00VILLA GUIDE
Preparing for a repair visit
Much of the time on a repair visit is spent finding things: the right breaker, the valve that isolates a bathroom, the hatch to a ceiling void, the AC unit that serves a particular room. A little preparation before the visit means more time spent fixing and less spent searching — and a more accurate diagnosis, because the symptoms have been recorded while they were happening.
01PART
Record the problem
Note when it happens, what was running at the time and whether anything changed beforehand. Photos and short videos with sound are more useful than descriptions. Error codes should be written down exactly.
- Note timing and conditions.
- Take photos and videos.
- Write down error codes.
02PART
Clear access
Move furniture away from the affected area, clear access to the distribution board, plant rooms, tank and roof hatches, and make sure keys to locked areas are available.
- Clear the work area.
- Unlock plant rooms and hatches.
- Have keys and remotes ready.
03PART
Know your isolators
If you know where the water main, bathroom valves and AC isolators are, work can start sooner. If not, the visit is a good time to find and label them.
- Locate the water main.
- Locate AC and appliance isolators.
- Label what you find.
04QUESTIONS
- Should I try to fix it first?
- Only safe checks; avoid opening equipment or electrics.
- Why do videos help?
- Sounds and behaviour are easier to see than describe.
- Do I need to be home?
- Someone who knows the problem and the house helps a lot.
- What if the problem has stopped?
- Records from when it happened still help diagnosis.