Hidden-unit overflow traced to stuck condensate pump float
Aircon case in Marine Parade, Singapore: water leakage traced to condensate pump float switch sticking inside tank after targeted diagnosis checks.
Case details
What client reported
Water stains kept returning near the pantry side. Some days there was no leak at all, then it came back during longer cooling cycles.
What we found
An intermittent leak usually means control behavior, not only pipe blockage. We observed tray level and pump response together.
- Drain line had flow when pump was manually triggered
- Pump motor itself could run
- Float movement was not smooth through full travel
- Tray level rose above normal before pump response
Debris around the float chamber caused the float to stick. The pump switched late, so condensate built up and overflowed before discharge started.
What we did
We cleaned and restored float movement, verified switch timing, and confirmed stable drainage under sustained operation. No major pipe replacement was required.
Overflow stopped after float restoration. Discharge remained stable through repeated run checks.
Timeline
Day 1
Intermittent overflow observed near pantry bulkhead
Day 1
Opened the pump chamber and tested float travel under rising water level to reproduce delayed switching
Day 1
Pump float restored and drainage stabilized
What we learned
Why intermittent ceiling leaks are often switch-timing faults.
- On-and-off leaks often point to control behavior, not only a blocked pipe.
- Live tray-level and float-movement checks are key to confirming this pattern.
- A pump can run when forced but still fail in normal cycles if the float sticks.
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