Salt air and your home in Simon's Town: geysers, taps and electrics

Simon's Town sits on a narrow strip of level ground between the mountain and False Bay. It's home to South Africa's oldest naval base, and the Historical Mile along St George's Street still has buildings more than 150 years old. It's also one of the harshest places on the Peninsula for anything made of metal. The salt-laden sea air has worn the inscriptions off headstones in the old Dido Valley cemetery.

Inside and around a house, that same air works on geysers, taps, pipes and electrical fittings.

What salt air does to a home

• Geyser valves. The pressure control valve, safety valve and drain cock corrode, stick or start to weep, especially in roof spaces that breathe outside air.
• Taps and outside fittings. Garden taps, shower mixers and exposed brass and chrome pit and seize.
• Exposed pipework. Fittings and brackets on outside walls rust through.
• Electrical fittings. Outdoor plugs, lights, gate motors and isolators corrode, and a corroded connection can trip the earth leakage or run hot.
• Solar and heat pump installations. Frames, fixings and exposed parts on a sea-facing roof need corrosion-resistant materials.

Signs worth acting on

• Green or white crust on brass fittings.
• Rust stains under valves or on the drip tray.
• A safety valve that drips all the time.
• An earth leakage that trips in wet or windy weather.
• Outside plugs or lights that stop working.

Choosing fittings that last by the sea

In a coastal town, what you fit matters as much as how it's fitted. In exposed positions we use fittings and fixings suited to a marine environment, and outdoor electrical fittings with the right weatherproof rating. The cheaper option often costs more within a year or two.

Historic cottages, lanes and steps

Many Simon's Town homes are historic cottages, and some sit on steep sites reached by the lanes and steps the town is known for. Pipework in older buildings is often a patchwork of repairs from different decades, and access can be tight. We plan for that, and tell you upfront what access the job needs.

How we work in Simon's Town

Before any work starts, you get a photographed report, recorded on site in our own app, with the cause of the problem and an itemised quote. If you're selling, we arrange the plumbing, electrical, gas and beetle certificates in one visit. Here's how a transfer runs with us.

We cover Simon's Town and the rest of the South Peninsula, from Fish Hoek to Scarborough, all on one flat call-out rate.

Common questions

Why do geysers and taps corrode faster in Simon's Town?

Salt carried in the sea air settles on metal and holds moisture, which speeds up corrosion. Exposed fittings and roof spaces open to outside air are affected most.

My geyser's safety valve keeps dripping. Is that serious?

It needs checking. A safety valve that drips all the time can mean the valve has failed or that the system pressure is too high.

Can you do compliance certificates in Simon's Town?

Yes. We do plumbing and electrical certificates and arrange gas and beetle, so all four can be done in one visit.