More particularly it relates to a geyser installation, a method of instaliing a geyser and to a building.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a geyser installation which includes an electric geyser mounted externally of a living space defined in a building such that in the event of leakage from the geyser, water will not flow into the living space.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a geyser installation which includes an electric geyser mounted externally of a building.

The geyser may be mounted on a support platform.

The geyser may be mounted within a housing.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of installing a geyser which includes the step of mounting an electric geyser externally of a living space defined in a building such that in the event of leakage from the geyser, water will not flow into the living space.

The method may include mounting the geyser adjacent to an exterior surface of an outer wall of the building.

The method may include the step of constructing a support platform on which the geyser is supported.

The method may include constructing an enclosure in which the geyser is housed.

Depending on the space available, the geyser may be mounted in an upright position or in a recumbent position.

The invention extends to a building incorporating or adapted to incorporate an electric geyser installation as described herein.

The building may include an outer wall which defines a recess within which the geyser is mounted or mountable.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a front view of part of a building incorporating a geyser installation in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows a side view of the geyser installation of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a side view of another embodiment of a geyser installation in accordance with the invention; Figure 4 shows a plan of a building incorporating two geyser installations in accordance with the invention;

Figure 5 shows a three-dimensional view of a further embodiment of a geyser installation in accordance with the invention; and Figure 6 shows a three-dimensional view of yet a further embodiment of a geyser installation in accordance with the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally indicates a geyser installation in accordance with the invention.

The geyser installation 10 includes a geyser 12 mounted externally of a building 14, which is only partially shown, at an elevated position under the eaves 16.1 of a roof 16. The geyser 12 is mounted within an enclosure or protective housing 18 which is purpose built to house the geyser 12. The housing 18 includes a support platform on which the geyser 12 is supported. The support platform is in the form of a concrete slab 18.1 which projects outwardly from an outer wall 14.1 of the building 14. The concrete slab 18.1 is supported by corbels as shown. Each corbel is in the form of a brick wall 20 which is toothed into the wall 14.1 in conventional fashion. The housing 18 has two brick side walls 18.2 which extend upwardly from the concrete slab 18.1. Alternating courses of the side walls 18.2 are toothed into the existing wall 14.1 in conventional fashion. The housing 18 has a top in the form of a concrete slab 18.3. Access to the housing 18 is controlled by lockable doors 18.4 which are hung from the side walls 18.2 in conventional fashion.

In the embodiment shown, the concrete slab 18.1 is flat.

However, the slab 18.1 may have a slightly concave upper surface and a centrally disposed opening through which leakage from the geyser 12

may drain. The opening may be connected to a common drain pipe. The drain pipe may include a p-trap at its lower extremity for connection to a wash hand basin or a bath waste pipe. Further, the slab 18.1 may be dimensioned to support two geysers in an upright position.

In an embodiment not shown, the slab 18.3 may be omitted from the housing 18 if the housing 18 is close enough to the eaves 16.1 for the eaves 16.1 to function as a top.

Although the housing 18 is shown to be made of brick it is to be understood that other materials may be used such as metal, wood, fibreglass, asbestos, prefabricated concrete slabs, or the like.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, the geyser 12 is mounted within a purpose built fibreglass protective housing 300. The housing 300 includes a base 302 and a cover 304 which is adapted to seat on the base 302. In use, the base 302 is mounted on the wall 14.1 by means of bolts 303 which pass through mounting holes in the base 302. The geyser 12 is supported on two spaced geyser mounting brackets 306. Each geyser mounting bracket 306 has an elongate wall-mounting part 308, which is mounted against the wall 14.1 by means of screws 310 extending through holes in the base 302 into engagement with the wall, and a curved support arm 312 which is adapted to be retained by a slot provided in the part 308. The radius of curvature of each arm 312 is such that the geyser 12 can be cradled therebetween. The cover 304 has a rim 314 which is adapted to seat on the base 302 in use. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6 of the drawings, each geyser mounting bracket 306 includes a strap 320 securable at each end to the wall-mounting part 308 by means of bolts

and nuts indicated generally by reference numeral 322 to form a brace for camping the geyser 12 to the part 308. Fastening means e. g. canopy clips (not shown) are used to lock the cover 304 releasably to the base 302, in the case of the embodiment shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. In the case of the embodiment shown in Figure 6 of the drawings, the cover has four recesses 324 (only two of which are shown) which are shaped and dimensioned to fit snugly over complementary projections or ridges 326 provided in the base 302 thereby releasably locking the cover 304 to the base 302. If desired, the geyser 12 may be mounted within the housing 300 in an upright position. In the upright configuration, conventional geyser mounting brackets are bolted on the wall 14.1 over the base 302 and provide support for the geyser 12. The cover 304 is then releasably locked to the base 302, as described above.

Referring to Figure 3 of the drawings, another embodiment of an electric geyser installation in accordance with the invention is shown generally by reference numeral 100. Unless otherwise indicated the same reference numerals used above with reference to Figures 1 and 2 are used to designate similar parts. In this embodiment the geyser 12 is mounted externally of the building 14, which is only partially shown, adjacent to an exterior surface of an outer wall 14.1 of the building 14.

The geyser 12 is mounted at ground level on a support platform in the form of a concrete slab 18.1 under the eaves 16.1.

Referring to Figure 4 of the drawings, a plan of a building 150 incorporating two electric geyser installations 200 in accordance with the invention is shown. The building 150 includes a living space defined within an exterior or outer wall 104. In this embodiment the

living space is divided into a number of rooms 102. As will be seen, each geyser installation 200 includes an electric geyser 12 mounted externally of the living space and within a recess defined by the outer wall 104 of the building 150 so that the geysers 12 are sheltered by the eaves of the roof. Further, if required the recesses may be closed by lockable doors to inhibit unauthorised access to the geysers 12.

In some embodiments and in the case of multiple storied buildings each storey may include a separate geyser installation. The main water supply line to and from each geyser installation may be fitted with a stop cock which can be used to cut off the water supply to and from the geyser in the case of an emergency.

Domestic electric geyser installations of which the Inventor is aware involve mounting a geyser within a dwelling typically above a ceiling or in a cupboard. The problem with installations of this type is that leakage from the geyser can result in substantial damage. The Inventor believes that a geyser installation in accordance with the invention will at least alleviate the problem of damage caused to ceilings or living spaces defined in buildings by water leakage from a geyser installation. Further, a geyser installation in accordance with the invention would require shorter lengths of piping leading to and from the geyser. Thus, the Inventor believes that a geyser installation in accordance with the invention would be more cost effective and would require less maintenance than a geyser installation mounted above a ceiling. A geyser installation in accordance with the invention, according to the Inventor, allows easy access to a geyser for maintenance purposes without the inconvenience and dangers associated with entering and working in the space above a ceiling.