Every once in a while we come across something that amazes us here at The Go-To Guy, sometimes it is someone that goes out of their way for customers, other times it may be a fantastic property, and the list goes on... today we discovered Royal Icing Cookie Art in Parys. Whilst updating different services categories the team at The Go-To Guy cane across a company called Fantazia Cookies, and we loved it so much that we felt we had to share this... you can just see from the work done that a true artists and creative spirit is behind what we found, with words not able to capture our childlike browsing of the different designs and creations... we decided to rather share some of the pictures, which captures all we would like to say, have a look below and decide for yourself :)

The Go-To Guy is a community site, serving Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp, Orkney, Parys and surrounding areas currently, and also serves as a reference site if you need any services around House and Home in these areas. One of the offerings on the page is that of property rentals, and from the data we see we can tell you 100% that the demand for rentals in our region far outstrips the demand that we witness, and we believe that this is not because spaces are perhaps not available, in fact our research shows that there are more than 200 properties available as we speak, we believe that the contributing factors are as follows: Private rentals are getting lost in the noise on the traditional channels currently being used, such as Facebook, printed media and word of mouth, there is just too much clutter on personal newsfeeds of most pages today, hence getting someone to see your place advertised is challenging. Advertisements placed are far too basic, with a oneliner saying that house to rent is available, resulting in a lot of up and down "ping-pong" communications between renters and landlords, more attention and effort should be placed on creating advertisements, especially if it is higher value properties. Pricing of properties are in fact not in sync with the environment, there seems to be a pricing point of about R3,000 for students and about R5,000 for small apartment for families, yet most of the advertised prices are above this point. Micro Hotspots Other interesting data that we see in the data on the site is that you have micro hotspots, naturally around the university in Potchefstroom being one of them, yet there are others such as Stilfontein that there are a continued flow of requests for properties, yet very few properties seems to be available. Here are a few other stats for you from the site: 26% of traffic today, which was about 2,600 searches went via Potchefstroom page and 17% to Klerksdorp, of which Places to Rent was the most searched item, followed by Jobs, and for services it was Appliance Repairs that was the most requested, followed by Pet Services, Garden Services and Creche and Baby Sitting Services. Further slicing the data shows that Klerksdorp also has a great appetite for Window Blinds and Cleaning services, whilst Parys was Electricians, Handyman, Climate Control, Burglar Proofing and Building services. Yet as stated Rentals was the king of the hill today...

Are you a small/medium business and wanting to place a job in the market... yet you find it a bit of a challenge to capture all your requirements, and to target the right candidates for your company... especially knowing that its people that will make or break success...? We created a space specifically for you... where any positions available in your company can be easily captured, automatically placed on our job board and shared in our region... best of all the service is currently still free...so you are most welcome to use the service. Recruitment agencies are equally welcome to place their positions on this platform... every person placed in our view helps the economy along in our region... Yiu can view the Registration Page here

Job Seekers... are you constantly finding yourself printing and carrying around your CV... or having to send your CV to hundreds of places... well we here at The Go-To Guy created something just for you. We created a space where you can register your details online... and when registered you can share the link, which is professionally structured to have your name included, and which if clicked on will lead any reader to your online profile... best of all the service is free. You will have to spend quality time in capturing all your details, but once done you will have an online CV, can email and WhatsApp the link and use this instead of printing and attaching documents all the time. To use the service head over to this link: Click Here

All house owners want to feel save and secure within their homes. Home security systems, even the most basic ones, can bring peace of mind. Let us take a look at the four types of home security systems in South Africa: Monitored security systems: This is the most popular security systems for homes. The monitored security system comes in two types, the company-monitored (security company) or the self-monitored. Self-monitored security system: This system you monitor and control by yourself. Usually this systems includes, motion sensors, door sensors, security cameras and an alarm. The system will send a message or a call to your phone when one of the sensors are triggered. You can monitor your home remotely with a phone and other mobile devices. You can install this system by yourself and it can be moved around. The camera system can record all evidence of trespassers. The system is reasonable affordable. Company monitored security systems: This system are controlled and operated by professional security companies. Usually this systems includes, motion sensors, door sensors, cameras, glass-break sensors, and alarms to startle intruders and silent alarms. If the alarm was triggered you will receive a verification phone call from the company to make sure that you did not triggered the alarm by mistake. Security officer will be dispatched, to your home, if you do not answer your phone. The alarm system can be useful to chase away intruders before they break in to your home. Unmonitored security systems: This security system can be installed by yourself or a security company. Usually this system includes motion sensors, a control panel, glass-break sensors, alarm, door and window sensors. Some of these systems can be connected to your smart phone. The alarm system is triggered by the sensors. The unmonitored security systems is not as sophisticated as the monitored security system, but it provide a good level of security, and is more cost-effective. Wireless security alarm systems: This is a wireless alarm system that usually includes detectors, sensors, cameras, alarms and a main control panel. The detection of an intruder is the first step of this alarm system. The own owner is notified of a possible intruder in the second step. The system then alerts the security company that are monitoring the system. This system is easy to install and to move around. It is easy to do upgrades to the system. Hard for intruders to disconnect the system. Wired home security system: All the components of this security system like the control panel, motion detectors and keypad are connected to a security company by a low-voltage wiring alarm system. This security system is the most reliable system. Easy maintenance. Perfect for bigger homes as more sensors can be installed. It is hard to hack this security system. You can choose a security system that fits your needs and budget by doing a little bite of research.

It is best if we start recycling today for a better environment. Recycling reduces air and water pollution. By recycling we can turn old products into new useful products, and it is a way for people to earn a living. How to start recycling: Rinse all materials that you want to recycle. Compost your organic waste and use it as fertiliser. Stop using plastic shopping bags. Switch to reusable bags. Have a positive mind set about recycling. Shifting your focus to awareness. Not all materials can be recycled. Do your research on what can be recycled and what not. Separate your waste to make recycling easier for yourself. Get five different colour bins one for paper, organic, metal, glass, and plastic waste. Here are a few reasons why we should recycle: Recycling creates great job opportunities. Combat greenhouse gasses by getting rid of the waste. Landfills that contribute to air pollution will get smaller when we start to recycle. The accumulation of waste is a global problem. Very soon al nations will run out of space to dump their waste. And let us face it, waste is not good for the environment. Save a tree. By recycling one ton of paper, we can save up to 17 trees and 64352 L of water. By saving trees we ensure a well-balanced level of carbon dioxide. Almost everything we use can be recycled. Food waste can be turned in to compost. Glass can be reused, and paper and plastic can be recycled. Manufacturing companies that make use of recycling save on energy and water. At the rate that people are dumping their waste, we can soon run out of space to dump all the waste. The use of recycled products stops the dumping of waste in our lakes, rivers, dams, and ocean, which protect our wildlife. What materials can we recycle: Cans. Glass. Plastic. Organic. Paper and cardboard. Examples of what can be recycled. Glass. Jam jars. Plain drinking glasses. Sauce and spice bottles. Glass bottles such as wine bottles. Cans: Paint cans. Food cans. Aerosol cans. Beverage cans such as cool-drinks and beer cans. Paper and cardboard: Newspapers. Long life cartons. All types of books. Magazines and flyers. Office paper, such as printer paper, writing paper and envelopes. Plastic: Cling wrap and bubble wrap. Soft plastic bags and packaging. Plastic items such as garden chairs, buckets, and flowerpots. Most plastic containers such as water bottles, milk bottles, etc. What cannot be recycled: Broken glass. Dirty diapers. Plastic cutlery Garage waste. Plastic shopping bags. Plastic food wrapping. Styrofoam containers, cups, and egg cartons.

