Solar Geyser Installation
in Midrand
Solar geyser installation in Midrand comes down to three choices: how big the tank is, which collector goes on the roof, and how the backup element is controlled. Hail decides the second more than most people expect. You get a sized proposal and a written price before anything is ordered.
Request a call-out- 1Evacuated tubes, each a glass vacuum flask
- 2Flat plate: one sheet of glass over the absorber
- 3Storage tank
- 4Backup element and controller
- 5Hail
Six choices make up every proposal
Each one has a reason, and each one is written down before you are asked to sign.
| Choice | Options | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Tank size | Litres for the household | Too small and the element does the work; too big and the heat is wasted |
| Collector | Evacuated tubes or flat plate | How it handles hail, and its output on cold days |
| Direct or indirect | Water heated in the collector, or a separate fluid loop | Frost protection and water quality |
| Backup | Element with a timer or a controller | Decides how much electricity the system still uses |
| Valves | Pressure control, relief valve, vacuum breakers | Required on the installation, and checked by insurers |
| Roof and fixings | Direction, pitch, fixings and sealing | A north-facing roof collects the most; leaks start at fixings |
Hail is the Highveld test a collector has to pass
When a storm hits Midrand, solar water heating is among the first things insurers hear about.
On the night of 13 Nov 2023, a hailstorm struck Johannesburg, with Midrand among the areas named. The next day, insurer Dialdirect said that after vehicles, its most reported damage was to solar heating tubes and solar panels.1
Evacuated-tube collectors are rows of glass tubes, each one a vacuum flask around an absorber. They hold heat well on cold days, which is why they are common. The trade-off is exposed glass: a hailstone that breaks a tube leaves a gap in the row. A flat-plate collector puts its absorber under a single sheet of glass in a framed box, which gives hail a different surface to strike, with its own trade-offs in winter output and weight.
Neither is the wrong choice for Midrand. What matters is choosing knowingly. With tubes, ask whether a single broken tube can be replaced without draining the system, and keep a spare or two. With a flat plate, ask how the glazing is rated. Both answers belong in the proposal, backed by the manufacturer's documents, rather than being discovered after the next storm.
There is also the law for new homes. SANS 10400-XA requires new buildings, and refurbishments that need approval, to get at least half their annual hot water from something other than electric resistance heating or fossil fuel, and a solar water heater used for that must meet SANS 1307 and be installed to SANS 10106.2 In one of Midrand's newer developments, the hot-water system is part of the plans from the start.
Before you sign for a solar geyser, ask three things: which collector, what happens if hail breaks part of it, and whether your household policy covers it. Then make sure the roof is yours to drill. In a complex it usually is not, and the trustees decide.
How a solar installation runs
Sized first, approved second, installed third.
House and roof
How many people, how the household uses hot water, and the roof's direction, pitch and access.
Proposal
Tank size, collector type and backup control, with the hail question answered in writing.
Price and permission
A written price and, in a complex, the trustees' approval before anything is ordered.
Install
Collector fixed and sealed, tank and valves fitted, backup element wired with its controller.
Commission
System filled and bled, valves and controller set, and the documents handed over.
How a solar geyser is priced
A written price built from the proposal, line by line.
| Item | How it is handled |
|---|---|
| Site visit | Stated before the visit: the household questions, the roof and the existing geyser. |
| Equipment | Tank, collector and controller listed by make and size on the price. |
| Installation | Mounting, plumbing, valves and the backup wiring, priced as their own line. |
| The old geyser | Removal priced where needed; awkward roof access can change it. |
| Roof work | Fixings and sealing are part of the installation; structural roof repairs are not. |
| Handover | Settings explained, and the documents left with you for the insurer and any future sale. |
Solar geyser questions, cost first
Including what happens to the system when the water is off.
What does a solar geyser cost in Midrand?
It depends on the tank size, the collector type and how much plumbing the roof needs, so the price follows a site visit rather than a phone call. The visit fee is stated first. The written price then lists the equipment, the installation and the removal of the old geyser on separate lines.
Evacuated tubes or flat plate for Midrand?
Both work here. Tubes hold heat well on cold days but are exposed glass, and after the hailstorm of Nov 2023 one insurer named solar heating tubes among its most reported damage1. A flat plate sits under one sheet of glass. The proposal sets out the trade-off for your roof and household.
Can my existing electric geyser be converted to solar?
Often, yes. A collector can be added to heat the existing tank, with the element kept as the backup. Whether it suits depends on the geyser's age and condition and where it sits in the roof, which the site visit checks.
Does a solar geyser still work in winter?
It collects less, and the backup element covers the gap, run by a timer or a controller so it only heats when needed. Sizing the collector properly and setting the controller sensibly is what keeps winter electricity use down.
Does a new house need a solar geyser by law?
Not a solar geyser as such. SANS 10400-XA requires new buildings to get at least half their annual hot water from something other than electric resistance heating or fossil fuel2. Solar is one way to meet that; a heat pump is another.
Hail broke some of my tubes. Can they be replaced one by one?
On most evacuated-tube systems, yes, tube by tube, but the method depends on the design and some need the system drained first. Report the damage to your insurer before anything is replaced, and keep the broken tubes for the assessor.
Do I need my body corporate's permission?
In a complex, almost certainly. The roof is usually common property, which the body corporate has to maintain3, so fixing a collector to it needs the trustees' approval before anything is ordered.
What happens to a solar geyser during a water outage?
The tank keeps the hot water it holds, but nothing replaces what you draw off. Leave the backup element off for the duration, and when supply returns, bleed the air from a hot tap before switching it back on, as you would with any geyser.
Related work in Midrand
Other ways to heat water, and what happens when a geyser fails.
Request a call-out
Tell us how many people live in the house, whether you are replacing a geyser or adding to one, and whether you are in a complex.
Service area
Solar geyser installations across Midrand, from Kyalami and Blue Hills to Halfway Gardens, Noordwyk and Waterfall.
BookingRequest a call-out
AreaMidrand, City of Johannesburg
Suburbs covered
- Barbeque Downs
- Blue Hills
- Carlswald
- Country View
- Crowthorne
- Ebony Park
- Glen Austin
- Halfway Gardens
- Halfway House
- Ivory Park
- Kaalfontein
- Kyalami
- Noordwyk
- President Park
- Rabie Ridge
- Randjesfontein
- Randjespark
- Vorna Valley
- Waterfall