The_King Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 SINGAPORE: Some Tengah flat owners are still facing problems with the defective centralised cooling system in their homes, months after leaking issues with the air-conditioning alternative first surfaced. Photos and videos of puddles on the floors of Build-to-Order (BTO) units in the housing estate – caused by the leaky centralised cooling system – are circulating on a Telegram chat group dedicated to detailing such issues. The centralised cooling system is a sustainable alternative to conventional air-conditioners and is being pioneered in Tengah. Unlike conventional air conditioning which uses refrigerants, the cooling system removes heat by piping chilled water into homes from centralised chillers on selected housing blocks. These pipes run through corridors and into each unit via the front door. National grid operator SP Group manages the sign-ups, installation and maintenance of the system and works with air-con manufacturer Daikin, which is responsible for installing indoor units. Problems with the cooling system cropped up even before key collection to Tengah began in August last year. SP said in November last year that it would waive all centralised cooling system usage charges for Tengah home owners until the end of 2023, and lower the usage rate from Jan 1, among other measures. But complaints of leaks and condensation persist. In a statement on Monday (Feb 19), SP Group said that the initial batch of condensation issues was related to workmanship and was due to a "compressed timeline" to install the fan coil units, piping and trunking, as well as to fully test and stabilise the system. SP Group said it has worked with the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and Daikin to "identify and expeditiously resolve the reported issues". "To minimise inconvenience for (centralised cooling system) customers, we aim to resolve all issues reported by customers, within 10 business days from the day of the initial inspection," said a company spokesperson. The centralised cooling system has more than 9,000 subscribers as of Feb 12. They form about 70 per cent of customers who have signed leases with HDB for flats in Tengah. About 2,600 subscribers have collected their keys. WATER STAINS, DAMAGED PLASTER Frustrated home owners complained about problems with the cooling system, with one detailing the damage caused to her flat when the system leaked in her bedroom. The water soaked Ms Mitchell Ee's vinyl floor tiles and stained her walls, causing the paint to dissolve. The allied health professional collected the keys to her flat at Plantation Grange in November last year and paid nearly S$5,000 (US$3,700) for four fan coil units in her flat. They came with a four-year warranty. "We originally subscribed to the centralised cooling system because they promised us cost savings as well as energy savings compared to conventional air-conditioning. So we thought that we can play a part in going green so we decided to (subscribe to) this centralised cooling system," said the 30-year-old. She has since decided to terminate her contract and have the system removed from her flat. "We feel like it's a ticking time bomb. And it's like we don't even (turn) on the system and it causes leakage in the piping and flooding in my bedroom. So say for example, if you go overseas and travel for maybe two weeks or something, what if we come back and we see our whole unit flooded? "We don't want to take that risk and that worry will keep lingering in our minds, like whether or not the centralised cooling system will start leaking, whether it will cause flooding. I think we'll still stick to conventional air-con." The incident has delayed her renovation by three weeks, as she waits for the defects to be assessed and rectified. Another home owner faced similar problems after receiving his keys in November last year. Condensation from the piping running from Mr Jay's main door to his bedroom trickled down his walls, ruining the plaster and staining the walls of his unit in Plantation Village. Tengah home owner Mr Jay found water stains on his wall caused by condensation from the centralised cooling system (left) in December 2023. The stain has since been removed and the portion of the wall replastered (right). (Photos: Jay,…see more A water stain on a wall of Tengah home owner Jay's flat (left) after condensation formed on the centralised cooling system at end-2023, and the wall after the problem was rectified (right). (Photos: Jay, CNA/Koh Wan Ting) The 36-year-old, who declined to give his surname, said it took about two months for the damaged sections on his wall, the insulation of the piping and the trunking to be replaced to his satisfaction. When asked why he did not remove the centralised cooling system, he said he "wanted to give them a chance to do something about it". "From the start, they failed to provide a workable air-con system to me. That is the bare minimum they need to provide," he said. He added that they took about two months after he collected his keys to reinstate the flat to a state that was adequate for handover and to provide air-conditioning that is working. Moving forward, he has decided not to box up the pipes and trunking for fear of leaks. He will monitor the system but will likely remove it if problems return in the next two to three years. "It takes so many months to repair. I don't know what to expect when I'm living here already and there's an issue ... because I'm now not living inside so I still can wait. I've got a place to stay. "But what if I'm staying here? I cannot be waiting for them the whole day to come." A water stain caused by condensation from the centralised cooling system and patchy trunking (left) in Tengah home owner Jay's flat. The same area after the problem was rectified (right) (Photos: Jay, CNA/Koh Wan Ting) Plantation Grange resident Jerome Low said that the problems with the trunking were rectified within a week after his complaint. The 33-year-old procurement executive added that towards the end of December – several months after collecting his keys – the humidity caused condensation and water began puddling on the floor. This issue was also resolved within a week. Healthcare worker Muhd Amali Abdul Halim, 36, said he visited his Plantation Grange flat after quality checks in January only to find water pooling under the fan coil unit in his living room. "I raised a ticket through the QR code found in my kitchen. They were able to rectify the issue and closed the ticket within 14 days. "It stopped leaking after rectification. But (as a) prevention measure, I’ve been doing my own quality control checks to ensure there’s no more leaking," said the 36-year-old healthcare worker. The centralised cooling system in his unit has not leaked since. PERCEPTIONS "COLOURED" BY EARLY FEEDBACK: SP GROUP In its statement to CNA, SP Group said: "Perceptions that the issues with the centralised cooling system at Tengah are large scale and widespread were coloured by the initial wave of feedback from customers who moved in during the compressed timeline. "These are teething issues that have surfaced for a new town like Tengah. After proactively implementing our additional testing, commissioning works and quality assurance measures, we have observed the situation stabilising." It added that about 80 remaining cases are being resolved. "With the experience gained from the past few months, improvements made to our installation, testing and quality assurances processes, as well as the improved flat delivery schedule going forward, we will work towards reducing such feedback cases in the months ahead." SP Group also noted that condensation issues were not unique to the centralised cooling system and are a "recognised occurrence in air-conditioning systems". It pointed to the Ministry of National Development’s written parliamentary answer on Jan 10 which stated that HDB received an average of 715 cases of feedback per year on condensation in conventional air-conditioning. Source: CNA/wt(mi) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigpigoink Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 cheaper better faster in today's SG, hurray! oh wait... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_King Posted February 20 Author Share Posted February 20 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chamfer Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 My sister in law collected keys last year. She complained of water stain and leak. Super ulu place when i visited her during cny. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_King Posted February 20 Author Share Posted February 20 central area will always be the best choice no matter how they want to spin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XianGe Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 Sb61... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XianGe Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 3 hours ago, chamfer said: My sister in law collected keys last year. She complained of water stain and leak. Super ulu place when i visited her during cny. It's fugging Birdy no lay egg place.... They should've left that area as nature... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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