Why is my Tengah CCS aircon leaking water?
A Tengah CCS fan coil unit leaks when the chilled water pipes feeding it sweat. Insulation squeezed into small trunking, pipes that rise and dip, long routes and deformed insulation let cold through, so condensation runs along the pipe and drips from a trunking joint. SP Group maintains these units, so report the leak to SP first.
Key takeaways
- Chilled water, not gas: a CCS fan coil unit is cooled by chilled water piped down from the roof, so every pipe in its trunking runs cold.
- Many owners were hit: news reports from 2023 and 2024 describe flooded rooms, stained floors and blistered walls across Tengah.
- Cancelling costs money: leaving the contract early carries a charge based on the installation fee, halved by SP in November 2023.
- Keep records: some residents have taken SP Group to the Small Claims Tribunals over the damage.
The clips in the video above were sent to us by Tengah owners. They are not our jobs: we shared them to raise awareness, because so many owners were suffering. Eric explains, clip by clip, why the water collects in the trunking.
What have Tengah owners been through?
Tengah's Centralised Cooling System (CCS) is a pilot by HDB with SP Group. Cooling towers on the roof chill water, and pipes carry it down to fan coil units in each flat that signs up. In a written answer to Parliament on 22 Nov 2023, MND said SP Group designs, installs, operates and maintains it, including the fan coil units and trunking within the flat. MND put the water seepage down to the compressed delivery schedule after COVID delays, which left too little time for testing before key collection.
The news reports since tell the owners' side:
- In January 2024, Mothership reported a Plantation Grange flat flooded while its owner was overseas, with a giant puddle across the living room and bedroom. The family had spent over three thousand dollars on the system and decided to end the contract.
- In February 2024, AsiaOne quoted an owner whose bedroom unit was "leaking non-stop", with water seeping into the walls and staining the flooring. Another resident said condensation had ruined his plaster.
- In May 2024, AsiaOne reported a dripping ceiling a week after move-in and paint blistering off the wall. The owner asked who would pay for repairs once the 12-month warranty ended.
SP Group apologised in November 2023, waived usage charges to the end of that year and said 470 of 536 reported defects had been resolved by October, Mothership reported. In February 2024 it called them "teething issues" and set a target of 10 business days from the first inspection. Owners who contact us say many are still waiting for compensation and restoration work.
What does it cost to cancel, and can you claim?
According to the same Mothership report, cancelling after the 30-day cooling-off period cost 35 per cent of the installation charge, and cancelling after the units were installed cost the full installation charge. SP Group halved both payments for all customers in November 2023. So an owner who gives up a leaking system still pays to leave it.
In July 2024, EdgeProp reported that residents were seeking legal recourse. In a poll of 500 members of a residents' Telegram group, 21 had filed Small Claims Tribunal cases and 92 more intended to; of the 21, four had succeeded, three had not and the rest were ongoing. One resident said a sales representative had told him he could cancel without repercussions, then was told he still owed the fee.
Why do chilled water pipes drip?
A pipe carrying chilled water is colder than the dew point of Singapore's humid air, so any part of it the cold reaches sweats, like a glass of iced water. Insulation stops that only when it is whole, dry and not pressed out of shape. Once water forms, it runs downhill along the pipe and gathers at the lowest joint or bend, which is why the drip usually comes out of a trunking joint.
What went wrong | What you see | Why it leaks |
|---|---|---|
Insulation squeezed into small trunking | Several pipes pressed tight together, a stain under the trunking | Flattened insulation lets the cold through, like squeezing a wet sponge |
Pipes that run down and then flat or back up | Water dripping from one low joint or elbow | Condensation collects at the low point instead of draining away |
Long, complicated pipe routes | Damp patches along a long run of trunking | More cold pipe means more places for water to form |
Deformed or weathered insulation | Cracked, dented or bent foam, often near bends | Gaps let the cold reach the surface, and it gets worse over time |
Eric's point in the video is that thicker insulation is not better if it is squeezed or bent: it needs room, so several pipes need bigger trunking. He contrasts the owners' clips with two units with well-routed pipes, where each pipe falls steadily the way the water should go. Our guide to worn aircon pipe insulation shows the same failure on conventional gas pipes.
What should you do when your CCS unit leaks?
- Switch the unit off if water drips near power points, lights or a ceiling board.
- Stop the water. Residents told reporters the leak only stopped once they turned off the unit's control valve. Ask SP Group where yours is before you need it.
- Catch the drips and dry the floor so nobody slips.
- Record everything: photos and video of where the water comes out, the damage to walls and floors, and the dates.
- Report it to SP Group in writing. The fan coil units and trunking are theirs to maintain, and your contract is with them.
- Keep every message, report and receipt in case you claim for the damage later.
If water has reached the ceiling or floor, follow what to do in the first hour of a leak. Renovating soon? An interior designer quoted by EdgeProp advises testing the CCS units before work starts and not boxing up the trunking, so a future leak shows before it soaks into a wall.
How is a CCS unit different from a normal aircon?
| CCS fan coil unit | Conventional split aircon |
|---|---|---|
What cools it | Chilled water from the roof | Refrigerant gas (most new units use R32) |
Outdoor part | Cooling plant on the roof, shared by the block | Your own outdoor unit on the aircon ledge |
Who maintains it | SP Group, under your CCS contract | You, with a servicing company of your choice |
What sweats | Chilled water pipes in the trunking | Gas pipes and the drain pipe |
HDB also gave Tengah flats the option of an aircon ledge, MND said, so a conventional system can go there. For every other cause of a dripping indoor unit, read why an aircon leaks water.
When to call us
We do not work on CCS units: for those, SP Group is your contact. If your Tengah flat runs a conventional aircon on the ledge, we fix leaks at the S$80 premium servicing price unless the cause turns out to be a different problem; see aircon water leaking repair. If you are moving from CCS to a conventional system, ask about installation: labour starts from S$500, quoted per job. Questions? Message Luna on WhatsApp, 24/7.
Frequently asked questions
Who fixes a leaking CCS fan coil unit in Tengah?
SP Group. According to the Ministry of National Development, SP Group designs, installs, operates and maintains the CCS, including the fan coil units and trunking inside the flat, and contracts directly with the flat owner. Report a leak to SP first, in writing.
How much does it cost to cancel Tengah CCS?
It depends on your contract and when you cancel. Mothership reported in December 2023 that cancelling after the 30-day cooling-off period cost 35 per cent of the installation charge, and the full charge once the units were installed, and that SP Group then halved these payments for all customers. Check your own contract with SP.
Can I claim for water damage to my floor and walls?
Some Tengah residents have filed claims against SP Group at the Small Claims Tribunals, EdgeProp reported in July 2024, with mixed results. Whatever you decide, keep photos, dates, messages and receipts from the first drip onwards.
Is it safe to keep using a CCS unit that drips?
Switch it off until it has been checked if water drips near power points, lights or onto a ceiling board. A small drip left running every night soaks into plaster, paint and flooring, and the damage grows long before it looks serious.
Would thicker insulation stop the dripping?
Not on its own. Insulation only works when it is not squeezed or bent out of shape. Thick insulation crammed into small trunking is flattened, and flattened insulation lets the cold through, so the pipe still sweats.
Can a Tengah flat use a normal aircon instead of CCS?
HDB provided the option of an aircon ledge for Tengah flats, so a conventional split system can be installed there. If you are on CCS, check the cancellation terms in your contract with SP Group first.
Eric Lim, aka Uncle EricFounder of iAircon.Repair, now in its 10th year servicing aircons in Singapore. Some of our jobs are filmed, and you can watch the work on YouTube.
