sewer pipes.

The drainage pipes collecting waste water from all other areas are smaller than the one that collects from toilet. However, drain pipes within a building connect outside the building into one system. Therefore, the sewer drainage pipes outside are wider in diameter than the ones from inside.

Drain pipes run at slope to enable movement of raw sewerage. The drainage pipe system is therefore not working under pressure except the natural effect of gravity. This means that the system should be free of objects that prevent flow of water. Sanitary pads, hairs, fatty substances and other forms of unwanted solids are the main culprits for a clogged sewerage pipe.

Ideally, sewer pipes should have an inspection point, to allow for drain plumbers to clean out the sewer clog.

For obvious reasons, a sewer line runs underground. Therefore, sewer drain system is one of the most common forms of underground utilities.

PVC is now the most common material in use for sewerage drain pipes. Pipe diameter usually for domestic outside sewer drainage pipes outside the house is 110mm diameter. For sink, bathroom, washing machines and all interior waste water drainage, a 50mm size PVC pipe is used.

Grease, fatty substances, soaps and food particles are common causes for interior drain blockages.

Slow draining of toilets and bathroom should not be ignored. They indicate that a drain block is present. Debris can begin to pile up following this, and eventually a full drain block will occur.

Additionally, if you start smelling funny and foul smells then it is time to consider a drain cleaning exercise.

Another common sound is the unmistaken gurling sound that follow after flushing, or when water from a tub is released.

The last thing to confirm a total blockage of sewerage system is a flooding on the outside of the house. At this point, the drain pipe is fully blocked.

Electric Geyser Installation Prices in South Africa

Electric geyser replacements on average cost less than fitting a geyser where no geyser existed before. Geyser installers often charge for supply and installation all inclusive.

Price of fitting a replacement geyser however varies slightly according to brand name, tank size and whether or not other support system needs changing.

It may be necessary to replace shut off valves, dip trays or make small changes to the pipe work if the replacement geyser is not an exact fit.

Connection points to supply water and distribute water may have a small off-set from the previous geyser, but this is a simple matter for plumbers to address.

Additionally, geyser prices also vary slightly according to size and brand choice.

Popular electric geyser brands in South Africa includes Kwikot, Heattech, and Builders geyser. Prices are therefore different since demand for brands is not same. For example, Kwikot geyser installation is slightly higher than builders high pressure geyser fitting.

Geyser replacement cost is roughly R7500 all inclusive.

For geyser sizes between 5oliters and 150liters, price is not much different. For instance, a 100liter geyser is not that much different in price with a 150liter geyser. However, as the sizes increases to 200liter and beyond, there is a bigger difference in prices.

Therefore, you need to check what size you want, that will meet your needs.

On average, labour charges for geyser fitting are R2500.

Replacing a water heater is much easier to estimate the price since plumbers make use of existing piping system. This means you can get a price of geyser fitting telephonically, if you know exactly what you want.

All things being equal, the cost of installing a geyser from scratch equals the cost of geyser replacement plus additional material for supply and distribution. Such additional material includes dip tray, copper pipes, electrical isolators, shut off valves and any other part that does not come standard when buying a geyser. Basically, all geyser parts that do not come standard when buying a geyser will make a difference on price.

Hence, distance to from the nearest possible water supply, and nearest link to distribute hot water counts.

It is clear that the final quotation for fitting a new geyser from scratch is determined after a site inspection. Also, labour might also be slightly higher depending on additional hours needed to install the support system.

Geyser thermostat data that is just good to know, for consideration when you are not getting hot water from your water heater.

A thermostat is a heat sensor that controls the level of heat in a system. This is made possible by switching a load on or off as the heat levels rises or drops.

These sensors are useful in any systems where one needs to maintain heat levels to a pre-set value.

Heat sensors have a wide range of uses in areas such as heating and cooling systems, central heating systems and many others.

For a geyser, the heat sensor does not get in contact with water, therefore it senses the heat levels of the element.

The element is the one that actually gets hot and in turn heats water within the tank.

A water heater thermostat has a head and a rod “tail” attached to the head. The rod fits into a hollow socket of the element, and senses temperature of element.

A desired temperature is pre-set on the thermostat. One the level is reached, the unit cuts off power to the element. Conversely, if the heat level drops below the pre-set level, the sensor will reconnect the element.

When your water is not hot at all, geyser installation and repairs professionals begin by testing if geyser thermostat is in working order. If this sensor fails, it means it ceases to sense anything and therefore can not trigger the element to heat up or to stop supply heating.

First, ensure power supply is cut off as a safety measure for geyser maintenance.

Then locate and remove the protective cover, also known as a geyser gasket. The gasket can be easily taken out by turning screws with a flat screw driver.

In modern heat sensors, the adjusting lever is out in the open, so all one has to do is turn it to the temperature of choice. There are marks around the head of the sensor and the lever has to point to the desired value. It is important to use the correct range of geyser thermostat temperature. Correct thermostat setting ensures safety as well as best energy use. Ideally, temperature should range between 50 degrees and not more than 70 degrees.

