Local Aircon and Appliance Guides
Practical, honest advice for homes and businesses in Gqeberha, Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, St Francis Bay, Kariega and Kenton-on-Sea, written from what our technicians see on real callouts.
Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha)
Where to Put Your Aircon Outdoor Unit in Gqeberha's Wind and Salt
In Gqeberha, where the outdoor unit goes can matter more than which brand you buy. Wind and salt air from Algoa Bay decide how...
Read the guide →Why Aircons in Gqeberha Fail Sooner, and How to Stop It
Salt air, wind-blown sand and power surges after load shedding are the three big enemies of aircons in Gqeberha. Most of the...
Read the guide →Washing Machine Problems After Power Cuts in Gqeberha
Years of load shedding in Nelson Mandela Bay have taught us one thing: power cuts are hard on washing machines. Machines stop...
Read the guide →Load Shedding and Your Fridge: Choosing the Right Surge Protection
Repeated power cuts are tough on fridges and freezers, and in Gqeberha we regularly repair compressors, starter relays and...
Read the guide →Dishwasher Not Cleaning Properly? Fixes for Gqeberha Homes
Cloudy glasses, a gritty film on plates or food left on dishes are the dishwasher complaints we hear most in Gqeberha. Most of...
Read the guide →Oven Not Heating? Common Faults in Gqeberha Kitchens
An oven that will not heat, or a stove plate that stays cold, is one of the most common calls we get in Gqeberha. Often it is a...
Read the guide →How to Descale Your Coffee Machine Properly
Scale is the number one reason coffee machines in Gqeberha end up on our workbench. Descaling properly and regularly prevents...
Read the guide →Jeffreys Bay
Choosing an Aircon for a Jeffreys Bay Holiday Rental
In Jeffreys Bay, an aircon can be the difference between a rental that books out every December and one that gets complaints...
Read the guide →Pre-Season Aircon Checklist for Jeffreys Bay Holiday Homes
Nothing ruins a December booking in Jeffreys Bay like an aircon that will not start. Units that sit unused through winter often...
Read the guide →Sand, Salt and Wetsuits: Looking After Your Washing Machine in J-Bay
In a surf town, the washing machine deals with sandy towels, wetsuits and beach clothes almost every day. Sand is one of the most...
Read the guide →How to Clean Your Fridge's Condenser Coils in Jeffreys Bay
Close to the sea, salt air and fine sand settle on your fridge's condenser coils and make it work much harder to stay cold...
Read the guide →How to Deep Clean Your Dishwasher: A Jeffreys Bay Guide
Guests in Jeffreys Bay holiday rentals expect a working dishwasher, and a clean one. A monthly deep clean during the season, and...
Read the guide →Looking After a Ceramic Hob in a Jeffreys Bay Beach Home
Ceramic glass hobs look sleek and are easy to wipe, but in a Jeffreys Bay beach home or holiday rental they take a beating from...
Read the guide →Why Is My Coffee Machine Leaking? A Jeffreys Bay Guide
A puddle under the coffee machine is one of the most common complaints we hear from Jeffreys Bay homes and holiday rentals. Some...
Read the guide →Humansdorp
Can One Aircon Heat and Cool Your Humansdorp Home?
Humansdorp gets hot summer afternoons and properly cold winter nights. A reverse-cycle inverter aircon can handle both, often for...
Read the guide →Aircon Not Cooling in a Humansdorp Heatwave? 8 Common Causes
When the temperature climbs in Humansdorp, a weak aircon is quickly noticed. Before you assume the worst, work through the most...
Read the guide →Washing Machines on Borehole Water in Humansdorp
Many homes and farms around Humansdorp use borehole or tank water. It is a reliable supply, but it can be hard on washing...
Read the guide →Chest Freezer Stopped Working? How to Save Your Meat in Humansdorp
On farms and smallholdings around Humansdorp, a chest freezer can hold a season's worth of meat, game or produce. When it stops...
Read the guide →Running Your Dishwasher on Solar and Backup Power in Humansdorp
Many Humansdorp homes and farms now run on solar panels, inverters and batteries, at least part of the time. Dishwashers can work...
Read the guide →Is Your Oven Running Too Hot or Too Cold? A Home Baker's Guide
In Humansdorp and on the farms around it, ovens still bake bread, rusks, cakes and roasts for big families. When bakes start...
Read the guide →Choosing the Right Water for Your Coffee Machine in Humansdorp
Coffee is about 98 percent water, and your coffee machine is mostly a water heater with a pump. On hard borehole water, common...
Read the guide →St Francis Bay
Installing an Aircon on a Thatched or Canal Home in St Francis Bay
St Francis Bay's thatched roofs, white walls and canal frontages are what make the village special. They also make aircon...
Read the guide →Why Your Aircon Drips Water in St Francis Bay, and How to Fix It
Water dripping from an aircon is the call we get most often in St Francis Bay. The damp canal air means aircons remove a lot of...
Read the guide →Washing Machine Care for St Francis Bay Holiday Homes
A washing machine that stands unused for months in a damp St Francis Bay house can develop smells, mould and leaks you only...
