A burst geyser above the piano, sorted
June 2026 · Written by Zaid Petersen, Klipspringer Plumbing
A family woke on a Sunday to water through the lounge ceiling, right above the piano. The piano was unharmed after drying out.
At a glance
- The problem. An 18-year-old 200 L geyser split along the bottom seam, flooding through the lounge ceiling above the family piano.
- What we did. We moved the piano with the family, laid buckets and drop sheets, fitted a new 200 L geyser the next morning and sent the claim pack to the insurer the same day.
- The result. The claim was approved in four working days with no queries and the insurer's builder replaced the ceiling boards.
Before: water through the ceiling, right above the piano
It was a Sunday morning. A family woke to water coming through the lounge ceiling.
The water was falling right above their piano. So the leak had been running while they slept.
They stood in the lounge with water on the floor and a piano in the firing line.
What we did: from drop sheets to a same-day claim pack
- We moved the piano with the family, out of the water's path.
- We put buckets and drop sheets down to catch what was still coming through.
- We photographed everything for the insurer, so the claim had a record from the start.
- The next morning we fitted a new 200 L geyser with a drip tray, a proper overflow to outside, vacuum breakers and a new pressure control valve.
- We sent the claim pack to the insurer the same day.
After: a dry ceiling, an approved claim and an untouched piano
Four working days later, the claim was approved. The assessor came back with no queries at all.
The insurer's builder then replaced the ceiling boards. The piano came through it too. Once it had dried out, it was unharmed after drying out.
So the family got a working geyser, a settled claim and the one thing they were most worried about kept safe. That outcome traces back to what made the job tricky in the first place.
The limits: what the job was tricky and what it asked of them
The tank had corroded through from the inside. The anode had never been replaced, so nothing was left to protect the steel.
The drip tray made it worse. It had no overflow pipe, so it filled and then spilled straight onto the ceiling boards. That is why the water reached the lounge rather than draining away outside.
The job asked something simple of the family. They helped us move the piano clear before the repair started. This is one job, told as it happened.
Frequently asked questions
What did the family have to do themselves?
They helped move the piano clear before the repair started, out of the water's path.
Was the piano really fine?
Yes. Once it had dried out, the piano was unharmed.
Is this outcome typical?
This is one job, told as it happened. The old tank had corroded through because the anode had never been replaced and the drip tray had no overflow pipe, so it filled and spilled onto the ceiling boards. Those details shaped how this job went and they won't be the same for every home.
About the author
Ready When You Are
The ceiling boards were replaced, the geyser was back in working order and the piano came through dry and unharmed. See how we handle a burst geyser and insurance claims.