Spoegwolf the Band is a South African alternative - rock band that plays Afrikaans music. They are well-known for their worldly and electric sound, the diversity of their lyrics, and the live energy they bring to their shows. Spoegwolf the South African, Afrikaans alternative-rock band was formed in February 2012 in Paarl. The band consist of lead vocalist and writer Danie du Toit, vocalist and guitarist Chris von Wielligh, drummer and vocalist Moscow du Toit and bass guitarist Albert van der Merwe. The band’s debut album Swaartekrag, was released in 2012, with two of their biggest hits “Lenie Blou”and “Somerset-Wes”. After Swaartekrag the band released 8 more albums, Somer (2015), Die Donker Toring(2017), Koma (2019), See (2020), Wind(2020), Groen(2021), Silwer (2021) and Droombrief(2022). In February 2019 Spoegwolf was the first Afrikaans band to top the Apple music album charts, with their fourth album Koma. The band has been described as "one of the most unique and innovative bands to come out of South Africa in recent years". Their music has been compared to that of Muse, Foo Fighters, and Queens of the Stone Age. Spoegwolf's sound is a mix of hard rock, alternative rock, and experimental rock. If you're looking for something new and exciting in the world of rock music, then you need to check out Spoegwolf. If you're a fan of alternative rock music, then you should also check out Spoegwolf. They're a great band with a lot of talent and they always put on an amazing live show. What's more, Spoegwolf are not afraid to experiment with their sound. This results in a fresh and exciting listening experience that is sure to appeal to fans of all genres. If you're looking for an amazing live performance, you won't want to miss a Spoegwolf show! These guys always bring the energy and put on a great show. You can expect to hear all your favorite songs, as well as some new ones that you'll love. They always keep the crowd moving and everyone always has a great time. If you're in the area, be sure to check out their next show! If you enjoy alternative rock music, then you should definitely check out Spoegwolf. This band has a unique sound that is sure to get your foot tapping. Here are some tips on how to become a fan of Spoegwolf. 1. Listen to their music. This may seem obvious, but it's the best way to get to know a band and their sound. Start with their album "The wolf and the waffle", and then move on to their other releases. 2. Watch their videos. In addition to listening to their music, watching Spoegwolf's videos is a great way to get a feel for the band's personality. They have a fun and quirky sense of humour that comes through in their visuals. 3. Follow them on social media. Keeping up with Spoegwolf on social media is a great way to stay up-to-date on new releases, tour dates, and other news. Plus, it's just fun to see what they're up to day-to-day. https://www.spoegwolf.com/experience 4. Attend a live show. Seeing Spoegwolf live is an experience you won't want to miss. They put on an amazing show that is sure to get you dancing. The Snowflake Venue in Potchefstroom is one of Spoegwolf’s favourite stages. Most of their biggest and wildest memories and moments was made on the concrete stage at Snowflake. They love to Rock off the roof at Snowflake.

Recently we saw a spat on Social Media that became a full on war of words between cat owners in a suburban street and bird owners taht suffered losses due to the cats doing what is absolutely natural to them, with cat owners having a challenge to keep their cat contained, and having to try and cat-proof their garden. During this discussion a number of points came up, one of these being to build your cat a Catio. What is a Catio? Have you ever heard of patios for cats, well that is Catios. Keep your indoor or outdoor cats save, in an enclosed outdoor patio. Your cats can have their outdoor play time, without you searching for them afterwards. Catios is good for cats with behavioural problems. If you spend time with your cats in the catio it can deepen your relationship with your cats. Catios also protect any birdlife in your garden from your cats. Cats’ natural instincts is to be outside, and therefor more and more cat owners love the idea of a save outdoor space for their cats. Catios came in all shapes and sizes. Catios can be built at windows, balconies, porches, patios, decks and in gardens. Things to consider when you are building a Catio: Space: The size of your Catio will depends on where you want to build it. Catios can be built as an attachment to your house or further away in your garden. A window Catio will be much smaller than a garden Catio. Location: Choose an area with elements that your cats will love. Cats love to bask in the sun, so pick an area that gets enough sun throughout the day. Cats are curious by nature, so a location with a view will work great. Avoid location with high noise levels. Access to the Catio: How your cats will enter their Catio will all depends on where you are building the Catio. Access points can be: A window, A sliding door, Exterior door, Cat door. Budget: You can build a small Catio and add to the structure as time goes on. Material for the Catio can be bought at your local home improvement store. Kitten or senior cat Kittens have more energy so you may need to add structures (shelves) where they can play and burn off their energy. Stimulate kittens by adding toys, balls, and chasers. Senior cats just need a space to lay around and will need less shelves that are staged lower. Will your Catio complement your home? You can build and decorate your Catio to fit the style of your home. You can decorate your Catio with plants, toys, and scratchers to stimulate your cats. Each cat has their own unique personality, but sometimes their behaviour can be challenging. Hints that may suggest that it is time to get a Catio. Your cats’ indoor activities have become destructive – A cat’s favoUrite place is a windowsill, due to their natural curiosity. They may damage your curtains and blinds to get a peek out of the window. Your cat may need to lose a few kilograms – Cats that spend all their time indoor can get obesity. Motivate your cat to lose a few kilograms by running around in his Catio. Your cat needs more space – If cats don’t have enough space, they may start having behavioural problems like urine marking, hissing, and attacking other cats. Your garden is not cat friendly – Cats like to hunt birds and can leave you a few unwanted gifts. Your cat start nibbling on your indoor plants – Due to cats’ curiosity they may start nibbling on your toxic houseplants. You can place cat friendly plants inside the Catio. Cat stuck in a tree- Cast’s love climbing trees, a Catio will save you energy trying to get your cat out of a tree. Helpful tips when building your Catio: Level your foundation – If you build your Catio on grass, make sure that the surface is flat and level. Ensure that you remove all tree roots and stones, as it can damage your foundation later. Escape proof your Catio – Bury the wire of your Catio underneath the ground, round off by placing decorative concrete paving around the perimeter of the Catio. Fake grass – Fake grass is a big no! Wire – Choose wire that is safe, strong, and long lasting to ensure the safety of your cats. Don’t block the sun – Choose a light blocking opaque roof and create shady spots with awning or a sheltering bench. Show your love for your feline family by building time a save and joyful Catio, here are some creative examples that may inspire you, just click on the button below:

There are lots of myths surrounding moving your fridge and then waiting for several hours before you switch it on, and some even say that your fridge may explode, we thought we would cover a few basics about moving your fridge and why it is recommended to leave it for a few hours to settle before you actually plug it in and switch it on. The real reason that you need to leave your fridge to settle is that inside the internal parts of your fridge there is oil present, which is actually compressor oil, the purpose of the oil being to lubricate certain parts and also to act as a coolant for any parts that may get hot, and without the oil your fridge would break rather quickly. In addition if oil did move around it may cause the compressor itself to have too little oil in the compressor, and by allowing the fridge to settle you are assured that the oil flows back to the compressor itself. When you have moved your fridge the recommendation would be to let your fridge settle properly, this is to ensure that any oil in the system settles and do not cause blockages of the system, this time to settle is normally contained in the manufacturers manual, which nobody reads :), and can be as short as 2 hours and as long as 24 hours, the longer you leave your fridge to settle the better chance you have of not having oil blockages. The above advice is even more critical if you transported your fridge on its side, which you should try to avoid at all costs as the internal parts of the fridge could be damaged if transported on its side. Tags and Links Appliance Repair Potchefstroom Appliance Repair Klerksdorp Appliance Repair Near Me

