Aircon Playing Tricks?

[hawker9000]

'Chose this forum for this because I thought frequent hotel stayers were most likely to have encountered this:

I woke up around 11:30 today to discover a large puddle of water on the nightstand. The things on the nightstand were the telephone, my digital watch, my tablet keyboard dock, and the cover I have for my tablet. All 4 were partly in the water, which covered about half of the tabletop. Looking more closely, I could see almost as much water on the floor (wood) under the nightstand; it appeared it had run down at one corner from the top. There were a few droplets of water on the phone keys, and it looked like a little water might've dried on the flat surfaces. 'Same for the keyboard dock. The cover was a little wet at one end, but not soaked. The drawer in the nightstand was bone dry.

I first assumed there had to be a leak in the ceiling, but could find no evidence of one. Nor the wall. So I cleaned it up with a handtowel: some water ran out of the phone when I went to wipe off the bottom, and there was a bit of water in the handset cradle as well. Then noticed the other nightstand was in exactly the same state; nothing on it or in it.. So I cleaned that up as well and began looking for other puddles. The only other thing I found was one of my shirts which had been lying on the floor on the other side of the room very wet. The bed, the head of which sits between the 2 nightstands, was dry; no wet sheets.

The aircon vent is a single slit in the ceiling about 8ft long that runs crossways to the bed a few feet away from the foot of it; nowhere near the 2 nightstands, but running directly over where the shirt was lying. Very effective but hardly any draftiness to it, even with the fan on high. It ran all night set at 21d. My room is on the top floor, so nothing above except rooftop.

What the heck is this all about? It looked like tiny little rainclouds had formed over these 3 places, and rained sometime during the night. I can't think of any explanation except something relating to condensation from the aircon, but I've never seen anything like it before. Just clean water from the looks & smell (none) of it. 'Not spilled drinks, melted ice cubes, etc.

Are there water ghosts in Thailand? Some songkran-related phenomenon or sfter-effect? I'm kind of mystified.

Edited April 26, 2014 by hawker9000

[Kanata]

Did it rained overnight? I am thinking you may have to check your roof.

I had a 2-level house. There would be water leaking out the ceiling on the bottom floor & none on the top floor. The leaks seemed to occur days after a rain, & it took me awhile to trace the problem.

I also had lived in apartment units where there would be leaks from the bathroom ceilings. Initially, I thought I had carelessly sprayed water when I showered, but the culprits where the bathrooms located in the above apartment units.

[hawker9000]

I understand how rain on a leaking roof can travel and the water end up in the strangest places, but I'm pretty sure it did not rain in BKK last night. Further, whether from rainfall or anything else, the water would had to have "leaked" above all 3 places. Wherever water DOES come through a ceiling or wall, it damages or discolors that surface. Here, the ceiling and walls are white, and there are no signs of any such intrusion whatsoever. (Actually, there's some wood trim directly behind both of the night stands, but there's no sign of water intrusion there either. Further, the nightstands aren't in direct contact with the wall behind them.)

I thought about the water seeping out at the base of the walls, where the damage might not be too noticeable, but then how would the water have gotten up onto the nightstands?

It's very weird, as if someone sneaked into my room while I was sleeping and very quietly poured out about a half-cup of water in these 3 places, and then sneaked back out again.

Edited April 26, 2014 by hawker9000

[Myran]

Sleepwalking?

[Gsxrnz]

Sleepwalking?

My thoughts exactly.

OP - did you check the liquid for any aroma, and have you checked your wardrobe for any similar signs of moisture?

Seriously - I have had similar things happen in NZ in winter time with very cold outside temperatures and variable internal temperatures. Condensation would obviously be on the windows but on occasion there would be condensation on horizontal surfaces. I can't see that being your problem in BKK though.

[hawker9000]

Yeap - performed the smell test. Just plain water. And no, 'pretty sure I don't sleepwalk. I'm a fairly light sleeper as a matter of fact. I'm the sort that a faucet dripping somewhere will keep awake. The one shirt was the only one affected (and it wasn't even the one I'd been wearing - 'was fresh out of my suitcase).

