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Solar water heating
Solar geyser installation and servicing in the Cape Winelands
Solar water heating is the work ProSol is known for. We install new solar geysers, retrofit solar collectors onto existing geysers, and service and repair systems other installers put in, across Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek, Somerset West and the towns around them.
- Since 2013
- PIRB registered · COCs issued
- 5.0 from 21 Google reviews
- 24-hour emergency call-outs
- Free written estimates
Which solar geyser suits your house
There are two layouts, and the roof usually decides between them:
- Close-coupled (thermosyphon): the tank sits on the roof above the collector, and hot water rises into it on its own. No pump, nothing to switch on, and the simplest system to keep running.
- Split (pumped): the tank stays in the roof space and a small pump circulates water to the collectors. It keeps the roofline clean and suits houses where a tank on the roof is not allowed or not wanted.
Flat-plate or evacuated-tube collectors
Flat-plate collectors are robust and suit most Winelands roofs. Evacuated tubes lose less heat on cold, still days, which matters on shaded or colder sites. We size the collector area and the tank to how many people live in the house and when they use hot water, not to a brochure.
On sites that see frost, an indirect system, where the collector loop carries an antifreeze fluid instead of your drinking water, is the safer choice. We will tell you which one your site needs.
Retrofit: solar onto the geyser you already have
If your electric geyser is in good condition, we can fit collectors and a pump to it instead of replacing it. The element stays as a backup for long cloudy spells, ideally on a timer or a Geyserwise controller so it only runs when the sun has not done the job.
Standards, and the law in Cape Town
We install to SANS 10106, the installation standard for solar water heaters, and the plumbing side to SANS 10254. In Somerset West, Strand, Gordon’s Bay, Kuils River and Brackenfell the City of Cape Town Water By-law requires solar water heating to comply with SANS 10106. New houses fall under SANS 10400-XA, which expects at least half of the hot water to come from something other than an electric element.
We know of no national solar geyser rebate running today: the Eskom and Department of Energy programmes ended by 2016. Budget for the system on its own savings.
Servicing and repairs
A solar geyser that has quietly stopped working still heats water: the element does it all, and you pay for it. We find out why. The usual causes are a failed pump or controller, an air lock, a stuck valve, a leaking collector or a sensor that has come loose. We service and repair Kwiksol, ITS Solar and other makes, including systems we did not install. Our solar geyser repairs page explains the controller error codes and what a yearly service covers.
Questions people ask
How do I know if my solar geyser is working?
On a sunny afternoon the pipe from the collector to the tank should be hot to the touch, and the water should be hot with the element switched off at the board. If it is only hot when the element is on, the solar side has stopped and needs a service.
Is a solar geyser or a heat pump better?
A solar geyser costs almost nothing to run on a sunny, north-facing roof. A heat pump works day and night and suits shaded roofs, heritage roofs or houses with heavy, steady hot-water use. Our heat pump page compares the two.
Can you service a solar geyser someone else installed?
Yes. We service and repair most makes, including Kwiksol and ITS Solar, whoever installed them.
Do solar geysers work in winter?
Yes, at reduced output. On short, cloudy winter days the backup element tops up the heat, which is why we fit it on a timer or controller rather than leaving it on.
What are the disadvantages of a solar geyser?
It needs a sunny, unshaded roof facing roughly north; its output drops on short, cloudy winter days, so the backup element tops it up; a direct system is not suitable where there is frost; and it costs more to buy and install than an electric geyser. Kwikot also recommends an inspection every year.
What is the best brand of solar geyser in South Africa?
There is no single best brand; the installation matters more than the badge. A good system is sized to the household, suits the site (indirect where there is frost), and is installed to SANS 10106 by someone qualified in plumbing, which is what Kwikot requires of its own installers. We install and service Kwiksol and ITS Solar.
Related
- Solar geyser repairs and servicingSolar geyser not heating, leaking or showing an error code? ProSol repairs and services Kwiksol, ITS Solar and other makes in Stellenbosch and the Winelands.
- 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.
- Solar PV geyser and backup power installationPV panels that heat your geyser straight off the sun, plus inverter and battery backup sized to what you use. Stellenbosch and Cape Winelands.
- 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.