You may run into having to wire one of your plugs at home to a three point plug that is still the most common pug found in South Africa, so we thought we would help by adding this quick post on the correct wiring for your plug, and we are going to give you a quick tip on remembering next time which wire goes on which side. We follow the IEC 60446 standard for flexible cords in South Africa, which in essence means that all live or active wires have to be brown, neutral wires have to be blue and and earth or grounding wires have to be a combination of yellow and green, we also thought you may wish to know what that means as well, here below is a summary of the different colours and what they represent: Brown (live) – connects your appliances to the main power supply in your house. Blue (neutral) – keeps the power loads in your house balanced Yellow/green (earth) – is a protective conductor which creates a low resistance path for faulty current to flow into. Now here is life hack for you to remember what goes where when you look at your plug from the top, also see the picture below showing the right way to place the different colour wires: bLue - Left bRown - Right The other wire (Green/Yellow) will then go into the remaining point

During our engagement with consumers an interesting point of front loader vs top loader machines came up and our House and Home division put together a bit of a write up on Top Loaders Vs Front Loader washing machines, from the friendly Defy team, this is what Defy found and advises: There are many domestic appliances consumers can learn to live without, but when it comes to washing machines, even one day without is one too many. But the big question is which washing machine front loader or top loader? Here’s a breakdown of the two. Top loader washing machine These washing machines use a centre agitator and paddles to move clothes through the water from top to bottom, loosening dirt. There is a control system and mechanical system. The control system has the load size selector, temperature selector, timer and lock. The mechanical system has a motor, clutch, transmission, wash tubs, water valve, agitator, pumps, suspension system and belt or motor coupling. Pros of a top loader washing machine These washing machines remain a popular choice with consumers the world over for a number of reasons: Cycle times: The top loader has a much faster cycle time than front loaders, which means that vast quantities of laundry can be done in significantly less time. Typically, top loaders have a run cycle of about 15 to 30 minutes faster than traditional front loaders, which can take up to an hour. Capacity: The top loader has a larger capacity than similarly sized front loaders, in both the domestic and commercial models. Ergonomics: The simple fact that laundry is loaded at the top of the machine, rather than the user having to bend to insert laundry, makes top loaders beneficial. This is particularly helpful for the elderly community or those suffering from back problems. Additional laundry: If you’ve forgotten to throw in certain items of clothing, you can add them too during the wash cycle, whereas front loaders lock during a cycle. Fabric softeners: Top loaders are known to respond better to fabric softeners than front loader washing machines. Cost: Top loaders are considerably lower in price than their front loader counterparts. This makes them a popular choice for laundromats as well as apartment blocks and university accommodation with community laundry rooms. Cons of a top loader washing machine For the savings in costs, consumers will have to consider the downsides to the top loader washing machine. Efficiency: Top loaders are less efficient than front loaders, using much more water and energy. This makes them costlier in the long run. Noise: Top loaders are often a lot noisier because of the friction created between clothes when twisting in the wash. Layout: Many modern kitchens and laundries are designed for a washing machine to be fitted under a counter or cabinet for a slick finish. Front loader washing machine Like the top loader washing machine, the front loader has a stainless steel inner drum, an outer washtub, motor, control system, drain pump and rotational spinning. However, a front loader fills the bottom of the inner tub with some water and uses rotation and gravity to move clothes through water. The side paddles lift the clothes and move them in and out of the water to remove dirt. Pros of a front loader washing machine Here’s a look at why front loader washing machines are starting to overtake the traditional top loaders in popularity. Energy efficiency: Front loaders use less water and energy because the fit of the drum relies more on gravity. This means the clothes don’t need to be saturated with water the entire time, using up to 50% less water. Detergent efficiency: Front loaders use less detergent, further saving on costs. Features: Front loaders have more cycle options and modern features. Defy’s range of washing machines are a good example, offering consumers auto programming and innovative SteamCure technology for a better clean using less energy. Using steam, the system minimises water consumption, using less energy for a quicker cycle. Better for laundry: Front loaders are a lot gentler on the clothes, meaning less wear and tear, and they also don’t deposit lint during a wash cycle. Reliability: Because they use gravity to turn the clothing, they require fewer repairs on major parts, making them the more reliable option. Quieter: They create a lot less noise than a top loader washing machine, particularly during a spin cycle. Many front loaders have a vibration control feature to stabilise the internal drum. Versatile locations: Front loaders can be placed in a closet, or elevated on counter out of the way. Some washing machines come with additional features such as a steam setting, a self cleaning cycle, or reversible washer doors. Cons of a front loader washing machine Despite being the preferred washing machine appliance, front loaders have a few drawbacks, including: Time consuming: These washing machines take quite a bit longer to clean clothes than a top loader. Capacity: Front loaders are designed for domestic use as they have a much lower capacity than top loaders. Sensitivity: If you overload a front loader, you are likely to wear out the drum bearings. While this might be risky for top loaders, it’s a lot more harmful for front loaders. Mould: The rubber seal means that any incorrect detergent could lead to mould and mildew which is problematic for laundry. Ergonomic issues: Unless a washing machine is elevated, it can cause ergonomic issues for users having to bend down to use them. For domestic use, the front loader washing machine is comparably the better choice for the majority of consumers, however, this obviously depends on independent elements such as space configurations, load capacity and energy consumption. To find out how energy efficient a particular washing machine is, the Department of Energy has outlined the Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and, currently, washing machines with an energy efficiency rating of Class A can be sold, the list from the department can be seen here.

