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The temperature to set your aircon to save electricity is 26°C, with a fan running. That is the setting Thailand's Ministry of Energy recommends, and you can go up to 27°C if you're still comfortable. Setting the aircon 1°C warmer makes it work less, which cuts its electricity use by about 3–5%. A clean aircon that's the right size for the room also uses less.

A noisy aircon is usually down to dust in the filter and fan, a loose part, or a motor or compressor that is starting to wear. Some sounds are normal, though, such as a soft running-water sound or a short crack when the unit starts or stops. If the noise started right after a clean, a part usually just needs re-seating, which a technician can sort out in one visit.

An aircon freezing up is usually caused by too little air passing over the cooling coil: a dirty filter or coil, a slow fan, or a temperature set too low. The other common cause is low refrigerant from a leak. If you see ice, stop the cooling, switch the unit off until the ice has fully melted, then use the signs below to work out the cause.

If your water pump won’t switch off, the problem usually comes down to a leak, low pressure in the tank, or a faulty pressure switch. The pump’s behaviour can give you a clue. Short bursts when no taps are open suggest a leak, while frequent on-off cycling points to the tank. If it runs continuously, the pressure switch may be the problem. You can check for leaks and the tank yourself, but leave the pressure switch to a technician.

To clear a blocked drain, work out what is causing it first. In a kitchen sink it is almost always grease and food, which hot water with dish soap, or a plunger, will usually shift; in a bathroom, it is hair, which you pull out with a drain snake. Stronger chemicals are a last resort, and if the blockage keeps coming back or several drains clog at once, the problem sits deeper in the pipes and is a job for a plumber.

Most blocked toilets clear in a few minutes once you match the method to the problem. If the water rises and then drains slowly, a plunger or hot water with dish soap usually shifts it; if not, a hand auger reaches further down the bowl. Call a plumber once more than one drain backs up at the same time.