Tengah resident returns home from abroad, finds puddles of water in living room and bedrooms

Within three weeks of collecting the keys to her new flat, one woman found herself encountering a problem that other Tengah residents did.

The woman surnamed Ye told Shin Min Daily News that she found droplets of water on the floor while inspecting her four-room flat at Plantation Grange last December.

Suspecting that there was an issue with the centralised cooling system, Ye and her family notified SP Group, which manages the system in Tengah town.

Checks by maintenance workers confirmed that there was a fault with the insulator in the cooling system.

Ye said that repairs were put on hold as she was going abroad then.

On Dec 14, however, staff from the BTO project's Building Service Centre discovered a puddle of water outside Ye's front door.

As the homeowner was out of town, her sister-in-law unlocked the door to the flat, and found big pudldes of water in the living room and bedrooms. There were also water stains on the walls.

The homeowner decided to stop using the centralised cooling system at the end of December, but no one came to help them uninstall it, Ye said.

"I paid $3,000 for the centralised cooling system, but there are so many issues with it. I feel very helpless."

Responding to Shin Min's queries, SP Group said that they are working with air-con manufacturer Daikin to provide immediate assistance to the resident.

"We are working closely with the homeowner to repair the unit," they added.

This incident put a damper on Ye's plans, as she had sold her previous home last November, and wanted to move into the Tengah flat within three months.

But with ongoing repair works, she is staying in her sister-in-law's home.

"I'm sharing a room with my three children," Ye said. "This is our first time buying a BTO flat and we hope to move in soon."

Other issues with Tengah's centralised cooling system

Last October, some Tengah residents were upset by issues with centralised cooling system such as condensation and leaks, as well as it not being cold enough.

Several residents also complained about "excessive charges" the system incurred, as well as the fees imposed on those who wish to cancel their contract.

In response to these complaints, SP Group said they would work to raise awareness among residents about the cooling system and address teething issues.

They had also waived all usage charges for residents until Dec 31 last year "as a gesture of goodwill".

"We apologise that our service delivery and communications with customers have fallen short of expectations," SP said.

ALSO READ: Some Tengah residents frustrated centralised cooling system not yet installed even after collecting keys to flats

chingshijie@asiaone.com