This month to date the most searched for providers on The Go-To Guy website was that of Appliance Repairs, and in our talks with customers a number of interesting points came to the fore that we thought we would share with our service providers and consumers alike. It was interesting to note that most consumers never think about their appliances, until of course ot breaks, and then a number of questions came up that are common amongst consumers, we cover these points and some tips below. Proof of Purchase/Warranties The first question once it is confirmed that the appliance is really "kaput", is whether the appliance is still under warranty, and 99% of consumers admit to throwing away or misplacing the receipt of the device, and cannot even remember when they bought the device, and even if they found the receipt it seems modern receipts has the power to fade the ink to barely legible characters on a white background, thus not helping much. Here at The Go-to Guy we had a small session with one objective, what advice could we give consumers in regards to keeping record and associated information on their appliances, here is our list: Create a WhatsApp group on your phone with your family members and call this Group "Receipts and Proof Purchase", when you purchase the device, immediately take a picture of the receipt of the device and share it on this group, thus in future when you need any information you all will have it on the group. Whilst you take the above photos, also take a photo of the machine itself , the model number and the serial and the reference info on the machine, also add it to this group, this information is going to prove very valuable if at some point in the future you require service on your appliance. Place the booklets and other warranty cars and the like in a Ziplock bag, and stick this bag on the back of machine with Sellotape, that way if you need to refer to this in future you know where it is, alternatively one of the members suggested that you have a drawer or box in the house that everybody knows is the destiny for any user manuals and/or warranty cards , then you know where to look if you need it. Who to Call (No not Ghostbusters) The next question that came was of course who to call when your appliance decided up to here and no further, especially if the machine is still under warranty, with most frantically starting to search for that missing receipt, but yes you're going to need it as the first port of call would normally be the place you purchased the appliance from, a definite start if under warranty. If not under warranty then you could possibly still call the retailer you bought the appliance from, and they should be able to provide you with the contact details for the supplier. Our own test however showed that this is a "hit and miss" affair as some of the retailers had contact details on hand and some did not, and you could be placed on hold for extended periods of time. Here we have a tip for service providers that do offer Appliance Repairs , go and engage with these retailers as a reference for customers that have appliance issues and needs to have their appliances repaired outside of warranty, you can possibly increase your business as a result. Then the frantic search started for a number or a contact of Appliance Repair in the area, scratching through papers in drawers, nots made somewhere and messaging friends, and then shouting out for assistance on Facebook for urgent contact as there may be food in the fridge, hectic and not fun, and of course everybody will recommend someone from somewhere... and some will be bully's and badmouth suppliers, others will provide five star reviews, its a popcorn period in most cases. Here is an important tip: If you find a great supplier, save that number on your phone , and add what they do so that you can easily search for the name afterwards, its much easier remembering the word Electrician than a name of a person a year down the line, you can also add that name and number as a note in that WhatsApp group you created on your phone. Fortunately we also created a House and Home Supplier page here at The Go-To Guy, so you simply have to remember our website and you are covered, in fact better still save our website as a shortcut on your phone screen and then we are one click away . Supplier Reputation and Customer Engagement Once customers have found a number to call, or several as the case may be, there are a number of things that came up that we believe suppliers should be made aware of, as this could make or break their reputation in the market and if done well entrench them as a supplier of reference to the consumers in the community, we cover these below. The most common comment was that suppliers are not answering their phones, and from experience we know that if you do not answer your phone on the first call then 70% of consumers will not call again, they will look for somebody else, thus your business will suffer as a result. Here at The Go-To Guy we are working on a solution for this and will be announcing that in the future, in the interim however it would be worthwhile for service orientated companies to set their diverts to a backup number, even if the call has a cost you are bound to increase your revenues as a result. The second comment was that service providers do not return calls if a message is left , yet again your business is losing revenue as a result. We know that when on the road servicing customers it is difficult to keep track of all the messages and a notebook is not always at hand. here is a simple solution; send yourself a WhatsApp message or voice note on calls to return or tasks to complete , then when you have time you can recall the message as our phones tend to be with us all the time, its also a great way to keep an electronic diary and will aid you in so many ways. The other common comment was that service providers do not return quotations requested. In our engagement with service providers it became evident that on the one end of the spectrum was the constant issuing of quotations that resulted in no business, customers ghosting service providers and never returning follow-up calls, whilst on the other end admin time for quotations were constrained. Yet again here at The Go-To Guy we are working on a solution for this issue, yet in the interim our recommendation is to throw out the process of trying to write a quotation when you finally get to the office and behind a desk for admin, use what is in your hand and send electronic quotes through simply having a WhatsApp message with the key quote numbers and references, you can give each a unique number through a simple numbering system that takes the date and time you send the message, these quote structures are valid and accepted by most consumers, you can give more formal documentation and receipts where applicable. It is further vital that you have a payment solution for customers to pay on site , get yourself a mobile card machine such as Yoco , which allows you to take payments on site, as we have encountered many customers and service providers referencing payment processes as an issue. An additional tool you can use is to change your WhatsApp number to WatsApp business, there is no additional charge and the interface remains the same, yet you will have additional tools that you can use in the application to manage your interaction with customers, including the ability to showcase your business branding, status updates you can use to communicate with your community, catalogue of services that you can load, quick and out of office reply messages and a list of other features aimed at helping you communicate better, definitely give this a try. It is our mission here at The Go-To Guy to help small business, so look out for the features we will launch in the future, beyond our current House and Home listing page and our newly announced recruitment service aimed at sales people for small business.

We thought would be good to provide a few tips in respect of plumbing at home The most common plumbing problems are blocked drains and toilets, leaky taps, and pipes, running toilets and geyser problems. To save money you can tackle your own plumbing problems, just make sure that you understand what the problem is and that you know how to fix it, otherwise it is advised to contact a professional. Blocked drains can be a nightmare. You can use drain strainers at your sinks or bathtubs, to keep food and hair out of your drains. Hair especially is a rather common reason for blocked drains as it binds with grease and other sticky stuff and then forms clogs. Be careful of food waste, it should be avoided at all times and although we are sometimes lazy to remove the small food particles from the sink, it is actually important that you do as it clogs up drains rather quickly, especially tealeaves and coffee grounds that do not break down. Do not discard old cooking oil down your drains, the oil will clog up your pipes. Let the oil cool and pour it in a disposable container and throw it away. Clean your drains regularly. You can use vinegar to clean your drains. Let the vinegar sit for a few hours and then flush it away with running hot water. A plunger can be used to help remove clog in your drain or toilet. Signs that may indicate that you have a water leak are mould, peeling paint, the sound of running water when no taps are open, mysterious puddles or stains, if you suspect a leak but hear nothing you could use a simple method to place a screwdriver against pipes, place your ear on back of screw driver and listen if you hear any water running, naturally all taps must be closed. A leaking tap can be fixed, by simply replacing a washer, yet make sure you have closed the input feed, as removing the tap without closing main feed could lead to unfunny, yet funny, disaster and an early shower When you need a plumber, choose a reputable local plumber and always call a certified plumber for major issues.

There are different kinds of dryers in the market, so if you do not know the difference then lets go and explore these in a bit of detail. ​ Vented Dryers When drying your clothes in a tumble dryer there is a considerable amount of heat that is generated, and this heat needs to be moved somewhere else your machine could be damaged or even cause a fire. Vented dryers have a flexible pipe that moves this air through the pipe to an area outside, such as through a wall, or a hose through a window. ​ Condenser Dryer A condenser dryer, which is the most popular takes the water during the drying cycle and turns it into steam, then this steam is converted back to water and routed to a tank, which you would then have to empty from time-to-time. ​ Heat Pump Dryers These dryers are normally higher priced and use heat-pump technology, the benefit being lower drying temperatures, less electricity as a result, less noise and ultimately lower running costs. ​ Laundry Packs Lastly you get a simple yet effective solution, that is not actually a tumble dryer but a laundry pack, which is a cylindrical bag that uses a high speed motor to blast your clothes with hot air, they take about 10kg and the motor uses very little electricity, they are also the lowest cost alternative drying machine you can get.