No hot water is the most common sign of a faulty thermostat. However, a faulty sensor is not the only cause of no hot water. If you are not sure about a faulty geyser, call your local plumbers for help.

Causes of leaky pipes range from poor plumbing installations, wear and tear to pressure and environmental effect.

There are different methods of fixing leaking pipes according to pipe material, but now we only look at the causes.

High water pressure – although it is rare to occur in South Africa, it sometimes happens that you can experience an influx of water pressure. Municipalities in South Africa make a point to monitor water usage strictly due to water shortages in the country, therefore it is not common for high water pressure influx. However, in those rare moments, plumbing pipes may get damaged, resulting in water leaks.

An easy solution is to have a pressure reducing valve fitting within your system. Your local plumber can fit in a pressure reducing valve and set it to the correct value.

Additionally, it is always important that after any plumbing repairs are done where water was temporarily cut off, you open faucets and let air out. This is especially true for repairs on main lines, as there is a tendency of air getting trapped in the lines, thereby inducing additional pressure to the system. The induced pressure is a hazard to plumbing pipes as well as faucets.

Effect of tree roots – tree roots close to water supply line or water disposal lines may cause a weakness to pipe joints. Especially drain lines that dispose water from bathrooms, toilets, and kitchens into the sewer lines. Roots find their way inside the pipes, causing leaks and drain blockages.

Blocked drain lines.

Drain clogs can results in pipes getting burst or leaks on joints. Therefore, it is important to call drain cleaning service providers early and not ignore even a slow drain block.

Although less common these days, old houses still have galvanized plumbing pipes. These pipes are prone to corrosion, a reason why they are no longer popular. Leaking pipe joints may result from corrosion, as rust eats away the pipe at joints. Furthermore, rust built up may cause blockages and weaken the pipes.

Temperature changes

Sudden rise or drop of temperature may cause cracks in water pipes that will eventually result in leaks.

As your plumbing system ages, rust and other forms of corrosion may eat away at the pipes.

Wear and Tear

Over time, the pipe fittings at joints become weaker due to aging. Small movements on pipe joints may result, causing water leakages.

Poor workmanship

Poor laying of pipes as well as poor joint fitting can be a cause of leaky pipes. Over time, a poorly connected joint will give in. Making use of reputable plumbing companies is recommended.

These are but some of the causes of leaking pipe in buildings

Looking for a good renovations contractor in South Africa? This means getting one who communicates well the full details of your total costs. This helps to give you accurate costing of the complete project. With a good project cost, you are able to work well within your budget and timelines. Even if you need to make alterations from initial plan during project execution. You are still able to accurately cater for the cost implications of those changes.

However, it is important to stay focused and not divert too much as project goes on. While you should not be afraid to make changes during construction, you should not get carried away. Avoid too many new ideas flowing in after the project starts.

Good renovation practice is to make changes/additions to existing building as opposed to redoing the entire space, as price will shoot over budget.

Top renovations contractors strive to get a clear understanding of your renovations goals and assess the practicality of it, against timelines and budget. Building alterations companies also give advice on mandatory or regulatory needs of the project. There is also underground utilities to consider if digging is to take place.

All these should be communicated clearly before the renovations works takes off.

Investing your time in finding a good maintenance contractor is worth the effort, although it may look like a mountain of a task.

Consider contractor’s references especially recent works.

Contractor’s price – getting a number of quotations will help, and comparing the quotes in detail not just the amount. While you need to get the best deal in terms of pricing, cheapest is not always best therefore you need also to consider detail of the quotation. Guarantees, and clear no-hidden costs quotes are good indicators.

Examine previous works pictures or visit sites if possible.

Get pictures and if possible, visit sites of previous works. Here is what you can look out for on pictures or on sites.

How long contractor has been in business, although new contractors can still give a good service, especially if they have good references

Bathroom Maintenance Workmanship

No Dark stains on the walls or ceiling, slanted floors, cheap materials, insufficient lighting.

Kitchen remodels Workmanship

If your renovations are driven by the need to create more space, you can have an idea of whether your contractor is good by looking at his accuracy in measurements. So, when you examine previous projects of a potential contractor, you can focus on dimensional aspects of the installations.

You want to check for things like if a cupboard door has the full swing needed, if fitted units are not clashing etc.

Similarly, if your renovations are driven by need for a better appeal, you want to check for the overall look and style of finished projects. These should blend in with existing structures, a before and after picture will tell the story.

Cabinets – are cabinets properly fitting to the existing carpentry, so as not to show a disassociation.

Countertops – the shape, size and colour match with the rest of the kitchen.

Sink – Accurately measured to suit the countertop. Plumbing neat and water pipes neatly concealed. If you can visit site, no leaks and proper shut off valves installed. Check for overall neat alignment of sink with the rest of the kitchen. Kitchen faucets not loose, but firmly held on the sink.

