Fixet — Cape Town On-Call Trades & Home Repair

Plumbing

Water questions that wake you up at midnight

Cape Town's water pressure, old galvanised pipes, and 60-litre geysers running on borrowed time — here's what's actually happening.

Why is my geyser overflow pipe dripping constantly?

That steady drip from the copper pipe on the outside wall isn't a leak — it's your geyser's temperature/pressure (T&P) relief valve doing its job. When water heats up it expands; the valve opens to release the pressure. A slow drip is normal. A continuous flow, or one that never stops, means one of three things:

1. Thermostat too high

Set above 65°C, water keeps expanding. Drop it to 60°C first.

2. T&P valve worn

Valve seat corrodes after 5–8 years. Replacement is R280–R450 in parts.

3. Expansion vessel failed

Closed systems need an expansion vessel. If it's waterlogged, pressure spikes every cycle.

R450 – R1,800 repair / R4,200 – R8,500 replacementCall Fixet — pressurised system work

Book a Geyser Callout

My pipes are making a banging noise when I turn off a tap — what is that?

Water hammer. When a tap or solenoid valve closes fast, the flowing water column has nowhere to go — it slams into the closed valve and the shock wave travels back through the pipes. In older Cape Town homes with galvanised steel, this can eventually crack solder joints.

Likely causes in Cape Town homes:

→High municipal pressure (common in Woodstock, Observatory, parts of Bellville) — City of Cape Town spec is 700kPa max but many areas run hot
→Missing or failed water hammer arrestors — R85 fittings that absorb the shock
→Loose pipe clips — pipes vibrate instead of absorbing the shock
→Modern quarter-turn taps closed too quickly by habit

R320 – R950 to diagnose and fit arrestorsDIY-possible if confident with push-fit

Get a Plumbing Assessment

How much does it cost to replace a burst geyser in Cape Town, and how long does it take?

A like-for-like geyser swap — same size, same position, new T&P valve, new drip tray, new isolator — takes a qualified plumber 2 to 4 hours. Here's what drives the price:

100L geyser (supply + fit, standard position)R4,800 – R6,500

150L geyser (supply + fit, standard position)R6,200 – R8,800

Roof space installation (add for access difficulty)+R800 – R1,500

Pressure-reducing valve (if municipal pressure is high)+R650 – R950

Compliance certificate (CoC for plumbing)+R850 – R1,200

All prices include VAT. Rates current as of Feb 2026.

Most jobs: R5,500 – R9,000 totalRequires PIRB-registered plumber

Book Emergency Geyser Replacement

Electrical

The questions Eskom doesn't answer

From prepaid meter conversions in Khayelitsha to COC certificates needed by Friday — here's what the rules actually say.

Can I convert my prepaid electricity meter myself in Cape Town?

No — and this is one worth being direct about. In South Africa, any work on a metering installation must be done by a registered electrician holding a valid wireman's licence, and the meter itself must be installed by a City of Cape Town-approved contractor. Installing a prepaid meter yourself is illegal under the Electricity Act and voids your insurance.

What the process actually involves:

1Application to City of Cape Town (we handle this) — 3 to 7 working days
2Inspection of existing DB board and earthing — any faults must be fixed first
3City contractor installs the prepaid meter and token dispenser
4Electrician issues a CoC covering the installation

R1,800 – R3,200 full service incl. applicationLicensed electrician required by law

Get a Prepaid Meter Quote

What does a COC electrical inspection actually check?

A Certificate of Compliance (CoC) is issued by a registered electrician under SANS 10142-1. It certifies that the electrical installation was safe on the day of inspection — it doesn't guarantee it's been safe for years. Here's what we test:

Earth continuity

Every socket, light fitting, and appliance point must have a continuous earth path to the MDP

Insulation resistance

Measures resistance between live conductors and earth — minimum 1 MΩ at 500V DC

Polarity

Live and neutral must be correctly wired — reversed polarity is common in pre-1980 Cape Town homes

Circuit breaker operation

RCDs trip within 300ms at rated fault current; MCBs trip within their rated time

DB board condition

No exposed conductors, correct labelling, no signs of overheating or DIY additions

Earthing and bonding

Main earth electrode, bonding of water and gas pipes

A CoC is required by law when selling a property and is valid for 2 years. Estate agents, note: a CoC doesn't transfer — the buyer's bank will ask for one dated after the offer to purchase.