We are entering the winter period, and nothing takes the cold away such as a hot shower, or a bath, and we thought would be a great time to cover some interesting points on geysers. Most geysers are inside a roof, or more recently you may also find them outside, and often people ask that if a geyser should be installed whether they can do it themselves or if they should a professional, and then there also seems to be some questions on whether you should call a Plumber or Electrician for the installation of such a geyser. Geyser installations should not be done by yourself, it should be done by a professional, if not and anything happens you may find that your warranty may be voiced, insurance may refuse claims or you may not be able to get a clearance certificate from an Electrician. You need to call both a Plumber and an Electrician as well to do the installation, as the plumber will do the initial installation and the electrician would have to earth the geyser. There are a variety of Geyser sizes as well that you can choose from, 50 - 100 - 150 and 200 litres and as a rule of thumb the average household that has a dishwasher, washing machine, takes an average bath and have days that they would do all of these would require a 100 litre geyser, smaller may lead to the occasional "wait a while before you bath" moments and larger may be an overkill, and naturally these come at different price points as well. As it is winter a common question on geysers also seems to be related to geyser blankets, these are thermal covering that goes around the geyser and literally wraps your geyser, the logic being that this blanket maintains the heat of the water in geyser longer, and indeed a geyser blanket can considerably reduce geyser energy consumption, even by as much as half, so definitely an investment to look at. Geysers do not last forever, and we all heard the term that the geyser "burst" and led to considerable damage, and subsequent repairs and insurance claims as a result. The reality is that it is very rare for a geyser to burst, instead they tend to break rather loudly if there was a pressure built up due to temperature not being controlled properly due to thermostat being faulty, pressure vessel may fail, metal fatigue and often poor installations. When geysers do "burst" or get damaged and there is damage to the roof, you will most likely find that there is no leakage/drip tray fitted, which is compulsory by the way as it is required by law, it is very important for you to ensure you have a drip tray installed as it could save you considerable damage in future. We tend to install our geyser and then forget about it until it breaks, the reality is that geysers needs to be service on regular intervals, shorter periods where water is of poor quality, the recommended period under normal circumstances would be every 4 years, with recent water quality however it is better to service more regularly, the service should include the checking of magnesium sacrificial anode element and thermostat, removal of lime scale and sludge and leak checking of the entire system. We can hear you wondering what an Anode Self Sacrificing is, sounds like a hero of some kind in a technology movie, yet this is a part of your geyser that is made of magnesium or aluminium that is wound around a steel core wire, and it acts as a type of a magnet for corrosion, and thus protecting the other metal parts in your geyser, it lasts for about 5 years, water quality dependent, and thus needs to be replaced at these intervals, which will ensure your geyser gets a decent lifespan. Most geysers in South Africa are high pressure geysers (400 to 600 kPa), fitted with a pressure balancing valve ensuring that your hot and cold water supply to your taps are at the same pressure , you do however get low pressure geysers as well, so double check when buying that bargain on the corner that you are buying correctly. Tip: If ever your geyser gets broken, first get the serial number (found on the geyser) and manufacturer details and call them to enquire about the warranty, this simple check can save you hundreds if not thousands of Rands and most well-known brands in South Africa are rather good in supporting these warranties. Gas and Solar geysers are becoming more popular and we will cover this in a future post

Mention the word tree felling/removal and immediately you think of cutting down a tree, yet in the field of tree felling there are in fact a wide variety of services offered. Arborist by the way is a professional tree surgeon in the practice of arboriculture which is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines and other perennial woody plants in dendrology and horticulture. We thought it would be great to expand on the wide area through this blog and to cover all of the different services that a professional tree feller/arborist actually offers their clients. Crowning Crowning is the process where a portion of the smaller branches are removed to produce a density of foliage around an evenly spaced branch structure, and does not shape the overall size or shape of the tree, and within the crowning of a tree you will find that your arborist will mention crown lifting, crown reduction and crown thinning, each of these aimed at a different end result. Crown Lifting: Here the gap between the ground level and the start of leafy area is increased, normally achieved by removing the lowest branches of the crown to a specific height. Lifting of the tree crown would be applicable when you would want more space around the tree bottom, some may also call this canopy lifting. A practical example is when a tree obscures a stop street sign and by lifting the crown the sign can be seen.or where more sun is required at the base of a tree. In the picture below as an example the tree base was cleared to provide space for movement below the tree. Good practice dictates that unless absolutely necessary that large branches growing directly from the trunk should not be removed as this can cause large wounds that can lead to decay of the tree, older mature trees should be avoided or restricted to secondary branches or shortening of primary branches rather than the whole removal where possible. Crown Reduction: Here the ends of all branches are cut to reduce the overall size of the tree, both in volume and size, whilst still retaining the natural shape of the tree, normally used for aesthetic effect or where the size and volume of the tree may be encroaching on other elements around the tree, such as electric fencing, gutters and others. Other uses may be to reduce the mechanical stress on a tree due to the size, volume and ultimately weight on the tree due to the growth of the crown area. In the picture below the tree crown was shaped for aesthetic effect using both crown lifting as well as crown reduction. Crown Thinning: Here the tree feller/arborist will remove some of the branches within the tree crown in order to reduce the density of the tree, the objective being to allow more natural light to pass through the tree or to reduce the wind resistance of the tree, thus allowing for less stress on tree that may be in a windy area. This method is normally used on broad leaved species and does not alter the overall size or shape of the tree. Good practice will see a gradual removal of inner branches over a period in order to not shock the tree and also it is recommended not to remove more than 30% of the overall structure. It is also rare that this will be done only once on trees with large amounts of epicormic growth, and rather you should prepare to have this done over the life of such a tree. In the picture below it can be seen that the sun is allowed to filter through the branches from an otherwise very densely leafed tree. (Note: Epicormic growth is growth that occurs from dormant sprouts and some tree species produces this growth around wounds caused by pruning) Tree General Before we jump into tree pruning it may be worthwhile to cover how a tree actually works, as this will greatly assist in understanding the principles behind pruning. A tree is in fact a dynamic living organism, with a woody stem that adds the ability to be self supporting. Trees use photosynthesis, which is the process by which plants use sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to create oxygen and energy in the form of sugar, trees uses this sugar to make the building of cellulose (reinforcement material) and lignin (provides trees with rigidity, makes them water resistant and degradation resistant), in order to sustain its self-supporting structure. These sugars produced are transported throughout the tree via the inner bark area knows as the phloem. The tree roots absorb water and other minerals from the soil, these are transported to the leaves of the tree via tubular vessels called xylem, and in fact this is the vascular tissue, think of it as the pipeline from roots to the leaves. Branches of trees were once buds that then became twigs, and over time and incremental growth have gone on to form a branch, ultimately a number of these branches forms to provide the tree its unique shape, size and volume. Pruning When looking at pruning it is important to understand when to prune as different species react differently to pruning at different periods in the seasons as well as their lifecycle, hence the requirement to arm yourself with knowledge on the trees you may be pruning, or getting the services of a professional tree surgeon/arborist to assist you. Pruning involves the selective removal of certain parts of the tree and focus is on diseased, damaged, dead and deranged material from the tree, this is also commonly referred to as the "4 D's". Good practice is to start early in the life of a tree as smaller cuts limits the wounds to a tree and starts a healthy process. Dead Wood Pruning: This is the pruning/removal of dead or dying branches from a tree, this may be for aesthetics, safety or general plant health reasons. These branches may have died due to a number of reasons, such as light deficiency, pest and disease damage, root structure damage and even being planted incorrectly Formative Pruning: Besides the elaborate designs sometimes seen on especially hedges or dense structured trees and shrubs, formative pruning also assists in reducing risks of diseases, structural weakness and broken branches as trees mature. Formative pruning is especially important in younger trees as they develop to have a balanced shape and structure. Tree Felling You may wonder why trees are even removed, as they have such an important role to play in nature, is a living organism and part of nature, yet there are times when it may be the only solution, such as safety, unsuitable for location, visual considerations, impact on environment, diseases or even a tree considered a threat to other trees in area. Tree felling can be a hazardous exercise and it is strongly recommended to solicit the services of a professional to assist in the removal of a tree, noting that there are also considerations that needs to be taken into account when engaging with tree fellers, such as whether you require the cutting down only of a tree or the stump removal as well, there are considerable efforts and costs with each of these. If you wish to remove the stump as well there are various methods that could be applied, such as stump grinding, which is a machine that will grind into the stump below ground level, with the wood particles that could be used as mulch, alternatively the Arborist may suggest alternative methods to remove the stump, including the use of herbicides or plain old elbow grease and a few tools to literally chop the stump out of the ground, the only other alternative to use the stump in some creative way. Besides the requirement for qualified staff and the risks of liability in case of any injuries or deaths as a result of poorly equipped and trained tree fellers, there is also the risk of spreading diseases from infected trees, such as the threat identified by invasive shot hole borer, also referred to as polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB) – the tiny black beetle, which hails from South-East Asia, has spread to eight of the nine provinces (Limpopo being the only exception), and is the largest geographical outbreak of this beetle in the world, and unethical or uneducated operators that sell or dumps infected wood may do significant damage to environment. The best way to control these shot-hole borer, or any other bark beetle, remains to cut out the weak branches and remove all dead wood from the area. And by law if these beetles are found by any owner or occupier of land this need to be reported, no person may move, transport or convey a list of 23 targeted tree species, including as firewood and infested wood may not be sold. The list of Notifiable ISHB Target Trees Indigenous trees Coast silver oak (Brachylaena discolor) Forest bushwillow (Combretum krausii) River bushwillow (Combretum erythrophyllum) Coast coral tree (Erythrina caffra) Water blossom pea (Podalyria calyptrata) Fountain bush (Psoralea pinata) Cape willow (Salix mucronata) Keurboom (Virgilia oroboides subsp. ferruginea) Exotic trees Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) Pink flame tree (Brachychiton discolor) American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) Avocado (Pearsea americana) London plane (Platanus x acerifolia) Pin oak (Quercus palustris) English oak (Quercus robur) White willow (Salix alba) Invasive species Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) 19. Black wattle (Acacia mearnsii) 20. Chinese maple (Acer buergerianum) 21. Box elder (Acer negundo) 22. Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) 23. Castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis) Sectional Felling: This is the removal of part of a tree, and practical examples of such a requirement may be trees that overhang onto neighbours properties, trees that branches threaten to damage structures or tree branches that become too heavy to be supported by the three itself, thus only a section of the tree is required to be removed as opposed to the whole tree. Tree Disease Consulting Arborists across the country also offers tree disease consulting services, which may include assessment of your soil structures with the aim to have nutrients in the soil that will aid healthy trees and growth in general. Tags and Links Tree Felling Potchefstroom Tree Felling Klerksdorp Tree Felling Near Me

