Our Services

Plumbing Maintenance

Well-functioning plumbing is one of the basic needs of modern living. When you have a leaky faucet, a water bill that seems too high for the amount of water you are using, a toilet that won't stop running, or a burst geyser that has just flooded part of your home, you need your plumbing problem solved quickly and effectively... In certain cases DIY solutions can be risky if not done correctly…

This is where we come in.

Give us a call today to come and help you out of your predicament. Our staff is friendly, reliable and trust worthy. We always put our clients’ needs and requirements first.

Blocked Drains & Pipes

As the pool of water collects around the drain, you get a sinking feeling in your stomach. Clogged drains can be a serious nuisance. From the bathroom to the kitchen, a clogged drain can slow you down, leave unwanted residue behind, result in unpleasant odours that lingers in your house, to only mention a few... So what’s the solution?/p>

Instead of dealing with the smell, stress and hassle yourself contact Tygerberg Plumbing Contractors for quality service and to sort out the problem.

We have years’ experience in dealing with blocked drains and can quickly and efficiently assist you with this plumbing problem.

Look for These Signs of a Clogged Drain:
  • Water begins to back up out of a sink drain.
  • Pools of water form around shower drains.
  • Water drains very slowly after forming pools.
  • Toilet water bubbles when you run the sink.
  • Drains make gurgling sounds (most common after running washing machine / dishwasher)
  • Pools of water form on floor close to the bathtub or a sink.
  • There is a smell of rotting food coming from the kitchen sink area.
Should you Wish to Try by Yourself first, These Drain Clearing Tips may help... Otherwise, give us a call today to see how we can assist you:
  • Turn the faucet on and fill the sink up partly with water;
  • If you have a double kitchen sink, plug one of the drains with a wet rag;
  • If it’s a bath sink, be sure to plug the overflow hole instead;
  • After that, start to plunge the other side (use a cup plunger). Apply a thick layer of petroleum jelly to the rim of the plunger. The petroleum jelly helps to create a tighter seal, thereby producing greater suction;
  • Force the plunger handle down powerfully numerous times. After plunging for a minute or two, stop to test whether water will drain from the sink. Try plunging again if the drain is still sluggish. When clear, run hot water to flush away any remaining particles from the clog.


    • How can I prevent clogged drains?

    Keeping your drains clear is probably easier than you think. With a few simple precautions, you can prevent your drains from clogging.

    Tips for the kitchen sink:
    • Pour grease into cans and throw them in the garbage. If you empty grease into the sink, the grease collects along the sides of the pipe and then food particles stick to the pipes, eventually contributing to a clog. Also too much grease can eventually cause sewer blockages since the bacteria in sewage systems cannot readily break down grease.
    • Don't empty coffee grounds in the sink.
    • Pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain once a week to melt away any fat or grease that may have collected.
    • If your drains clog often, periodically you may want to put 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of white vinegar down the drain. Let this mixture sit for a few minutes with the drain covered. Flush the mixture down with a kettle of boiling water. The baking soda and vinegar mixture should break down fats and keep your drains smelling fresh.
    Tips for the bathroom:
    • Clean the pop-up stoppers in sinks frequently. Hair often collects here and causes clogs.
    • Never flush heavy paper products down the drain. Excess paper can clog the toilet and/or the whole sewer system..
    General Tips:
    • Never dump chemicals like paint or paint thinner down the drain. Avoid pouring hot wax or other substances in the drains. Dumping acid into your septic tank system is against the law..

    Geyser Maintenance

    We’ve all experienced a burst geyser at some point in our home or office. If your geyser is not managed properly, you could be running up your electricity bill and wasting precious water.

    Depending on where your geyser is situated (and it bursts) it could land up destroying your building and furniture. We at Tygerberg Plumbing Contractors recommend that you get your plumber to check on it every now and then to make sure you don’t experience this unpleasant episode.

    We are available 24 hours to help you in the unfortunate event your geyser does burst. We will help you restore everything to normality as quick as possible.

    We have produced these tips to help you ensure your geyser is safe:
    • Ensure your thermostat is not set to or over 70°C. This is because if the safety or pressure valves fail; the pressure can build to the point where the tank ruptures.
    • Ensure your geyser is installed correctly by a reputable geyser installation company according to the South African National Standard (SANS) 10254 by-laws. An incorrect installation can be very dangerous.
    • If you are going away for a long period of time, switch off your geyser at the distribution board and isolate the water supply feeding the tank. This will also cut your electricity bill.

    If you are unsure, or need advice with regards to geyser safety – give Tygerberg Plumbing Contractors a call. We will be only too happy to provide you with advice and assistance.

    How do you know that there is a problem with the geyser or its electrical components?

    Below we have listed some of the tell-tale signs that your geyser or components has failed or is in the process of failing. If you experience any of these symptoms please don’t hesitate to contact us:

    • Excessive water leaking (more than 8 litres a day)
    • Hot water and steam coming out of the overflow pipe
    • Water coming through your ceiling
    • No hot water (all water is cold)
    • No water coming out the hot water tap
    • Not enough hot water or water not hot enough
    • That all the hot water taps are making a shudder noise
    • Geyser keeps tripping your electricity
    • Excessive high electrical bill, due to hot water that is extremely hot

    Leak Detection

    Thanks to cutting edge water leak detection technology, it is now easier than ever for experts to provide property owners with a quick and affordable leak detection and repair solution. It’s no longer necessary to do excessive excavation of the property’s plumbing system to detect and fix plumbing and leaky pipe issues. With years' plumbing experience, we are able to quickly and accurately identify the source of leaking pipes, fittings, and sanitary ware or geyser components.