R950 – R1,600 standard inspection + certificateECSA-registered electrician only

Get a COC Quote

My circuit breaker keeps tripping — is this dangerous or just annoying?

Both. A breaker that trips occasionally under heavy load (heater + kettle + microwave on the same circuit) is doing its job. A breaker that trips repeatedly at low load, won't reset, or feels warm to the touch is telling you something is wrong.

Diagnose it yourself first:

Trips immediately on resetHigh risk

Hard fault — short circuit or earth fault on the circuit. Don't keep resetting.

Trips after 10–20 minutesMedium risk

Thermal overload — too many appliances. Redistribute load.

Trips randomly, no patternHigh risk

Loose connection or failing breaker. Heat cycling causes fires.

Trips when it rainsHigh risk

Moisture ingress — outdoor socket, geyser, or pool pump wiring.

R680 – R1,400 fault-finding + repairDon't keep resetting a hard-tripping breaker

Book Electrical Fault-Finding

Roofing

What the Cape Doctor is doing to your roof

The south-easter strips paint, lifts sheeting, and finds every gap in your flashing. Here's how to read the damage before it reads your bank account.

My roof sheeting lifts in a north-wester — is this dangerous and can I fix it myself?

Yes, it's dangerous — a sheet of IBR or Chromadek that lifts in a north-wester can peel back and become a projectile, or allow a full deluge into your ceiling space before you've put the kettle on. The north-wester is Cape Town's wet wind; the south-easter is the strong one, but the north-wester carries the rain.

Why sheets lift — and what to check:

Corroded or missing tek screws

Tek screws fail after 10–15 years in the Cape's salt air. You can see the rust staining on the sheet. Replace with 65mm tek + neoprene washer.

Purlin spacing too wide

Old specs used 900mm purlin centres; modern code is 600mm for exposed coastal sites. This is a structural fix — get us in.

Sheet end not overlapping onto purlin

The last 100mm of a sheet must sit on a purlin. If it overhangs, wind gets underneath and levers it up.

Ridge cap loose or missing screws

Ridge caps are the first thing to lift. Check them from the ground after a big blow — binoculars help.

DIY verdict: Replacing tek screws on a low-pitch roof with safe access is manageable if you're comfortable on a roof. Anything structural, anything involving re-laying sheets, or any work on a roof above single-storey — call us. Cape Town has a workers' compensation problem with DIY roof falls.

R1,200 – R4,500 depending on extentTek screws: cautious DIY. Structure: call us.

Schedule a Roof Check

My gutters are sagging and pulling away from the fascia — can I rehang them myself?

This is one of the more satisfying DIY jobs if you have a ladder, a drill, and an afternoon. Cape Town gutters sag for two reasons: the gutter brackets are too far apart (should be 600mm max), or the fascia board they're screwed into has rotted. The second case needs a carpenter before the gutter goes back up.

Step-by-step for a DIY rehang:

1Mark the correct fall — gutters need 1:500 slope to drain (6mm over 3 metres). Use a chalk line.
2Check the fascia board — press a screwdriver into it. If it sinks, the board needs replacing first (R280–R650/m in SA pine).
3Use 65mm stainless tek screws or gutter spikes — never galvanised; the salt air eats them in 3 years.
4Space brackets at 600mm centres, 150mm from every joint.
5Seal all joints with gutter sealant (not silicone — use butyl-based sealant, R85 a tube).
6Check the downpipe outlet clears the stormwater drain path — blocked downpipes are why gutters overflow and rot the fascia.

R180 – R420 in materials (DIY) / R850 – R2,200 fittedDIY-friendly if fascia is sound

Get a Gutter Rehang Quote

There's a brown stain on my ceiling after rain — is it definitely a roof leak?

Not necessarily. In Cape Town, ceiling stains after rain have three likely sources, and only one of them is the roof. Getting the diagnosis right saves you paying for roof repairs that don't fix the stain.

Roof leakMedium

Stain directly below a penetration (skylight, flue, valley, ridge). Stain grows during rain, dries between events.

