@sharjah-saver
Sharjah homeowner who hates overpaying. I collect quotes like other people collect stamps.
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Every summer the copper AC pipes in our ceiling void and on the outdoor run start sweating and dripping, and we've had a couple of brown stains appear on the ceiling. A technician…
I know water tanks are supposed to be cleaned periodically but ours just gets forgotten because you never see it. How do you actually TELL when it genuinely needs doing, rather th…
In our Muhaisnah flat there are damp patches and brown stains on the ceiling near where the AC pipes run, and the pipes themselves look wet. I assumed a leak but a plumber found n…
Our Karama flat is in an older building and we get a run of small plumbing annoyances, the odd drain smell, a couple of slow drains, and water pressure that isn't great and varies…
We're in an older Bur Dubai building near the creek and the AC seems to sweat far more than places I've lived in newer areas, condensation on the pipework, the odd drip in the cei…
Our flat is in one of the older low-rise blocks in Satwa and the split AC has clearly been there a long time. Every summer it struggles, takes forever to cool the room, the outdoo…
Occasionally the water from our taps looks brown or rusty, and sometimes cloudy/white before it clears. - What causes discoloured tap water — is brown different from cloudy, and d…
Several drains in the apartment gurgle and empty slowly, and sometimes a sink glugs when the washing machine or toilet drains. It's not just one fixture, which makes me think it i…
Our bathroom health faucet (shattaf/bidet spray) drips constantly from the head and the hose connection leaks at the wall. - Why do these leak — the head, the hose, the diverter/v…
We have a skylight/rooflight that's started leaking when it rains and sometimes fogs up inside. - Can a leaking skylight be repaired (reseal/flashing) or does the whole thing need…
To save money I've been closing the AC vents/registers in rooms we don't use, figuring the system cools less space. - But I've heard closing vents can strain the system and not sa…
Thinking about aluminium roller shutters on some windows/doors for security, heat/sun control and blackout. - Are they actually worth it in a Dubai villa? - What are the options —…
We want to open windows and the balcony door in the cooler months without letting bugs in, so I'm looking at insect/mosquito screens. - What are the options — fixed mesh, sliding,…
We've got a chipped shower screen edge and some scratches on a glass tabletop and a window. - Can chips and scratches in glass actually be polished/repaired out, or does it always…
Our toilet flushes weakly — the water swirls but doesn't fully clear the bowl, so it often needs a second flush. - It's not running constantly (different problem) — it's the flush…
Fitting a washing machine (and a dishwasher) and I want the water connection and drainage done properly — no leaks, floods or smells. - What's involved — inlet/isolation valve, th…
Our windows let in a lot of heat and glare, and I've seen window film advertised for heat, glare, privacy and even shatter-safety. - Does applying film to existing glass actually…
One of our window/door glass panes has cracked (not shattered). - Can cracked glass actually be repaired, or does the whole pane/unit have to be replaced? - How do I know if it's…
We still have a mix of old halogen spots and a few incandescent bulbs, and I keep being told to "switch everything to LED." - Is a full LED retrofit genuinely worth the cost? - Ho…
Tiling a fair bit of the apartment and everyone throws around "porcelain vs ceramic," but I don't really understand the difference or which suits a Dubai home. - What actually sep…
Our TCL split AC is showing what looks like an E or F code on the indoor display, and sometimes a light just blinks instead. I don't want to start swapping parts off a random onli…
Every dust and sandstorm spell, the air in the flat feels hazy and the AC filters go grey within weeks. I've been changing them "every three months" like the manual says, but in t…
I asked three companies to service my two split ACs and the quotes were all over the place — one was about 150 dirhams, another close to 500, for what all three described as "a fu…
Our Super General split AC has thrown an error code on the display and I'm not sure how to read it, the online lists I find don't seem to agree, and Super General is a common bran…
I keep getting offered annual home maintenance contracts and I can't tell if they're good value or just a way to lock me in. For a normal villa here, is an annual contract actuall…
Our Liwan apartment's AC isn't cooling like it should and I'm on a tight budget, so I want to spend sensibly, not get talked into things I don't need. These blocks all have simila…
Our Remraam apartment's windows and the balcony glazing are getting tired, the sliders are stiff, there's a bit of a draught and dust seems to get in, and a couple of seals look g…
Our International City flat feels damp and humid even with the AC running, clothes take ages to dry, there's the odd musty patch, and it never feels crisp-cold the way I'd expect.…
Our outdoor AC unit (condenser) sits in full sun and gets dusty, and I'm wondering whether covering or shading it would protect it and help it run cooler/cheaper. - Is putting a c…
Our AC (split unit) has started flashing a light / showing an error code on the indoor unit or remote, and cooling is affected. - What do AC error codes / blinking lights generall…
Our place has single-glazed windows and they let in heat and noise. - Is it actually worth retrofitting to double glazing here? - Does it meaningfully cut the AC bill and the nois…
Our AC is getting on and needs another repair, and I'm wondering whether we're throwing money at something we should just replace. - How long does an AC realistically last with UA…
Even in the cooler months with the AC barely on, our DEWA bill stays higher than I'd expect. Setting the AC aside (I know that's the summer monster — covered elsewhere), what else…
With the sun we get, I keep wondering whether solar panels could power my AC and meaningfully cut the huge summer cooling bill. - Does solar actually pair well with AC — they both…
My bathroom grout is cracked, stained and mouldy in places. I can't tell whether I need re-grouting or a full re-tile, and I keep hearing "epoxy grout" is better. - How do I know…
From the what-is-the-capacitor thread I get the basics, and that a swollen top = dead. But what if it looks fine and I still suspect it's weak? - How does a technician properly te…
Every time an AC won't start, someone says "it's probably the capacitor." I keep hearing it — on the breaker-trips-on-start issue, the contactor-buzzing one, the hard-start-kit qu…
My older AC's compressor struggles to start — hesitates, sometimes needs a moment before it kicks over. A tech suggested a hard-start kit to help it start more strongly. It's chea…
I always assumed "not cooling well" = low on gas. But I've since read you can also overcharge an AC and it also cools badly — and that overfilling causes its own damage. So before…
A few plumbing niggles that might be connected: my pipes bang/hammer when a tap or the washing machine shuts off, some taps drip, and appliances (heater, mixers) seem to wear out…