Honest check saves a family an unneeded solar system
September 2026 · Written by Zaid Petersen, Klipspringer Plumbing
A family of five kept running out of hot water most evenings. We fitted a heat pump, kept their healthy geyser and their electricity use dropped noticeably.
At a glance
- The situation. A family of five ran out of hot water most evenings, with three teenagers, two parents, plenty of showers and a dishwasher every night.
- What we did. Checked the six-year-old geyser, ruled out solar on a shaded roof and fitted a heat pump instead.
- How long. One day.
- The result. Enough hot water for every shower and electricity use down noticeably, with the existing geyser still in service.
Before
Three teenagers, two parents and a dishwasher every night. That is a lot of hot water. This house kept running short most evenings.
Their electricity bill had crept up too. A salesperson told them they needed a new geyser plus a big solar system. That is a large job to sign off on.
They wanted a straight answer before they spent that kind of money. So they called us first.
What we did
- Checked the geyser first. At six years old it had a healthy anode, a working thermostat and a sound drip tray, so there was no reason to replace it.
- Looked at the roof. Two big oak trees on the north side shaded it from early afternoon, which ruled out solar.
- Picked a spot for the heat pump on the garage side wall, out of sight of the bedrooms and a short pipe run from the geyser. We mounted the unit on wall brackets and connected it with insulated pipes.
- Lagged the first stretch of hot pipe and fitted a blanket to the geyser.
- Set a timer so it ran mostly during the day.
After
Now every shower runs hot, even on busy school mornings. The timer keeps the heat pump going mostly during the day, so the household stopped running short in the evenings.
Their electricity use has come down in a way they can see. The existing geyser stays in service, which spared them a large and unnecessary job.
The whole install took one day. Before we left, we booked an annual service for next autumn. Not every home is this easy, though.
The limits
The hard part was cutting through the sales pitch. They had been told to buy a new geyser and a large solar system. Neither one fitted this house.
The geyser was healthy, so there was no reason to swap it. The roof sits in the shade of two big oak trees from early afternoon, so solar did not make sense here. We would rather tell you that than sell you something.
This is one job in one house. Another roof, another geyser, another family: the answer could land somewhere else entirely.
Frequently asked questions
How long did the installation take?
The whole job, from checking the geyser to fitting and connecting the heat pump, took one day.
Is this the result every heat pump installation gets?
This was one job in one house. The geyser here was six years old and still healthy and the roof sat in shade from two big oak trees most afternoons, which is what shaped the choice to fit a heat pump and leave the geyser in place. Another roof or another geyser could lead somewhere different.
Who is this kind of job suited to?
This job suited a household running short on hot water most evenings, with heavy use from showers and a dishwasher each night, where a salesperson had already recommended a new geyser and a large solar system before the homeowners had a chance to check if either was needed.
About the author
Ready When You Are
One family kept running out of hot water every evening. A salesperson pushed a new geyser and a big solar system, but the geyser was healthy and oak trees shaded the roof. A heat pump was the right fit and their electricity use dropped noticeably. Ready to go further? Read how Heat pump installation works, then decide from there.