We are often asked about installation cost of paver products, and as a rule of thumb you can most probably calculate that installation cost may be double the cost of your pavers, it is at this point in a conversation that some customers may think that the Paving contractor has gone nuts and they want to run :), yet it is a fact that high quality workmanship will cost you more than the low quality jobs that became so frequent in the past few years, mostly from taking someone sitting in front of the local hardware store at half the price of your pavers. Let me try and explain the factors impacting the price, the quality and ultimately your wallet over the longer term. The cost of a standard paver on a driveway today would most probably be in the region of R325, excluding your pavers, and that would be the minimum that a quality contractor would charge to get a quality job done with such a standard paver, remember other larger and designer pavers would increase the costs to properly lay such avers (Weight and Design factors playing a large role in that calculation) Let us look at a 10 square meter paving project for our calculations using a standard paver brick to cover such an area: Working at an excellent cost price of about R110 per square meter for the bricks at ex factory price (not yet delivered and taking minimum quantities of about 27 pallets in this specific case), which would require the contractor to invest in nearly 30k on the specific/average order quantity and mix quantity in which this R110 would be included, would equate to R1,100 for the 10 squares to be covered for the pavers. Now this would be without any transport cost, and in this case I am going to work on a trip within 10km from the factory/yard and I am assuming the transport would go directly from source to destination, which in many cases do not hold true as most yards deliver to yard and then based on demand would transport to customer, yet for this calculation we are going to assume an optimum arrangement, transport in this case I have calculated at a minimum of R1,000 (which would be very well priced transport costs), therefore this would be a whopping R100 per square meter. On site the minimum would be one skilled worker and two general labourers, which in my case would be permanent staff as we do not use day labourers at customer sites, and minimum salary costs will be used, which again is not really a real world scenario as minimum wage would not provide you with regular on the job staff as they will start falling into the "private job" trap and you will have lower quality workmanship workers on minimum pay, yet we will use that for this calculation, thus three workers on site would cost you about R600 minimum, reality is closer to R800/R900, thus R60 per square meter. Preparation and Paving I am going to work on a minimum of two days, yet that is if site is perfectly prepared, no removals of old paving and all materials and equipment being on site, starting at 07:00 and having a weather perfect day, no load-shedding, no dogs that distract workers, ample space to work and in general a perfect world, thus R1,200 for labour to do the paving, or R120 per square meter. Additional materials, such as sand, plaster, cement, plastic sheets would equate to approx R310 in total (not taking into consideration minimum quantities you can order some of the materials at, which results in additional costs that will not appear in this calculation, thus we have R31 per square meter. Taking machinery costs into consideration, such as Compactor and in most cases some cutting machinery such as Grinders, would add an additional R1,400 per day, with a minimum of one day as the calculation used in this case to once again take a perfect world as the basis, therefore we have R140 per square for this machinery that we will use during this job. For Grouting we have made an assumption of R5.14 per square. Thus before I have added any margin for the business, or any of the additional costs such as transport to and from the site, and increases in fuel prices, unforeseen and other hidden cost we can see that the pavers were at R110 per square and the rest of the costs were R396 rounded, nearly four times the pavers for this project, of course as project sizes increase we will have lower cost per square meter on some of the items listed above, yet I think this provides the reader with a little bit of an insight to how difficult realistic, yet economical acceptable from customer perspective the calculation becomes. The contractor will obviously sharpen our pencils all the time and aim to have a balance between an acceptable deal from customer perspective, yet a quality offering from a product and service perspective, and with each site being different (waterways, layout, access, levelling requirements, extractions etc), so they may look at each quotation we do in an earnest manner to find that balance, and we discuss each quote with customer to find a balance. Some may say but it is then better to use a "front of hardware store guy", let's call him "The Bloke", as the savings may prove to be significant, yet we have consistently seen some of the following issues that would have to be carefully considered prior to going that route: The Bloke may arrive without machinery, which will either require the customer to then rent the machinery, or have a sub standard job that was not compacted properly, cutting jobs that are done by breaking methods and not clean cuts, resulting in uneven lines on your paving installation. The Bloke may take much longer and then start the common issue of saying that the team needs to be paid and that he underestimated the job, therefore the customer starts being placed under pressure to pay team in Friday paydays, this happens rather often and have led to some very uncomfortable situations before for some customers. The Blokes guarantees my be very difficult to find and enforce after The Bloke left the site and job is considered done, especially if you start having sagging, rain water channeling issues and movement of the actual pavers, these are very difficult to fix after the job is done and will leave you with heavy frustrations, not to mention higher costs if paving needs to be lifted again and redone. The Bloke may have miscalculated the quantity of materials needed, which often happens to get you to accept the quote, only to come back after the job is started and requesting more bricks/cement/sand The above is just a few points to consider when going the cheaper route, and it is better advised to ask the contractor to sharpen their pencils, discuss the cost calculations and agree a fair price than trying to take shortcuts. Tags and Links Paving Potchefstroom Paving Klerksdorp Paving Near Me