Paint – uniform and consistent paint amount all over the walls. No traces of paint protruding beyond to other features, such as paint marks showing on wall plugs. No discoloration of paint appearing on the maintop. Paint peeling off the walls, a reason why you need to inspect recent works done.

Plumbing – ask for pictures that show the hidden parts of plumbing pipes. If you manage to visit, check for all plumbing valves, water heater, and drains for leaks or poor connections that may easily get damaged. A good contractor will happily showcase the hidden pipes of all his plumbing services behind the closets.

Tiling considerations

The tiles are neatly arranged, the space between tiles is uniform and of a size that blends well with the overall room outlook. Edges of tiles near plugs are neatly fitted, as well as other spaces that need some utility embedded in, are neat with straight edges.

Obvious seams on countertop, cheap materials, “kitchen triangle” (stove, refrigerator and sink) not logically laid out, poor lighting, inadequate storage or counter space.

Paint: Overspray, paint runs, streaks, imperfect lines and edges, paint splatter on the floor.

Tile work: Crooked tiles or lines, tile or grout cracking, excess grout or caulking along edges (meant to disguise poorly cut tiles), inconsistent grout lines, uneven surfaces, obvious transitions between surfaces.

Samsung Wind-Free aircon South Africa, a product for better air quality and safer environment.

Many aircon installers will be happy to install this model of air conditioner.

The wind free air conditioners cool the room with no discomfort of direct cold airflow, by making use of thousands of tiny openings to spread the air around.

Additionally, the tiny particles are also said to filter tiny unwanted dust particles.

The wind free cooling is made possible in two ways

First, it lowers heat levels to the setting of choice.

Then after that, the unit then maintains the pre-set heat level.

The air spreads gently, so that there is no draft or cold air blowing into your face. That is why the air is rightly termed “still air”, due to its gentle movement around the room.

Therefore, wind free aircon is ideal for both home and business use.

It comes with fast and wide cooling capabilities as well as with smart Wi-Fi capability.

Additionally, the new blade design gives a more powerful and rapid air cooling.

Apart from ability to purify air and dehumidify it, the wind free aircon is stronger, cheaper and more energy efficient.

The environmental benefit is that wind-free air conditioners use R32 refrigerant.

R-32 refrigerant is the latest product that offers the most efficient and safest cooling properties.

The Wind Free’s R32 Refrigerant comes after a series of improvements of air conditioning refrigerants over years.

Air conditioning refrigerants has been constantly improving over the years, towards a greener and environmentally safer product. First, the R12 which was phased out in 1994 due to environmental concerns relating to ozone layer depletion. Then next came R22, which was slightly better than R12 but still had a high level of damage to the atmosphere. After that came R410, which is the most common refrigerant in use today.

R32 is the most recent and most advanced refrigerant today, with the highest energy efficient rating and lowest global warming potential.

In Summary, this is what the R32 gas offers: –

30% lower Global Warming Potential than that of R410A

More efficient and less costly – R32 systems use 20% less refrigerant

Ozone Depletion Potential of 0

Easier to recycle than R410A

Samsung air conditioners remain one of the most wanted aircon brands in South Africa for users and air conditioning companies alike.

Underground utilities such as telecommunication cables, electrical lines and sewer lines are a common feature on buildings. The idea of burying utilities underground has benefits that include lower theft risk and free space above ground. Additionally there is no risk of damage from severe weather conditions. Furthermore, overhead lines may diminish the kerb appeal of a property so underground space is preferable. Especially if there are multiple lines supplying a house.

At home, we are often not mindful of the presence of underground lines in our backyards. In fact, we may not even know what subsurface utilities lie underneath our yards.

However, when it comes to maintenance work or home renovations that involve trench digging, we need to stop and think. We cannot ignore the possibility of damage and safety risks relating to underground services

In most cases, we do not have maps showing underground cables and pipes, so much that we cannot tell where is what. Therefore, even smaller renovations tasks such as erecting fence poles and posts, may also need require verification of existing subsurface services before digging.

Here are some of the most common utilities at home

Communication cables – they can be routed inside a flexible pipe to protect them from water and rust. Such underground protection pipes can house electric optic cables and also allow for ease of removal during maintenance.

Sewer lines – PVC pipes are very common in homes for disposal of grey and black water. Drainage pipes may be easy to follow up, as one can trace pipes coming out of the building into the ground. Furthermore, you can also locate drain access points on the surface of the ground to see how the pipe will run.

Water supply pipes – usually made of plastic, they run from municipal water meters to supply the house. One has to be careful when digging the area between water meters and buildings.

Electric lines – digging up an electrical line is a dangerous incident that can lead to fatality or serious injury. It is vital to scan for subsurface electrical lines if you are planning on renovations that include excavation.

Maintenance contractors make use of scanner or  surveyors to locate and map utilities before any excavation takes place.