Couple forget to switch off air-con before going away; neighbouring flats affected

A couple living at Block 102A Punggol Field have been away for days, and they apparently forgot to switch off their air-conditioning before leaving.

Now water droplets are appearing on the floors, ceilings and walls of the neighbouring units.

The affected neighbours told Shin Min Daily News that they had to wipe the water droplets every 30 minutes or so.

Mr Zhang, 44, said a neighbour from the 13th storey came down to his floor on April 18 to knock on his neighbour's door.

The 13th-storey neighbour said there was water "oozing out" of his floor.

Mr Zhang reviewed footage from his CCTV camera outside his home and saw the couple in the next-door unit leaving home with suitcases on April 15.

He went into his guest room and moved the cupboard standing by the wall adjacent to the neighbour's unit. Mr Zhang was shocked to see the wall covered with water droplets and the paint on the wall had bubbled and peeled off on some parts.

"My wife and I spent the whole day moving furniture from the room, some of which had to be moved to the living room to avoid further damage," said Mr Zhang.

Ms Qiu, the 41-year-old neighbour living above the empty unit, said her maid complained about the floor getting cold and wet. She did not take the maid's comment seriously until she noticed the latter mopping the floor often.

"We can only keep the windows open and the fans on to ventilate the room."

According to Mr Zhang, the neighbours in the unit below the empty flat get water dripping from their ceiling.

HDB on the evening of April 21 told The New Paper that the issue had been resolved.

"HDB first received feedback on the condensation faced by some residents at Block 102A Punggol Field on April 18. The condensation is caused by the air-conditioning of a neighbouring unit, which was left switched on since the flat owner went overseas on April 15.

"Our multiple attempts to reach the flat owner via phone calls, text messages and e-mails since April 19 were unsuccessful. We managed to contact him only on the morning of April 21, following which the flat owner sought the help of a family member to switch off the air-conditioner. The issue has since been resolved."