23/07/2022
In this weekly segment of bite-sized chunks of useful information, consumer journalist Wendy Knowler summarises news you can use:
Don’t let dodgy online solar suppliers dim your shine
Here’s what we know for sure — Eskom’s scheduled blackouts are here to stay and the sun will continue to shine. Many South Africans are putting those two together and investing in systems to harness the sun’s energy for water heating and, if budget or credit facilities allow, power up their entire house.
But, as always, when demand for a product spikes there will be those ready and willing to exploit it with an appealing online advert.
Reshen wrote: “I need some help please, there are two ladies selling solar geysers on Facebook Marketplace — I bought two for R12,000.
“Now they are telling me I need to get silicone and seal the glass tubes going into the geyser. All solar systems come with proper silicone seals and no proper plumber will do a temporary silicone gun seal on a geyser. Now they are avoiding me. Please help me get my money back. I worked hard for it.”
Choose your solar suppliers carefully — I daresay Marketplace is not the ideal place to go looking.
For starters, solar geysers need to be compliant with SANS codes. Ask for proof and then check to make sure it’s valid.
In some municipalities, such as Cape Town, it's a legal requirement that a home’s geyser is compliant and it is a prerequisite if you want to sell your house.
