Ang Mo Kio flat leaked after servicing: drain hose reseated wrong
An Ang Mo Kio flat stayed dry for years, then started dripping days after a routine servicing visit. The timing pointed straight at the service work itself. In one of Singapore's oldest HDB towns, a rushed reassembly step is a common trigger for this kind of leak.
By Team Snowflake | Reviewed 11 Jul 2026
Case summary
Mitsubishi Electric Wall-mounted10 years oldHDBAng Mo Kio, Singapore
- Concern
- The homeowner worried the unit had developed a new drainage fault and would need a bigger repair so soon after paying for servicing.
- Found
- Drain hose reseated at the wrong angle behind the trunking during the last service, causing a slow drip
- Key check
- Traced the drain hose behind the trunking before assuming a new drainage fault had appeared on its own
- Result
- The flat has stayed dry since the hose was corrected. The homeowner avoided paying for drainage repair work that was never actually needed.
What we were told
The homeowner said the flat had never leaked before and started dripping near the trunking about four days after a routine servicing visit. The drip was slow but steady, appearing at roughly the same spot each time. Nothing else in the flat had changed around that time.
What we checked
We treated the timing as the strongest clue rather than assuming a new fault. A drip that starts so soon after a service visit is more often a reassembly issue than a coincidence, so we traced the drain hose's route behind the trunking first.
The drain hose itself was in good condition overall, with no cracks, splits, or blockage anywhere along it.
The hose had been reseated at a slightly upward angle where it met the wall spigot after the visit.
Water was pooling at that exact joint instead of flowing straight through as it should.
No other part of the unit, including the coil and pan, showed any sign of a separate fault.
What we found
During the last service, the drain hose was reconnected at a slightly upward angle instead of its original steady downward fall. At low water volume the hose still cleared, but small amounts began to pool at the joint over several days. Once enough water collected, it found a gap in the trunking cover and dripped through, which is why the leak only appeared days after the visit rather than immediately.
What fixed it
We reseated the drain hose at the correct downward angle and confirmed a steady, unbroken fall along its full length behind the trunking. We did not recommend replacing any parts, since nothing was actually damaged in the first place. We advised the homeowner to flag any drip that starts within a week of a future service so it can be checked quickly before it recurs.
Outcome
The flat has stayed dry since the hose was corrected. The homeowner avoided paying for drainage repair work that was never actually needed.
What this case teaches us
A leak days after a service visit usually traces back to that visit
- A leak that starts within days of a service is more likely a reassembly issue than a coincidental new fault.
- A drain hose reseated at even a slightly wrong angle can drip slowly before it becomes obvious.
- Ask whether the drain hose route was checked behind the trunking before any new drainage work is quoted.
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