    Most people don't realise that you need specialised equipment and training to accurately determine the source of certain types of leaks, but it is vital that you do, since the evidence of a leak and the source of the leak are often not to be found in the same location. A leaking pipe in a cavity wall for example could present with mould and wet spots where the water pools at the bottom of the wall, whereas the source of the leak is actually near the ceiling.

    We use cutting edge leak detection technology to offer our clients the services and solutions they demand from industry leaders:

    1. Sensistor with Gas: Is used to locate an underground leak. This method uses a gas made of 95% nitrogen and 5% hydrogen. Once the gas comes to the surface and the Sensistor picks up the smell, there is a high pitch noise. We find the highest pitch and mark it for the plumber.
    2. Acoustic / Listening equipment for walls and floors inside: Is used to locate leaks within a few tiles inside bathrooms and kitchens. The equipment is very sensitive and might not identify the leak if there are leaking toilets, dripping taps, etc.
    3. Moisture / Damp Meter: Are used when we see dampness on a wall. By measuring the moisture in the wall we will determine if there is a leaking or sweating pipe.
    4. Thermal Camera: Is used to look for a hot water leak in walls or floors. This equipment gives you an image of where the hot water pipes run and should there be a leak there will be a spread of the image in the particular area.
    5. Dye Testing: Is used to determine if a waste pipe is leaking or if it is the shower base, shower doors or sealant. This test does not always work as the dye might not come through the slab.
    6. Pipe Locator which is used to trace water pipes: This is to determine where pipes are running. There are limitations as the equipment picks up the pipe via a radio signal, therefore :
      • It can only trace metal pipes
      • If the pipe is too corroded then the signal will get lost
      • If the pipe is a mixture of metal and plastic, then it won’t be able to trace the pipe.

      Bathroom & Kitchen Renovations

      We all get tired of our bathrooms, especially if the tiles, taps and baths are outdated and need a bit of refreshing. Beautiful Bathrooms are the experts when it comes to renovating your bathroom and we have many years’ experience behind us.

      We offer full refurbishments or just small changes of existing bathrooms.

      We’re here to help you at every step of the project – including demolition, plumbing installation, construction, bathroom ventilation, plastering, and tiling. We’ll guide you through the process from start to finish.

      Insurance Claims – Plumbing

      Our business serves the private individual and insurance industry for plumbing services.

      The worst of the worst can happen, houses burn down or are completely flooded and you have to claim from your insurer to replace everything. As a qualified team, Tygerberg Plumbing Contractors can attend to the plumbing portion of your insurance claim and get your plumbing back on track.

      We can handle all aspects of the claim so that you only have to deal with one plumbing contractor and because of our years in the industry and the quality of our workmanship you are sure to get good quality plumbing done at a reasonable price.

      Resultant Damages

      Unfortunately, it does happen that the only problem you are faced with, is not only the geyser that has burst, a pipe that burst or fittings that failed. There may be water damage to your property as well. This may happen due to a geyser not installed according to the SANS 10254 specifications or the general wear and tear of plumbing fittings. This may cause water to overflow onto ceilings and walls and cause damage to carpets, cupboards, floors and the like.

      Tygerberg Plumbing Contractors Resultant Damage Division takes care of fixing these kinds of problems and specialises in the repair, replacement and painting of damaged ceilings and walls, as well as fixing water damaged cupboards. We can also assist in cases of leaks, where tiling has to be replaced or minor building and repairs to walls have to be made to fix these damages.

      Our teams are highly qualified and are used to handling insurance related claims, so quality is therefore a high priority to us. We take great care when doing repairs to your home to ensure that the affected areas are repaired with as little inconvenience as possible.

      Plumbing Certificate of Compliance (COC):

      In February of 2011 the City of Cape Town municipality passed a new water by-law which requires that, with effect from 18 February 2011 onwards, all Sellers of properties within its jurisdiction must furnish a Water Installation Certificate to the municipality before transfer. The Seller has to furnish a copy of the Plumbing Certificate to the Purchaser, before transfer.

      The certificate serves to confirm that –
      • the water installation conforms to the national building regulations;
      • the property’s water meter is registering;
      • there are no defects that can cause water to run to waste; and
      • no rainwater leaks into the sewerage system.

      The intent of the by-law is to manage our scarce water resources responsibly. The City loses approximately 79 000 million litres of potable water in the distribution system annually and this by-law strives to control water wastage from private homes.

      The by-law also protects buyers from latent defect claims and consumers from unnecessarily high water bills due to leakages. The by-law provides that a certificate is required for every sale being registered as there is no guarantee that a purchaser has not made changes to the water installation before he/she resells the property.

      What We Inspect and Look For?
      1. That the Hot Water Cylinder installation complies with SANS 10252 and SANS 10254.
      2. The water meter registers when a tap is open and stops completely when no water is drawn. (The alternative would indicate a defect somewhere on the property.)
      3. None of the terminal water fittings leak and they are correctly fixed in position.
      4. No storm-water is discharged into the sewerage system.
      5. There is no cross connection between the potable supply and any grey water or groundwater system which may be installed.
      6. The water pipes in the plumbing installation are properly saddled.