00VILLA GUIDE
Returning to a villa after the summer away
Many families leave Dubai for part of the summer and return to a villa that has been sealed, hot and unattended for weeks. Most things will be fine, but the first hours back are when a slow leak, a failed fridge or a green pool is easiest to deal with — and when a tired house is easiest to overload by switching everything on at once.
01PART
Water first
Before running taps, look at the water meter: if it moved while you were away and nothing should have been running, there may be a leak. Run each tap for a minute to flush water that has stood in hot pipes and tanks, and check under sinks and around heaters for damp.
- Read the water meter before using water.
- Run taps and showers to flush stale water.
- Check ceilings below bathrooms for new stains.
02PART
Power and cooling, in stages
Turning on every AC unit at once on a hot afternoon puts the heaviest possible load on the villa’s supply. Start with the rooms you need, let them cool, then bring others on. Check the fridge and freezer, and note any unit that does not cool properly.
- Bring AC units on a few at a time.
- Check fridges, freezers and water heaters.
- Reset timers that lost settings during power interruptions.
03PART
Outside: pool, garden and gates
If nobody looked after the pool, it may need shocking and extended filtration before anyone swims. Walk the garden to see whether irrigation kept everything alive, and look for wet patches that suggest a leak. Test gates and garage doors before you rely on them.
- Check pool clarity and chemistry before swimming.
- Walk every irrigation zone.
- Test gates, garage doors and outdoor lights.
04QUESTIONS
- Why not switch all the AC on at once?
- It is the heaviest load a villa sees and can trip the supply after weeks of standing.
- Is stale water safe?
- Flush taps and showers first; water that stood in hot pipes and tanks is better run through.
- What if the meter moved while we were away?
- That suggests a leak; check the meter again with everything off and investigate.