Condensation / moisture trapHigh (in older Cape Town homes)

Stain in a corner or along an outside wall. Appears in winter. No dripping — just a tide mark.

Geyser or pipe above ceilingMedium

Stain directly below the geyser position. May smell slightly of minerals. Appears suddenly.

The fastest way to narrow it down: go into the roof space during rain with a torch. If you see dripping, it's a roof leak. If it's dry in the roof space but the ceiling is wet, it's condensation or a pipe.

R850 – R2,800 roof leak repair / R1,400+ waterproofingDiagnosis first — don't guess

Book a Roof Leak Diagnosis

Compliance

The paperwork between you and the transfer

Estate agents know this: a sale falls apart on certificates more often than on price. Here's what's required, what it costs, and how fast we can turn it around.

What certificates do I need to sell a property in Cape Town?

The Alienation of Land Act and the Western Cape's standard OTP (Offer to Purchase) typically require four compliance certificates before transfer. Your conveyancer will tell you what's needed for your specific property, but here's the standard set:

Electrical Certificate of Compliance (CoC)R950 – R1,600

Valid: 2 yearsBy: ECSA-registered electrician

Required for all properties. Must be dated after the OTP.

Gas Certificate of ComplianceR650 – R1,100

Valid: 5 yearsBy: LP Gas SA-registered technician

Required only if property has gas installations (hob, fireplace, geyser).

Electric Fence CertificateR480 – R850

Valid: 2 yearsBy: Registered electric fence installer

Required only if property has an electric fence.

Beetle Certificate (Entomology)R650 – R1,200

Valid: 3 monthsBy: Registered pest control company

Required in the Western Cape for all properties with timber structures.

Estate agents: We can coordinate electrical and gas certificates simultaneously, with a combined turnaround of 48 hours for most Cape Town properties. One call, one invoice, one set of paperwork.

R2,700 – R4,500 for electrical + gas combined48-hr turnaround available

Get a COC Quote

My CoC failed — what happens now, and how long will it take to fix?

A failed CoC means the electrician found non-compliant work that must be remedied before they'll sign off. This isn't a disaster — it's information. The question is how old the faults are and who's responsible for fixing them.

Most common Cape Town CoC failure reasons:

Failed earth continuity

Broken earth wire or loose connection. Usually R450–R950 to trace and repair.

Low insulation resistance

Degraded cable insulation — common in pre-1990 homes. May require partial rewire.

Reversed polarity

Live and neutral swapped at a socket or light. R280–R650 depending on extent.

No RCD protection

Modern code requires RCDs on kitchen, bathroom, and outdoor circuits. Adding an RCD costs R850–R1,400.

Overloaded DB board

Too many circuits, no spare ways. Board upgrade: R3,500–R7,500.

DIY additions without permits

Unauthorised circuits must be tested and certified or removed.

Timeline: minor faults (polarity, earth connections) — same day or next day. Major faults (low IR, board upgrades) — 2 to 5 working days. We'll give you a written quote before touching anything.

Minor: R450 – R1,200 / Major: R2,500 – R8,000+Written quote before we start

Fix CoC Failures Urgently

I'm a landlord with six rentals — how do I manage compliance without losing my mind?

The honest answer: most Cape Town landlords with multiple properties are running on expired CoCs and don't know it. A CoC is valid for 2 years from date of issue — not from when you bought the property. If your tenants have been in place for 3 years, your CoC has lapsed.

What a lapsed CoC means for you:

Insurance liabilityIf there's an electrical fire in a property with a lapsed CoC, your insurer has grounds to repudiate the claim.

Tenant injury claimAn injured tenant's attorney will ask for the CoC. A lapsed one is evidence of negligence.

Sale delayWhen you eventually sell, a lapsed CoC means the property can't transfer until it's renewed — and that takes 48 hours minimum, which feels like forever at transfer.

Fixet's landlord programme: We track renewal dates across your portfolio, send you a reminder 6 weeks before expiry, and can do multi-property batches at a reduced rate. One WhatsApp thread, one monthly invoice, zero compliance surprises.

Portfolio pricing from R750/property/renewalWe track — you don't have to

Discuss Landlord Programme