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Solar geyser repairs and servicing in Stellenbosch and the Winelands
When a solar geyser stops working, the backup element quietly takes over and the electricity bill goes up. ProSol finds out why and fixes it: failed pumps, controllers and sensors, leaking collectors and valves, and systems that were the wrong type for the site in the first place. We repair and service Kwiksol, ITS Solar and other makes across Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek, Somerset West and the towns around them, including systems we did not install.
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Signs your solar geyser has stopped working
Kwikot, which makes Kwiksol systems, lists these warning signs:
- The water is not hot on a sunny afternoon with the element switched off at the distribution board
- The electricity bill has crept up, because the backup element is doing the work the sun should
- Water leaking at the collector, the pipes on the roof or the fittings in the roof space
- An error code on the solar controller, or a pump that never seems to run
- A backup element that fails early: Kwikot says that usually points to a fault on the solar side, not the element
What your controller’s error code means
Most pumped (split) systems are run by a controller, often a GeyserWise, which shows a code when something is wrong. GeyserWise’s own manual explains the common ones:
| Code | What it means | Usual cause |
|---|---|---|
| E9 | The pump is powered but the collector does not cool down | A failed pump or a blockage in the collector loop |
| E8 | Collector sensor fault | A faulty collector sensor, or a collector that is overheating |
| E3 | Geyser sensor fault | A failed sensor in the tank |
| E4 | Heating loss: the element is on but the water barely warms | A leaking hot pipe, a faulty valve, scale, no power to the element, reverse thermosiphoning or a failed element |
| E1 | Earth leakage | GeyserWise advises calling an electrician or one of its technicians |
One thing that looks like a fault and is not: the controller switches the pump off when the tank reaches 80°C. GeyserWise calls that normal operation.
Frost: direct or indirect
A direct system heats your drinking water in the collector itself. Kwikot says its direct systems belong only where the temperature never drops below 5°C and the water quality is good, and freeze damage to a direct panel installed in a frost area is not covered by its warranty.
An indirect system runs an antifreeze fluid, propylene glycol, through the collector instead, and is the choice wherever there is frost. Kwikot says the glycol mix should be drained and replaced every three years.
Pumped systems have one more catch. The controller protects the collector by running the pump on cold nights, and GeyserWise warns that with no power during a freezing night there is no freeze protection at all, which matters during load-shedding. It recommends a dump valve or an indirect system where there is frost.
What a service covers
Kwikot recommends inspecting a solar water heater every year, and puts the life of a well-kept system at 15 to 20 years or more. The checks:
- The collector: clean, intact, and not shaded by anything that has grown since it went up
- The insulation on the pipes outside, which Kwikot says to check before every winter
- The T&P valve, the drip tray and the anode
- On indirect systems, the level and condition of the glycol
- The thermostat and the backup element, and on pumped systems the pump, the controller and its sensors
Who should work on it
Kwikot requires the installers of its solar systems to be accredited, qualified in plumbing, and to know SANS 10106, the solar installation standard, as well as SANS 10254 for the geyser and its valves. A solar geyser is a plumbing job as much as a solar one, which is why ProSol does both trades.
Questions people ask
Why is my solar geyser not getting hot?
Usually because the solar side has stopped and the element is carrying the load, or because the element is off and the sun is not enough on its own. The common causes are a failed pump or controller, a faulty sensor, a blockage or a leak in the collector loop. If your controller shows an error code, note it before you phone: it tells us where to start.
What does E9 mean on a GeyserWise controller?
GeyserWise’s manual says E9 appears when the pump is powered but the collector temperature does not drop, which usually means the pump has failed or the collector loop is blocked. It needs a technician.
How often should a solar geyser be serviced?
Kwikot recommends an inspection every year, and on indirect systems the antifreeze fluid replaced every three years. Check the insulation on the outside pipes before every winter.
Is it worth repairing an old solar geyser?
Usually, when the tank and collector are sound: pumps, controllers, sensors and valves are parts, and parts can be replaced. Kwikot puts the life of a well-kept system at 15 to 20 years or more. If the tank itself leaks it has to be replaced, and that is the moment to check the system is the right type for the site.
Related
- Solar water heater installationSolar geysers installed, retrofitted and serviced in Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek and Somerset West since 2013. Thermosyphon and split systems.
- Heat pump water heater installationHeat pump water heaters installed, converted and serviced in Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek and Somerset West, by plumbers who do solar too.
- Geyser not heating or trippingNo hot water, lukewarm water, or a geyser that trips the power? What to check at the distribution board, what each sign means, and when to call a plumber.
- Geyser repair and replacementBurst or failing geyser in Stellenbosch, Somerset West or Paarl? ProSol repairs and replaces geysers to SANS 10254, with the certificate your insurer asks for.
Where we do this
What customers say
“During the huge April 2024 storm in Stellenbosch, I phoned Malan at Prosol on Sunday morning. I had thought with so many houses damaged here, it would be nearly impossible to get help at short notice. By 10 am his two men were here.”
“Prosol plumbing is very proffesional, efficient and cares about their ckients. They are very reliable and the staff is very patient and pay attention to detail.”
“Malan & his Prosol team were commented as being very professional and efficient with the geyser install at Consol Shop Stellenbosch.”
Tell us what’s wrong. We’ll tell you what it takes.
Phone for anything urgent, at any hour. Otherwise send a photo and a few words on WhatsApp, and Malan comes back to you with what it needs. Planned work gets a free written estimate before we start.