Plumbing Africa May 2018 | Page 45

ASSOCIATIONS 43 Timber supports for hot water heaters as per SANS 10254 We have been receiving queries regarding the timber supports of the geyser drip tray and what the standard requirement for a 114 × 50mm timber support is. By IOPSA SANS 10254 B.2.1 Installation of drip tray: The drip tray shall be installed and mounted in the following manner: a) It shall be placed on the tie beams, over a load-bearing wall and be supported by timber that complies with at least grade 5 of SANS 1783-2, and of size at least 114 x 50mm, spaced not more than 500mm apart and that complies with at the IOPSA practical guide Installation Standards for Electric Geysers in South Africa (page 22), it states that a 120 × 30mm or bigger timber must be used at 500mm spacings. So, what do we do now as plumbers to ensure our installation complies to the standards? This has caused major confusion and has a cost implication that is not covered by most plumbers. The required timber of 114 × 50mm is not a standard, off the shelf timber product and this will mean that you will need to increase the timber size to at least 225 × 50mm. This cost is almost double that of a standard 114 × 38mm timber that is currently used by most plumbers. Looking IOPSA would like to advise its members to take the following measures when installing the drip tray supports: 1. The tray should be placed on a timber that complies with at least grade 5 of SANS 1783-2, and of size at least 114 × 38mm, spaced not more than 500mm apart. Continued on page 45 >> A geyser installation supported on two or three roof trusses. SANS 10400-L. www.plumbingafrica.co.za May 2018 Volume 24 I Number 3