It didn't reoccur last night. 'Guess I'll have to chalk it up as an unsolved mystery.. Very strange.

[RickFarang]

Our air conditioners regularly wet the floors if not cleaned regularly. Fungus grows and blocks the tube that carries condensate out of the house. Might be related and all you need is to have the air conditioner serviced.

[maswov]

That's condensation. Did you mean it was set at 21C? If so that is pretty cold the humidity in the air will condense on the cold vent and drip.

[NoshowJones]

Yeap - performed the smell test. Just plain water. And no, 'pretty sure I don't sleepwalk. I'm a fairly light sleeper as a matter of fact. I'm the sort that a faucet dripping somewhere will keep awake. The one shirt was the only one affected (and it wasn't even the one I'd been wearing - 'was fresh out of my suitcase).

It didn't reoccur last night. 'Guess I'll have to chalk it up as an unsolved mystery.. Very strange.

You must have ghosts in your house just like me. My whole street was blacked out two weeks ago. I have a junction box in my bedroom which a fan (to back up the AC) and a lamp is plugged in to, the red light on the junction box stayed on. I switched it off and put it back on again and the light reappeared. The whole house was blacked out, where did the electricity come from to put the light on the JB?

[transam]

Did you have a bird in your nest perhaps trying to cause a problem....?

[Eric Loh]

Had this same problem back around Jan when Thailand had a cold spell. Then my air-con temp was set at 25C. I guess the night was down to about 21C. Middle of the night, water started to drip on to my bed. I guess condensation as when I set AC down to 20C next night, nothing happened.

[lucjoker]

Check your diaper?

Forgot your prostate pills?

[BigSkip]

1. Have the A.C. cleaned & make sure they blow the drain line

2. Big differences in temperature(outside & inside) may cause A.C. to overheat and the drain can not handle all the condensate flow

3. If the A.C. is not properly charged (too much or too little refrigerant) then condensate can also occur

[Carib]

1. Have the A.C. cleaned & make sure they blow the drain line

2. Big differences in temperature(outside & inside) may cause A.C. to overheat and the drain can not handle all the condensate flow

3. If the A.C. is not properly charged (too much or too little refrigerant) then condensate can also occur

We have a winner !!

I agree. Check the drain for a possible obstruction, if not check the refrigerant pressure .

[Naam]

1. Have the A.C. cleaned & make sure they blow the drain line

2. Big differences in temperature(outside & inside) may cause A.C. to overheat and the drain can not handle all the condensate flow

3. If the A.C. is not properly charged (too much or too little refrigerant) then condensate can also occur

"overheat"?

[chickenslegs]

If the aircon pipework (usually copper pipe from the inner unit to the compressor) is not properly insulated condensation can form on it.

The condensation will run down to the lowest point, or to a place where it makes contact with a ceiling joist etc., and drip onto the ceiling.

With a suspended ceiling the water can follow routes along the metal joists and form several pools of water which will, eventually, soak through the plasterboard (often drips out where there is a screw hole or a light fitting).

If the problem is recent and the water is very clean, there may be no stains on the ceiling (yet).

Just my thoughts.

[colin2]

My air con also some times pisses on the floor and in the wardrobe. I blame the wife cos I know its not the beer.

[lucifer666]

Yeap - performed the smell test. Just plain water. And no, 'pretty sure I don't sleepwalk. I'm a fairly light sleeper as a matter of fact. I'm the sort that a faucet dripping somewhere will keep awake. The one shirt was the only one affected (and it wasn't even the one I'd been wearing - 'was fresh out of my suitcase).

It didn't reoccur last night. 'Guess I'll have to chalk it up as an unsolved mystery.. Very strange.

You must have ghosts in your house just like me. My whole street was blacked out two weeks ago. I have a junction box in my bedroom which a fan (to back up the AC) and a lamp is plugged in to, the red light on the junction box stayed on. I switched it off and put it back on again and the light reappeared. The whole house was blacked out, where did the electricity come from to put the light on the JB?