Read the guide →Fridge Ice Maker or Water Dispenser Not Working? A St Francis Bay Guide
Side-by-side and French-door fridges with ice makers and water dispensers are popular in St Francis Bay homes. When the ice...
Read the guide →Why Your Dishwasher Smells in a Humid St Francis Bay Home
A dishwasher that smells of rotten food or drains is a common complaint in St Francis Bay, where warm, damp canal air speeds up...
Read the guide →Induction Hob Problems and Error Codes in St Francis Bay Homes
Induction hobs are becoming common in St Francis Bay kitchens. They are fast, efficient and safe, but they behave differently to...
Read the guide →How to Keep Your Coffee Machine's Milk System Clean
Blocked milk systems are the most common coffee machine problem in St Francis Bay holiday homes. Dried milk turns into a hard...
Read the guide →Uitenhage (Kariega)
How to Size Aircons for Kariega Offices and Workshops
Kariega's inland summers make cooling a real productivity issue for offices, practices and workshops. Getting the size and layout...
Read the guide →Keeping Aircons Running in Kariega Homes and Workplaces
In Kariega's summer heat, an aircon breakdown at home is uncomfortable and at work it can stop the day. Regular servicing is the...
Read the guide →What Your Washing Machine Noise Means: A Guide for Kariega Families
In a busy Kariega household, a washing machine that suddenly sounds different is usually telling you something. Some noises are...
Read the guide →Is Your Fridge Compressor Failing? Signs, Lookalikes and Your Options
When a fridge stops cooling, many people assume the compressor has died and start shopping for a new fridge. In our Kariega...
Read the guide →Common Dishwasher Error Codes in Kariega Homes
An error code on your dishwasher's display is the machine telling you what is wrong. Codes differ between brands, but almost all...
Read the guide →Stove Tripping the Power? A Stove Safety Checklist for Kariega Homes
Electric stoves are among the most powerful appliances in your home, and they are used every day. Most stove faults are just...
Read the guide →Office Coffee Machine Care: A Guide for Kariega Workplaces
In Kariega's offices, practices and workshops, the shared coffee machine is often the hardest-working appliance in the building...
Read the guide →Kenton-on-Sea
Planning an Aircon Installation for Your Kenton-on-Sea Holiday Home
Most Kenton-on-Sea homeowners do not live there full time, which makes organising an aircon installation feel complicated. It...
Read the guide →Coming Back to a Dead Aircon at Your Kenton-on-Sea Holiday Home
You arrive at your Kenton-on-Sea house, switch on the aircon and nothing happens. Or it runs but blows warm air. It is a common...
Read the guide →Preventing Washing Machine Floods in Kenton-on-Sea Holiday Homes
The most damaging washing machine fault we see in Kenton-on-Sea and Bushmans River Mouth is not a broken machine. It is a burst...
Read the guide →Leaving Your Kenton-on-Sea Fridge Over the Off-Season
Should you switch off the fridge when you leave your Kenton-on-Sea holiday home, or leave it running? Both can work, and both can...
Read the guide →Dishwasher Not Draining? A Step-by-Step Guide for Kenton-on-Sea Homes
You arrive at your Kenton-on-Sea house, run the dishwasher and find a pool of dirty water in the bottom at the end of the cycle...
Read the guide →Oven and Stove Care for Kenton-on-Sea Holiday Homes
Holiday cooking in Kenton-on-Sea puts a stove that has stood idle for months under sudden heavy use, and then it sits closed up...
Read the guide →How to Store Your Coffee Machine Between Holidays in Kenton-on-Sea
A good coffee machine is one of the pleasures of a Kenton-on-Sea holiday. But left on the counter for months with water, milk and...
Read the guide →About these guides
Our technicians spend their days in kitchens, laundries and plant rooms across the Eastern Cape. Over time, the same problems come up again and again, and many of them are tied to local conditions: Gqeberha's wind and salt, sand in Jeffreys Bay, hard borehole water around Humansdorp, damp canal air in St Francis Bay, inland heat in Kariega and long empty months in Kenton-on-Sea holiday homes.
These guides share what we have learned. They explain why things break, what you can safely check yourself, how to prevent problems and when it is time to call a technician. They are free to use, whether or not you ever book us.
How to use them
Each town has a set of guides covering aircon installation, aircon repair and servicing, washing machines, fridges and freezers, dishwashers, ovens and stoves, and coffee machines. Start with the guides for your town, but many of the tips apply anywhere along the coast.
A note on safety
Many appliances combine water, electricity, high temperatures and, in the case of aircons and fridges, pressurised refrigerant gas. Our guides only suggest checks that are safe for homeowners, such as cleaning filters, checking settings and looking for visible signs of trouble. Anything involving opening an appliance, electrical connections or refrigerant should be left to a qualified technician. If something smells of burning, trips the power or gives you a tingle, switch it off at the wall or isolator and get help.
A note on brands
We are an independent repair company. We are not affiliated with or authorised by any manufacturer. Where our guides mention brands, it is only to help you recognise the type of appliance being discussed. Always check your own appliance's manual for model-specific instructions.
Need help now?
If you would rather have a technician take a look, call or WhatsApp 068 596 0010. Send a photo of the problem and the model sticker for a faster quote.