Gauteng · Local solar and inverter installers
How much does a solar geyser cost?
It depends on whether you are converting the geyser you have or replacing it, the type of collector, and the frost protection a Highveld winter needs. Be clear which kind of solar geyser you are being quoted for.
Why there is no rand figure here
Each installer prices their own jobs, and the one who takes yours quotes in writing before any work starts. We are not going to copy a figure off another website or an industry average instead. You would plan around it, and it would not be the price of your system.
What we can tell you is what moves the price and what to ask, so the quote you get makes sense and two quotes can be compared line by line.
The longer answer
There are three different things sold as a solar geyser. A collector on the roof with evacuated tubes or a flat plate that heats the water. A conversion that adds a collector to the geyser you already have. And a PV geyser, which is ordinary solar panels wired to the geyser element through a controller, with no water on the roof at all. They are priced differently and often done by different people.
Converting is usually cheaper than replacing, if the geyser is in good condition. If it is old or already leaking, replacing it at the same time usually costs less than doing the job twice.
A solar geyser keeps its electric element for cloudy days. Put that element on a timer so it only tops up when the sun has not. Without one, most of the saving goes back to the electricity bill.
What decides the price
| The roof | Tile, IBR or flat changes the mounting and the labour. So does the pitch, the direction it faces, and how far the cable has to run back to the DB board. |
|---|---|
| Convert or replace | Adding a collector to a geyser in good condition is a smaller job than a new geyser plus a collector. Ask the installer to say which they are quoting, and why. |
| Collector type | Evacuated tubes lose less heat on cold days; flat plate collectors are tougher against hail. Either works in Gauteng, and they are priced differently. |
| Frost protection | Water freezing in a collector can split it. An indirect system or a collector with proper frost protection costs more up front than one without, and is what to ask for on the Highveld. |
Ask before they start
- Is this a conversion of my geyser or a new geyser?
- Tubes or flat plate, and why that one?
- What frost protection does it have?
- Is a timer on the element in the price?
- What paperwork do I get to show it was installed to standard?
- Is that including VAT?
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to convert a geyser to solar?
It depends on the collector, the frost protection and how far the pipes run from the roof to the geyser. It only makes sense on a geyser in good condition. Ask for the collector, the fittings and the labour as separate lines.
Is a solar geyser or a PV geyser cheaper?
They are different installations, so get a quote for the one you actually want. A solar geyser heats water in a collector on the roof. A PV geyser uses ordinary panels to power the element. Ask each installer which one they are quoting.
The job, and other price questions
Tell us about your geyser
Takes under a minute. A solar installer near your area phones you back and quotes before any work starts. There is nothing to pay to be put in touch.