There are many different types of blinds available on the market today. Below is a list of the most popular types of blinds, as well as a brief description of each. 1. Venetian Blinds: Venetian blinds are made up of horizontal slats that can be tilted to control the amount of light and privacy entering a room. 2. Roller Blinds: Roller blinds are a type of window covering that consists of a piece of fabric that is rolled up or down to open or close. 3. Roman Blinds: Roman blinds are a type of window covering that consists of folds of fabric that stack on top of each other when closed. 4. Pleated Blinds: Pleated blinds are made up of horizontally-aligned pleats, or folds, that can be opened or closed to control the amount of light and privacy entering a room. 5. Vertical Blinds: Vertical blinds are made up of vertical slats that can be tilted to control the amount of light and privacy entering a room. Links and Tags Blinds in Klerksdorp Blinds in Potchefstroom Blinds Near Me

Having a pet can be an awesome responsibility, but it does require more than just loving them and taking them on walks. It's important to pay attention to their body, fur, and skin as well. In this blog post, I'll break down the best tips for caring for your pet at home - from grooming basics to strategies for tackling some common skin conditions. All of the instructions are easy to follow and will help keep your furry companion looking and feeling great. Fur and Skin Care What Are The Different Types of Care? There are a few different types of care that your cat or dog’s fur and skin may need. These include: -Brushing: Brushing helps to remove dead hair, dirt, and other debris from your pet’s coat. It also helps to distribute natural oils throughout the coat, which can help to keep it healthy and looking shiny. Depending on your pet’s fur type, you may need to brush them daily or weekly. -Bathing: Bathing can help to remove any dirt, debris, or other build-up that may be on your pet’s fur or skin. It is important to use a shampoo that is specifically designed for cats or dogs, as human shampoo can be too harsh for their skin. You should only bathe your pet as needed, as bathing too often can strip away natural oils and lead to dryness. -Grooming: Grooming helps to keep your pet’s fur and nails trimmed and looking neat. It is important to use the proper tools for grooming, such as scissors or clippers for the nails and a brush or comb for the fur. You should groom your pet regularly, depending on their needs. Fur and Skin Care What Causes a Pet's Fur or Skin to Change? There are many things that can cause a pet's fur or skin to change. Some changes are due to the environment, such as changes in temperature or humidity. Other changes can be due to health conditions, such as allergies or infections. Still other changes can be due to grooming habits, such as over-bathing or using the wrong type of shampoo. What Can I Do to Help My Pet's Fur or Skin? If you notice a change in your pet's fur or skin, the first thing you should do is consult with your veterinarian. They will be able to determine if the change is due to a health condition or something else. If it is a health condition, they will be able to provide treatment. If it is not a health condition, they may be able to suggest some changes in your pet's diet or grooming habits. Fur and Skin Care When Should You Seek Veterinary Treatment for Your Pet? If your pet has any kind of skin or fur condition, it's important to seek professional treatment as soon as possible. Veterinary dermatologists are specially trained to diagnose and treat conditions of the skin and fur, so they can provide your pet with the best possible care. If you're not sure whether your pet needs to see a vet, here are a few signs that it's time to make an appointment: Your pet is scratching or licking excessively. Your pet has bald spots or patches of missing fur. Your pet has red, inflamed skin. Your pet has scabs or open sores. Your pet's skin or fur is changing color. You've noticed changes in your pet's behavior, such as increased irritability or lethargy. If you notice any of these signs, don't hesitate to contact your veterinarian for an appointment. Early diagnosis and treatment can often help improve your pet's condition and quality of life. Fur and Skin Care How Can I Improve My Pet’s Health? Caring for your pet’s fur and skin is important for their overall health. There are a few things you can do at home to help keep your pet’s coat and skin healthy. Brushing your pet regularly helps remove dead fur and skin cells and stimulates blood circulation. It also helps distribute the natural oils that keep the fur and skin healthy. Be sure to use a brush that is designed for your pet’s fur type. Bathing your pet regularly is also important for their fur and skin health. Use a shampoo that is designed for pets and avoid getting any water in their ears. Be sure to rinse all of the shampoo out of their fur to prevent skin irritation. In addition to regular brushing and bathing, you should also trim your pet’s nails and clean their ears periodically. These are all important part of keeping your pet’s fur and skin healthy. Keep an eye out for any changes in the fur or skin. If you notice any redness, itching, excessive shedding or other changes, it could be a sign of a health issue. Contact your veterinarian right away if you're concerned about your pet's fur or skin. Using Pet Grooming Services By following these tips, you can help keep your cat or dog's fur or skin, however it may be worthwhile considering a pet grooming service, such as mobile doggy parlour that comes to your home or established pet groomers in your area, which will save you some time and also allow professionals to look after your pets furry skin. There are many benefits to using a doggy parlour or pet grooming service, some of the top reasons why you should consider using one. Whether you have a hairy hound that needs regular grooming or a pampered pooch that could use a spa day, there are plenty of good reasons to visit your local pet groomer. Here are just a few of the top reasons to use a doggy parlour or pet grooming service: 1. Regular grooming can help reduce shedding and keep your home clean. 2. It can also help reduce allergens in the home for those with allergies to pet dander. 3. Grooming can also help keep your pet's coat healthy and free of mats and tangles. 4. A professional groomer can also identify health problems such as skin infections, mites, and fleas. 5. Regular grooming can be bonding experience for you and your pet. 6. It can also be a great way to socialise your pet, especially if they are shy or anxious around other animals. 7. And last but not least, professional grooming can simply make your pet look and Links and Tags Doggy Parlour Klerksdorp Doggy Parlour Potchefstroom Doggy Parlour Near Me Pet Grooming Near Me