We have power cuts similar to that in Hua Hin also. For some reason it's not quite a full power cut ( my TV stays on but my PC goes off). Once metered the outlet and it was reading 50v. Stangest power cuts i have ever seen.

[Gsxrnz]

Yeap - performed the smell test. Just plain water. And no, 'pretty sure I don't sleepwalk. I'm a fairly light sleeper as a matter of fact. I'm the sort that a faucet dripping somewhere will keep awake. The one shirt was the only one affected (and it wasn't even the one I'd been wearing - 'was fresh out of my suitcase).

It didn't reoccur last night. 'Guess I'll have to chalk it up as an unsolved mystery.. Very strange.

You must have ghosts in your house just like me. My whole street was blacked out two weeks ago. I have a junction box in my bedroom which a fan (to back up the AC) and a lamp is plugged in to, the red light on the junction box stayed on. I switched it off and put it back on again and the light reappeared. The whole house was blacked out, where did the electricity come from to put the light on the JB?

We have power cuts similar to that in Hua Hin also. For some reason it's not quite a full power cut ( my TV stays on but my PC goes off). Once metered the outlet and it was reading 50v. Stangest power cuts i have ever seen.

We have those partial cuts in Jomtien as well. The new eco bulbs seem to handle it as I have a set of 4 lights on the same switch (2 being regular and 2 eco bulbs) and when we have a power cut the eco bulbs keep burning dimly but the old style are dead. Fans go to super slow speed but the A/C and TV won't power up.

Sometimes during a cut it seems that half the house is OK and the other half is dead. Someone told me this was because only one phase of the power was cut - I don't really understand this.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Gsxrnz

[hawker9000]

If the aircon pipework (usually copper pipe from the inner unit to the compressor) is not properly insulated condensation can form on it.

The condensation will run down to the lowest point, or to a place where it makes contact with a ceiling joist etc., and drip onto the ceiling.

With a suspended ceiling the water can follow routes along the metal joists and form several pools of water which will, eventually, soak through the plasterboard (often drips out where there is a screw hole or a light fitting).

If the problem is recent and the water is very clean, there may be no stains on the ceiling (yet).

Just my thoughts.

It's a hotel room. It has to be something to do with condensation, but quite strange. Water dripping from three places leaving no signs on the ceiling or walls. I wonder, if the room were vacant for some extended period of time before I took it, and then I occupy it & run the aircon steadily at 21C, is that more likely to generate all that condensation? The problem has not reoccured. 'No idea what condition the conduits/piping might be in (but it's a hotel, so probably not as good as it could be...).

Edited April 28, 2014 by hawker9000

[haveaniceday]

Our air conditioners regularly wet the floors if not cleaned regularly. Fungus grows and blocks the tube that carries condensate out of the house. Might be related and all you need is to have the air conditioner serviced.

This is very common in Thailand, had it several times with different AC's

[shaurene]

You need to clean your air filters there is ice building up on your evaporator and check if you need your gas topped up as this can. Cause ice build up on the evaporator. Had the same problem.

[Ulic]

Have your air conditioner serviced. The drain get blocked, backs up and drips.

[haveaniceday]

Also the comment above of low gas also makes water, a full service & re gassed will not be over 500b,(often 300b) they do a deep clean, you may be amassed of the amount of mold and stuff growing out of sight (on the metal fins) and the color of the water.

[ronthai]

Sleep walking, where is the toilet

[Songlaw]

I'd go with the B500 deep clean. If nothing else, your a/c will be more efficient. Of course because it hasn't recurred, you can always give doing nothing a try. My guess is that it'll be back though. At the precise moment you become confident it won't.

[hawker9000]

Again, it was a hotel room.

I'd wake myself up running into (or tripping over) things, or stubbing my toes - I could never be a sleepwallker (unless it was a heavily bandaged one...)