Chateaux du Lac condominiums in Winter Park Florida

While we have divided our maintenance website pages into Owner (Indoor) and Chateaux (Outdoor) responsibilities, it isn't always that clear a division.

Contact the Chateaux Property Manager if you have a question on a specific issue. Do not use anything on this website as support for the Chateaux to pay for repairs or maintenance.

Consult the Chateaux Property Manager before contacting any person or company if you expect the Chateaux du Lac Condominiums to pay for the service or work.

The Association is responsible for the general operation and maintenance of the outdoor electrical power boxes near the residential building hallway entrances.

The outdoor panel breaker box has a 100 AMP circuit breaker for each of the four units receiving power through their electrical box to the indoor electric panel in the hallway of each unit.

If light bulbs are flickering within your condo unit, especially if you turn on or off a TV, lamps, and other electrical devices this may be a sign of a loose wire or failing circuit breaker at either the indoor or outdoor breaker box, or a wall plug/switch inside the unit. Contact a licensed electrician as soon as possible.

When the outside breaker fails, all electricity to the unit is cut off. While resetting the breaker on the outdoor panel may return power to the unit, the resident will want to understand what caused the breaker to fail.

It is unusual to have an issue with this meter box. In 2017, Mainline Electrical, a local licensed electrical repair company, completed the installation of new outdoor master power boxes for almost all our residential units. These residential outdoor master power boxes contain each unit's electric power meter and power line feeds to individual units.

Again, it is very unusual to have this breaker fail, so it is important for the resident to contact a licensed electrician and have the electric system within the condo inspected.

Emergency Maintenance
CALL: (407) 628-1086

If the water line break is inside your unit and serves only your unit, the repair and cleanup costs are the responsibility of the unit owner.

This includes lines inside your cabinets, as well as kitchen and bathroom faucets and fixtures as well has the water heater itself and its valves, fixtures and connections.

Condo also responsible for the shower diverter and pipe from diverter to shower head, and any owner purchased items such as shower heads, toilets and toilet internal parts and wall valve and hose.

Basically:
If you can see it, you are responsible for it.
If you bought it, you are responsible for it.

If a sewer back up is because non-flushable items were entered into the sewer line, the unit owner will be responsible for repair costs.

Only human waste and toilet paper should be flushed into Chateaux sewer lines.

Some sewer lines have a long horizontal run to the main sewer line and lift station near building 25. Any paper product other than toilet paper could cause an issue because of the long horizontal pipe runs. Even wipes and other items labeled as flushable are not allowed in these long pipe runs.

If you dial the property manager after office hours, you may reach an automated attendant.
Please leave a message that includes:
1.) Your name
3.) That you are calling about Chateaux du Lac Condominiums
4.) The nature of your maintenance request.

Items to note about water service for each condo unit:

Drain /Sewer Lines

A unit’s wastewater clean-out plug is located near the unit’s air conditioner. If a unit’s wastewater line to the main sewer becomes clogged, a plumber may remove the cap, and snake the line. The plumber does not need access to the roof to snake down a vent pipe.

The cleanout line may have a metal cap or a black rubber cap.

A. Outdoor electric emergency shut-off for air conditioner compressors. Does not shut off AC equipment indoors.
B. Many units have their water heater high-pressure relief-valve pipe connected to the outdoor overflow vent, as shown here. Local and Regional laws require this water heater pressure release value.

However, if a toilet line becomes clogged early in the sewer line, the toilet may have to be unbolted from the floor and the plumber snake or auger into the line from that point.

The upstairs and downstairs unit wastewater lines join just before the cleanout junction, so there is only one cap per set of units on each side of the hallway.

Individual Unit Water Shut Off Valve

There is a small blue dot (see photo below) on the sidewalk that designates a shut off valve is on the condo wall across from this point the sidewalk dot.

Each unit has an outdoor water shutoff valve located on the building wall next to the patio on the opposite side of the exterior entrance door.

Most residential building water shut-off valves are located near the patios at the front of each residential building, as shown below. Exceptions for the routine water line/sewer line building entrance/exit locations include buildings 5 ,6, 7, and 10. Units in these four buildings have their water shutoff valves located on the opposite side of their building, near each unit’s air conditioner at the rear of the building.

Building ten (10) was constructed in reverse from its neighbor buildings. The water shutoff is on the courtyard side of the building, even though this is the rear side of building ten.

Most supply water lines were installed with one valve a little higher than the second shutoff line in the same location. The lower valve controls water flow to the lower unit, with the higher valve adjusting the incoming water for the second-floor unit. Please note several valves and water line entrance points are at the same level. Always test your water flow after changing the valve position to ensure you did not turn on or off your neighbor's water.

Blue Arrow— Incoming water lines. Taller line is second floor water line.
Red Arrow— Shutoff valves
Green Arrow— Underground shutoff for both units. Some underground valves are not marked on top of ground.

As of September 2020, as stated above, some water turn-off valves may be located at ground level where the water supply lines crawl up the wall to the units. No arrow in pic for this valve. If you don't see an extra turn off handle, the handle is below ground.

There are also eight "regional" water supply line shut off valves that stop incoming water to all the units within several hallways in that building.

We suggest testing your unit's individual shut-off valve occasionally to ensure it is fully operational. Do not use force to turn the valve. If the valve does not turn easily, submit a maintenance request to the property manager to have the valve replaced.

