Anything that is done to save water is worth it.
I would like to warn people of possible damage to their geysers and loss of hot water.
I noticed my geyser drains back through the cold water, when the main water valve is shut off and the geyser loses water.
A geyser is supposed to have an anti-siphoning device, but most don’t work.
If the mains are turned off, the pressure from the geyser which is normally in the roof, will drain the hot water into the water system due to any leaks. At best your electricity consumption will go up, as more cold water will be added to the geyser when the water is turned on.
If your geyser loses a lot of water, the level will drop below the thermostat which will cause it to switch the geyser on, as it won’t pick up the temperature and that can cause the water to boil – which isn’t a good thing for a geyser, as it can pop.
I would suggest that a one-way valve is installed on the mains line, before the shut-off valve to the geyser – to prevent back flow.
The big one is best, as it doesn’t restrict the flow much.
A timer should also be installed on the geyser, to ensure that the geyser is not turned on while the water is off.
Here are the steps to check the back flow of the geyser:
1. Close your main water supply valve.
2. Open the cold water tap in the kitchen and let it run.
If it stops by itself, your geyser is fine – but if not, you’ll feel that the water will get hot.
Close the main valve on the geyser and if the water stops, your geyser is emptying and you might have problems.
Remember to place a container under the tap to catch the water, so that you can use it elsewhere and not waste water.
