I can smell gas. What do I do?
Don't fix it, get out. A smell of gas is a safety problem first and a repair job second. Do these steps before you request a quote.
Smell gas? Do this first.
- If you can reach it safely, close the gas supply valve. Do not let this delay you.
- Do not switch anything on or off, and keep flames away.
- If it is safe, open doors and windows. Get everyone outside and stay outside.
- From outside, phone your gas supplier. If the smell is strong, or there is fire, call the City's emergency number, 021 480 7700 (107 from a landline).
- Do not use the gas again until a registered gas installer has checked it.
Once everyone is safe, request a quote and we call you back.
Who may do gas work, and what is the gas certificate?
Work on gas installations is done by a registered gas installer, who issues the gas certificate of conformity when the job is done. For liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association says the installer must hold the relevant certification from SAQCC Gas. South African standards for LPG installations are in SANS 10087-1.
SAQCC Gas, the South African Qualification & Certification Committee for gas, is appointed by the Department of Employment and Labour to register gas practitioners. It keeps a central list of them.
You can check an installer yourself. The SAQCC Gas site has a Find SAQCC Gas Authorized Practitioner search, where you can filter by province, registration number, surname, town or suburb. Practitioners' licences also show as a digital card in the Electronic CoC app, so you can ask to see it. Ask for the registration before work starts, and for the certificate of conformity when it ends. The guide on how to check a plumber is registered covers the plumbing side of the same habit.
Gas or solar job? Request a quote and we call you back, or call 060 086 9889.
What is different about a gas geyser and a solar geyser?
A gas geyser heats water with a gas burner, and a solar geyser heats it with sunlight. That one difference changes who should work on them and what goes wrong.
A gas geyser needs a gas supply, ventilation and a way to carry fumes outside. A solar geyser has a collector on the roof that heats the water, and a tank that stores it. Faults here are usually plumbing: leaks at the collector, pipe connections, valves, or a circulation fault. Many solar geysers also keep an electric element as backup for cloudy days. For an electric geyser, see geyser repair or replacement.
What gets repaired on a solar geyser, and what gets fitted?
Solar geyser work is mostly plumbing: collector connections, pipework, valves and the tank. The usual question is how the water moves.
In a thermosiphon system, the tank sits above the collector and hot water rises on its own. In a pumped system, a pump moves the water between collector and tank. The type decides what can fail. A thermosiphon system has no pump to fail, but it needs the tank and pipes set up correctly. A pumped system adds a pump and a controller to check. In both, a plumber looks at leaks, valves, the relief and overflow arrangements and the electric element that backs up the sun. A fitting job starts with the roof, the water pressure and where the pipes can run, which is why a quote follows a look, not a phone call.
Roof, tank or pipework? Request a quote and we call you back, or call 060 086 9889.
Gas or solar: what do they need, and what do published guides list for installation?
Both cost money to fit, and which suits you depends on your roof, your gas supply and how much hot water you use.
| Factor | Instantaneous gas | Solar flat panel |
|---|---|---|
| Installed range listed by FlowLeads | R8,000 to R18,000 | R12,000 to R22,000 |
| What it needs | A gas supply, ventilation and a registered gas installer | A sunny roof and a collector, usually with an electric backup element |
| Trade-off | Gas work needs a registered gas installer and a gas certificate of conformity | The roof decides how well it works |
These are one source's installed ranges (the article does not state a region): FlowLeads, "Geyser replacement cost in South Africa 2026", article dated 12 May 2026, checked 2026-11-09. They are not Cape Town prices or a price from us, and they cover installation, not repairs. A repair is quoted once the fault is found. For Cape Town replacement figures for an electric geyser, see geyser repair or replacement. For call-out fees and hourly rates, see what a plumber costs.
Where we do this: plumber in Brackenfell, plumber in Table View, plumber in Strand and plumber in Sea Point. See all plumbing services or where we work.
Questions people ask
Do I need a gas certificate of conformity?
Gas work should be done by a registered gas installer, who issues the gas certificate of conformity once the work is complete.
Ask for it when you get the quote so it is part of the price. Keep it with the appliance's paperwork.
How do I check a gas installer is registered?
SAQCC Gas has a Find SAQCC Gas Authorized Practitioner search, and practitioners' licences show as a digital card in its Electronic CoC app.
You can search by registration number, surname, company, town or suburb on the SAQCC Gas site.
Can a plumber who isn't registered for gas fix my gas geyser?
Gas work needs a registered gas installer. A plumber who is not registered for gas should not do it, so ask to see the registration.
Ask before any work starts, and ask for the certificate of conformity at the end.
What should I do if I smell gas?
Close the gas valve if you can reach it safely, switch nothing on or off, get everyone outside and phone your gas supplier from there.
Do not use the gas again until a registered gas installer has checked it. If the smell is strong, or there is fire, call the City's emergency number, 021 480 7700 (107 from a landline).
Does a solar geyser work on a cloudy day?
Many solar geysers keep an electric element as backup, so they can still heat water when cloud limits what the collector can do.
A plumber looks at the element and its thermostat as part of a solar geyser repair.