Testing the valve when a Chateaux maintenance man is on property could facilitate assistance if an issue arises.

We would suggest the resident turn off the hot water heater if the water supply line is to be shut off for any long period of time.

In a waterline-break emergency, if the wall valve fails to stop the water flow, another water line shut off is in the ground about a foot down, and a foot away from the building, where the water lines exit the ground.

The underground water valve controls the water for BOTH upstairs/downstairs units, so opening or closing this underground valve also affects your neighbor's unit.

NOTE: SEPTEMBER 2020 - Bryan Plumbing, a local plumbing service, ran new water supply lines from the water meters to all residential units. Some underground valves may now be at ground level at the base of the water pipe on the wall leading up to the units.

Some underground valves have a cap, or cement block, at ground level to facilitate the location of the value. Other buildings do not have this marker. Dig down from where the wall pipes enter the ground and follow the pipe a foot or two to locate the shut-off for units A and D or Units B and C.

Be careful digging as some lighting electrical wires, and the unit's sewer line are in this area as well. The cast iron sewer line is often right next to the incoming water line and underground shut off valve.

A quick note that many kitchen dishwashers have food particle traps in the bottom of the dishwasher.

Be sure to occasionally pull, view and empty the filter to ensure the dishwater properly drains and does not cause a water backup in your kitchen.

The dishwasher and all water and electric lines leading to and from the dishwasher are the responsibility of the unit owner.

The unit's garbage disposal is also the property and responsibility of the unit owner.

Water line filters, their equipment, and their plumbing connections to water lines are the responsibility of the unit owner.

WATER HEATER

Note that, as shown in the photo (B) above on this page some water heater drain lines are built into the wall.

If you see water coming from the outdoor emergency water heater pressure release pipe (See "B" in photo below), one of the two connected water heaters might be getting too hot, or a relief valve is getting old and weak. Perhaps one of the unit's two heater coils is not turning off at a proper setting.
Pic 2A

Pressure relief drain lines for water heaters are connected to the other water heater in the condo unit directly above or directly below your unit.

For a quick initial water heater check:

Turn off your unit's electric power for the water heater to see if the problem continues. You may have to wait a few minutes for the water heat to cool.

Check the top of your water heater to see / hear if water is being released through the pressure relief valve. DO NOT disturb the relief valve itself, but you may feel the pipe at least one foot away after the valve to see if the pipe is warm, which may mean hot water is running through that valve and pipe.

Even if you do not see or hear evidence of water being released, while the water heater is turned off, check the outdoor relief drainpipe again to see if the water flow has stopped. If not, the issue may not be with your water heater.

If the problem does continue, you may turn the first water heater back on, and contact your upstairs or downstairs neighbor.

Have your neighbor turn the electric power to their water heater off and follow the same steps as you performed for your water heater check. Then look to see if the water stops draining from the outdoor drainpipe.

Sometimes, turning a water heater off for a few minutes, and then turning the unit back on will solve the problem if the issue was a non-properly working heater coil (most water heaters have two).

Even if you don't find the issue, it may be wise to call a water heater repair man / plumber to ensure your water heater is working properly. Better to find an issue early than after a blast of water covers the floor.

By the way, did you know that some insurance companies will not cover water damage to a condo unit if the water heater is over ten (10) years old and starts leaking? Check with your insurance agent or your condo insurance policy to see if there are "time-limits" for select appliances in your unit.

Air Conditioner maintenance, repairs and costs are the responsibility of the unit owner.

Unit owners are responsible for occasional drainpipe maintenance as shown below.

This is Florida. Mildew and algae will grow in your air conditioner drain line year-round. At least every other month during the cooler months, and each month from March through October, we suggest residents pour one cup of hot water (not boiling) down their AC air handler drain line.

It is suggested you do not add bleach or vinegar into the drain line. Even light bleach or vinegar fumes rising from the drain line may shorten the life expectancy of your AC indoor air handler.

Moreover, chlorine bleach can eat away at not only the line but the glue and cement joining the line to the fittings. Chateaux water and drain lines are CPVC and PVC, so please first try only hot, but not boiling, water for clearing clogs and debris from lines.

If you feel you need to use bleach or vinegar, use two tablespoons of chlorine bleach in a half cup of hot water, or 50/50 mix of white vinegar and hot water.

Breathing bleach isn’t healthy. If you smell the bleach coming from the drain line, you should pour another cup of hot water, without bleach or vinegar, into the pipe. You may have to perform this second step more than once until you no longer smell bleach or vinegar.

The Association attaches a suction pump to the outside end of each drain line at least once a year to assist in the removal of mildew and algae within the line.

If you are having AC drain line issues, submit a maintenance request to have our maintenance man check your outdoor drain line to ensure the line is not clogged outdoors with dirt or other foliage.

If you prefer not to follow the above steps, or if you are away from your unit for extended periods, algae tablets may be placed in the air conditioner drain pan. These tablets often last from three to six months before having to be replaced.

If your system does not have a drain pan, the tablets or strips may be dropped directly into the drain line below the indoor unit.

Contact your AC maintenance company for the cost and use of three- or six-month tablets or strips. The size (tonnage) and use of your AC will determine the strength best suited for your unit.

A. Outdoor electric emergency shut-off for air conditioner compressors. Does not shut off AC equipment indoors.

B. Many units have their water heater high-pressure relief-valve pipe connected to the outdoor overflow vent, as shown here. Local and Regional laws require this water heater pressure release value.