Job types
What we cover
Four categories cover almost every plumbing call in a South African home. Each page sets out what you are probably seeing, what causes it, what the plumber needs to know, and which paperwork applies — without a single invented price.
Geyser repair and replacement
A geyser is the single most expensive thing in a South African home's plumbing, and it fails in two very different ways: a cheap electrical fault that looks like a disaster, or a burst cylinder that really is one. The difference decides whether you are paying for a part or for a new installation brought up to SANS 10254. Tell us what you can see and a local plumber will come and quote it.
What you are probably seeing
- No hot water at all, or hot water that runs out far sooner than it used to.
- Water dripping or pouring from the overflow pipe on the eaves or outside wall.
- A brown ring, a sagging board or water running down a light fitting in the ceiling.
- The earth leakage or the geyser breaker tripping every time you switch it on.
Blocked drains and sewer lines
One slow basin is a local problem. Every fixture in the house backing up at once, or water rising out of the gully in the yard, is a main-line problem — and the two need different equipment. Describing which fixtures are affected is the single most useful thing you can do before a plumber arrives, because it tells them whether to bring rods, a jetting machine or a camera.
What you are probably seeing
- A bath, shower or basin that drains slowly, or stands full long after you have finished.
- A toilet that fills and drains back slowly, or will not clear at all.
- Gurgling from a nearby drain when you flush or empty a bath.
- Water or sewage rising out of the gully, inspection eye or manhole in the yard.
Leaks, burst pipes and leak detection
Most expensive leaks are invisible for months. The water meter is the cheapest diagnostic tool you own: close every tap and see whether it still moves. Whether the leak is under a slab, behind a wall or in a supply line to an outbuilding decides how it gets found — and finding it properly is what keeps the repair small.
What you are probably seeing
- A water bill that has jumped without any change in how you use water.
- The meter still turning after you have closed every tap and valve in the house.
- A damp patch, blistering paint, lifting skirting or mould on a wall or floor.
- A warm or hot patch on a tiled floor, which points at a hot-water line under the screed.
Other plumbing work
Plenty of plumbing jobs are not an emergency and are not a geyser. Water tanks and pressure pumps for outages, a running toilet that quietly wastes thousands of litres, replacing brittle galvanised pipework, a new bathroom, a heat pump, or the compliance certificate a conveyancer has just asked for. Describe the job in your own words and a local plumber will quote it.
Jobs that belong here
- Taps and mixers that drip, stick or have lost pressure, and toilets that run or will not seal.
- Water tanks, pressure pumps and change-over kits for supply interruptions.
- Replacing old galvanised pipework before it starts leaking room by room.
- New bathroom, kitchen, scullery or laundry plumbing, including moving a fixture.
City pages
Pick your city instead
Every job type has a page for each city we publish, with the local municipality, conditions and paperwork.