By Lizwe Ndlovu
The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) has issued several media alerts urging all industry stakeholders, contractors, insurance companies, consumers, and other interested parties to refrain from manufacturing, selling, purchasing, or using non-compliant second-hand or refurbished domestic geysers.
Illegal non-compliant refurbished geysers for sale. All images supplied by IOPSA
These NRCS media statements are clear and straightforward, emphasising the significant risks posed to consumers by non-compliant refurbished geysers, including electric shock and explosion hazards.
The Institute of Plumbing South Africa (IOPSA) stands in support of the NRCS’s mission to safeguard human health, safety and the environment, ensuring fair trade and eliminating non-compliant products from the market.
To begin with, geysers need to comply to the requirements of VC9006/Letter of Authority (LOA) along with the South African National Standards (SANS) 151.
In accordance with the NRCS Media Statement on 24 June 2020, it issued a strong warning against the illegal trade practice of geysers. It called all industry players, contractors, insurance companies and interested parties to mitigate the illegal trade of geysers.
All parties were warned not to manufacture or sell non-compliant second-hand or refurbished geysers if they are not approved by the NRCS.
Steve Van Zyl, IOPSA Technical manager, said that the matter should be urgently investigated as it may be a new recon geyser manufacture that has surfaced. It appears that the supplier is holding considerable volumes of non-approved geysers where the safety valve and draincock are included.
“The seller fails to disclose facts that the product is illegal and may not be sold, and that it doesn’t have an LOA approval from NRCS. Therefore, consumers are being deceived,” he concluded.
The illegal reconditioned geyser in stock for sale.
Source: IOPSA
