00VILLA GUIDE
When the water supply to a villa is interrupted
Most villas store water in a tank and boost it to the taps with a pump. When the mains supply is interrupted, the tank keeps the house running for a while — until it empties. What you do in those hours protects the pump, stretches the stored water and makes restarting smoother when the supply returns.
01PART
During the interruption
Reduce use to essentials. Pause irrigation and pool top-up so stored water goes to the house. If the tank runs low, switch off the booster pump to stop it running dry.
- Pause irrigation and top-up.
- Limit use to essentials.
- Switch off the pump if the tank empties.
02PART
When supply returns
Check the tank is refilling. If it does not, the inlet valve may be stuck or there may be an airlock. Restart the pump once there is water, and run taps to clear air and any discoloured water.
- Confirm the tank refills.
- Restart the pump.
- Run taps to clear air.
03PART
Afterwards
Watch for a pump that cycles, low pressure upstairs or cloudy water. These often settle, but persistent problems need checking.
- Watch pump behaviour.
- Check upstairs pressure.
- Note cloudy or discoloured water.
04QUESTIONS
- Why switch off the pump?
- Running dry damages it quickly.
- Why is the water cloudy afterwards?
- Often trapped air, which clears; persistent discolouration needs checking.
- The tank is not refilling. Why?
- A stuck inlet valve or an airlock is likely.
- Should irrigation run during a cut?
- No, save stored water for the house.