Gas geysers are a great way to generate efficient use of energy to heat your water, and they're becoming increasingly popular in Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom. There are a few things you need to know before you buy one, though. Here's what you need to know about gas geysers in Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom. Similar to other things in life it is not a fact that all gas geysers are equal, and indeed there are different types of gas geysers you can find in Klerksdorp ad Potchefstroom, these are as follows: Battery Ignition gas geysers Hydro Ignition gas geysers Geysers that used 220 volt Ac to Ignite the Gas Geyser. Note: Battery or Hydro Ignition Gas Geysers used either batteries or a Hydro to ignite the gas. Differences to be aware of between the different geysers and that is commonly referred to as Hydro powered (Entry Level) and Forced powered (Advanced Level) The Battery and Hydro ignition gas geysers are normally lower priced and there are some important factors to keep in mind with these units, the most important points being as follows: (Source: https://gas-geysers-johannesburg.co.za/) Entry Level gas geysers are not able to effectively supply sufficient hot water to multiple hot taps operating simultaneously, and also does now work well with mixer taps If someone opens up another tap in the house there is a very good chance your gas Geyser will switch off and you will be left with cold water or no water at all. Forced driven gas geysers can supply hot water to multiple taps. The entry level gas geysers temperature can only be set at the gas geyser. Meaning if your wife likes to take a hot shower and you like a cooler shower you will have to go to the gas Geyser and manually change the temperature on the gas Geyser. In homes with three or more people and two or more bathrooms, you will ideally need one medium capacity Entry Level gas geysers per bathroom.Forced driven gas geysers can supply two or more bathrooms simultaneously. Entry Level gas geysers have limitations in the distances they are able to supply hot water over. This limit is approximately 8m-10m. Entry Level gas geysers are not recommended for double storey homes, unless the bathrooms & kitchen are all on the ground floor. Entry Level gas geysers are very sensitive to fluctuating water pressure. This is only a problem in situations where water supply is from a borehole and can be overcome by installing a pressure pump. Forced driven gas geysers can normally accommodate fluctuating water pressure. Entry Level gas geysers will need to be protected from prevailing winds & rain & will need to have a weather cover fitted & flue pipe fitted (extra costs). - A flue pipe The flue pipe on a gas geyser works in the same way that a chimney pipe does on a fireplace. The flue pipe will draw the CO2 gasses produced by the gas burners out of the geyser, along with excess heat. Without a flue pipe, the CO2 gasses settle over the gas burners & literally smother the flames Entry Level gas geysers must have a flue pipe (chimney pipe) with cowl (‘Chinese Hat’ which fits on top of the flue pipe). Without this the geyser will overheat & keep switching off. Flue pipes come at an extra charge. Entry Level gas geysers cannot be connected to a controller (these controllers have the benefit of eliminating temperature fluctuations if someone else turns on another tap, enables more precise temperature controls) The Entry Level gas geysers temperature in most instances can only be altered at the gas geyser. Entry Level gas geysers cannot detect the cold water temperature coming into the gas geyser to save you money on gas and precious water your forced driven gas geysers can. Entry Level gas geysers don’t work well if water saver shower heads &/or filters on your taps. Entry Level gas geysers don’t work well in homes with mixer unit taps. If the cold water is allowed in too fast, it tends to push the hot water back to the gas geyser.The entry level gas geysers registers this as a safety problem and switches itself off particularly annoying for the person in shower at the time ! This does not happen with forced driven gas geysers. Entry Level gas geysers don’t have freeze protection feature. If the weather goes to minus degrees The Entry Level gas geysers will freeze up and damage the heat exchanger and water pipes. The forced driven gas geysers have freeze protection feature including an electrical element and intermittent firing of the burner to protect the heat exchanger and water pipes from freezing over. Entry Level gas geysers that use the Hydro Generator Ignition – require no batteries. The Hydro mechanisms are easily damaged by dirt/sand in the water supply. Entry Level gas geysers that use the Hydro Generator Ignition are very sensitive to water flow not enough water flow and the Hydro Generator Ignition will not ignite the gas geyser. Entry Level gas geysers normally have a much shorter warranty than Forced Driven geysers, so be sure to ask the question on warranties when purchasing your gas heater. Entry level geysers do not have electronic control systems, so all of their gas burners all come on at the same time. This means that their gas consumption is the same whether one tap or more are operating. Should you opt for any of these entry level geysers, the recommended sizes vs application would be as follows: Recommended Standard/ Manual Geyser Sizes 6l geyser – Kitchen sink or basin only 8l geyser – Kitchen sink & washing machine. Can be used for a shower which is not used very often i.e. spare bathroom but does not give a really adequate volume of hot water for daily use. 10l geyser – Shower. 12l geyser – Minimum size required for a bath. 16l geyser – 1x shower & 1x ‘small’ hot tap (ie basin/ sink) running simultaneously. 20l geyser (Standard Geyser ) – 2x showers/ baths running simultaneously Advantages of the more advanced Forced Powered Geysers: Forced Fan gas geysers are extremely gas efficient and have electronic control systems & are able to modulate their gas consumption according to demand for hot water. Exact water temperature can be pre-programmed. Forced Fan gas geysers can operate under low water pressure conditions of 1 bar. Forced Fan Gas Geysers are the only geysers which can successfully supply hot water to upstairs bathrooms. Automatic stabilisation of fluctuating water pressure. Forced Fan gas geyser electronic systems ensure sufficient water pressure and temperature for multiple hot water taps operating simultaneously. Fully weatherproof & do not use flue pipes Forced Fan Gas Geysers can be connected directly to an existing solar water system as a back-up during cloudy weather/ winter. Disadvantages of Forced Fan Gas Geysers: Forced Fan gas geysers cost between two to three times that of a Standard gas geyser. Forced Fan gas geysers must have electricity to ignite and to operate their electronic controls. Lack of electricity during power failures can be overcome by using a UPS/ Inverter/ Generator at these times. Forced Fan gas geysers can be run on generator power, however protection against power surges must be installed as this can damage the geyser’s electronic operating systems. Do Forced Driven Geysers Use Electricity Yes, Forced Driven Water Heater do use electricity. Usage is minimal approximately 83 watts, if anti frost activated 100 watts But this will make your hot water usage very efficient.Buy using a in built computer to measure the water temperature coming in from the ground water ( municipal water ) and giving you a accurate water temperature that you have set the gas Geyser temperature to. This efficiency will save you on precious water and gas. Gas Installations If you're interested in buying a gas geyser, you'll need to have a gas line installed in your home. Gas products that carry the Safe Gas Appliance certificate means they have been tested as safe gas appliances and comply to SABS regulations. All gas installations must carry a CoC for insurance purposes and must be done by professionals, his is very important. What is a Tankless Gas Geyser? Tankless Gas geysers are rated by the maximum liters per minute it can handle, and not by a tank/geyser capacity in liters that we are used to when referring to standard geysers. So if you see a 20 liter gas geyser it means that this is a 20 liter per minute gas geyser. It could give you 20 liters of hot water per minute maximum. Remember these are tankless ,no resivoir, it’s hot water on demand as you open the hot water faucet. Here is a great video from Dewhot showing you how to determine your required flow rate prior to deciding the flowrate of the gas geyser you will require: Other Points to Remember One other very important point is that your choice of gas geysers may have water heating temperature limitations if the water flow is set at maximum, as explained in this video below by Dewhot, basically the faster your water runs the less ability the gas geyser will have to heat the water to higher temperatures, this is especially important in winter when the incoming water may be cooler and thus will require greater heating. Will Gas Geysers Save You Money Gas geysers are far more efficient than electrical geysers and offer a viable and cost-effective option to have hot water for your home. It has been calculated that the savings on your monthly electricity bill could be cut by as much as 40% by going with gas. Your electrical geyser has been proven to be the highest energy consumer in your home. Going with a gas geyser makes a lot of sense but what does not make sense is going with a low quality, low cost and illegal installation. A complete gas geyser installation can cost anywhere from R7500 for entry-level up to R20 000 for more advanced setup and depending on your requirements. Based on average industry rates you should budget for your gas geyser installation as follows: (Note these are indicative prices at time of this article, other factors such as the incresed fuel prices, inflation and other factors will impact these prices considerably) Gas line installation – R2,500 and up Plumbing – R2,200 and up Gas Geyser – R 3,000 to R13,500 depending on your requirements (your installer will make the best recommendation for you) Gas – 19kg cylinder +/- R950 Here is a great video explaining how a gas heater basically works from Builders Warehouse You can find Gas suppliers in Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp right here on The Go To Guy Tags and Links: Gas supplier in Klerksdorp Gas supplier in Potchefstroom. Gas supplier near me Gas Geysers