Kwikot Consumer Information
Frequently Asked Questions
- As per the SA Government Gazette No. 22355, Notice No. 509 and Regulation No. 7079 dated the 8th June 2001, all fixed electric storage water heating systems must comply to SANS 10254 Installation Specification (SANS – South Africa National Standards).
- This legislation requires that all new geyser installations and replacement geyser installations performed after the 8th June 2001 must be in accordance with the specification, which requires the installation to have a geyser drip tray with overflow pipe piped to the exterior of the building. Vacuum breakers must be installed on the hot and cold water supply and the overflow from the safety valve and expansion relief valve must be separately piped to the exterior of the building.
- It is advisable to know this information in the event of a problem occurring with the geyser and for any related insurance claim. With reference to Kwikot geysers the guarantee period can be obtained from the code on the serial plate sticker , which is next to the electrical cover plate of the geyser. For example the code may read 10-H-5, which is interpreted as:
10 – the month of manufacture (October)
V – the year of manufacture (2017). ‘W’ would be 2018, ‘X’ would be 2019 and so forth. The letters O and Q are not used in representing a year of manufacture.
5 – represents the guarantee period (5 years) on the tank only.
- Guarantees are subject to the following conditions:
- the supply water quality must be equivalent to main Metropolitan supply authorities.
- the installation must be in compliance to SANS 10254 Installation Specification.
- only genuine Kwikot replacement parts must be used whilst the geyser is still under guarantee.
- repairs and in the event of the replacement of the geyser, during the warranty period, may only be carried out by Kwikot or it’s authorised service agents.
- In order to prolong the lifespan of the geyser, it is advisable to have the geyser serviced every 3 to 4 years where the water supply is of a good quality and every second year where the water supply is of a bad quality or the water is defined as hard water.
- A regular service would be the draining of the geyser, checking on the level of degradation of the Magnesium sacrificial anode and replacing it if necessary, checking the element and thermostat and to replace the element if there is excessive lime scale build on the element. Lime scale and sludge must be removed from the tank and the entire installation should be checked for any leaks.
- Switch the geyser off when going on holiday.
- Do not open the hot tap by habit if you require a small amount of cold water. This draws cold water into the geyser, which has to be reheated.
- When running a bath, ensure not to run too much cold water and then having to increase the amount of hot water to reach the desired temperature. Best to get the temperature correct upfront by adjusting the hot and cold taps.
- Do not overfill the bath or take lengthy showers.
- Remember that the increase in hot water usage will result in the geyser having to heat or reheat the water more often. The less hot water that is used, the more the saving.
- Boil the kettle for hot water to wash dishes.
- Only heat the amount of water in the kettle that is required. In other words don’t boil 6 cups if you require only 2 cups.
- Set the geyser temperature on the thermostat at 50°C or 55°C in summer and 60°C in winter.