Cape Town – The South African National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) on Wednesday said it has been overwhelmed with complaints on the sale and advertising of second-hand geysers that do not comply with the applicable technical regulation for hot-water storage tanks for domestic use.
Responding to the complaints, the regulator has conducted inspections and discovered a surge in the illegal selling of refurbished geysers.
“All geysers, new and modified, must conform with the safety and labelling requirements as outlined in the technical regulation before being offered for sale.
"It is therefore required of any business trading in these products to submit an application for approval of sale to the NRCS,” it said in a statement.
Through this process, an applicant, importer or manufacturer of a regulated product is required to submit a sample of a product and a full test report acquired from an accredited testing facility for examination, testing or evaluation to determine compliance with the relevant compulsory specifications that are in force before the letter of authority (LOA) certificate is issued.
According to a statement, the regulator assesses the evidence of conformity supplied by the applicant and grants approval when the mandatory requirements have been met.
This is a rigorous administrative and technical process which is followed to ensure that no LOA certificates are issued to unscrupulous traders, manufacturers or importers.
“All industry players, contractors, insurance companies and other interested parties are therefore warned not to manufacture or sell non-compliant second-hand or refurbished geysers if not approved by the NRCS,” the statement read.
“Non-compliant products are hazardous and can cause harm to consumers. Similarly, faulty geysers can easily explode or cause an electric shock when used and are also not energy efficient.”
Research has indicated that geysers account for up to 39% of household electricity bills and it is hoped that the enforcement of the regulation by the NRCS will decrease the energy demand and bring much-needed relief to consumers who are feeling the effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
The regulator further said suppliers and manufacturers will ensure that the product’s energy consumption information is provided on the label and dealers must ensure that they attach the supplied label on the outside of displayed products and ensure that potential end-users are provided with product energy-efficiency class and energy consumption data before purchase.