General Warranty
Electrical
Condensation or "Window Sweating"
Plumbing
Landscaping
Drywall
HVAC
Pest Control
Driveway & Concrete
Painting

Question:  What is the Warranty Process?  Top
Answer:    The process to get your service concern addressed promptly is to first verify that the item is covered under warranty.  To do this, check to see that the item is not a maintenance item. Maintain Home.  Then make sure that the concern meets the time criteria, which is: 1 Year-Free from material defect due to noncompliance from building standards
2 Year-Plumbing, electrical, heating, cooling, and ventilating(appliances are 1 year); 5 year-Free from major structural defects due to noncompliance with building standards. If your item meets these two criteria, then proceed to submit the request through the online submission form. Warranty Request  After you have submitted your requests, A customer service representative will contact you. Note: Most items come with a Manufacturers warranty that can extend past Manuel Builders warranty.

Question: I submitted my email online.  When will my concern be addressed?  Top
Answer:  We are dedicated to responding to our customers in a timely manner.  We handle service concerns in the order in which they are received, and we reply to most within 48 hours.  

Question: When does my warranty period start?  Top
Answer: Day of closing or occupancy, whichever occurs first.

Question:Why are my windows "sweating" or condensating?It seems to happen more in the winter than any other time of the year.
Answer:  All air contains some water.  The moisture content of air is generally given in terms of relative humidity.  Condensation occurs when moist air touches a surface colder than the dew point temperature of the air.  The best way to solve a moisture problem is to eliminate the source of excess moisture.  We release moisture into the air merely by following our daily routines.  A family of four can release 10 pounds of moisture into the air by just cooking, and breathing and running shower and baths without running exhaust ventilation.  To eliminate moisture in a home it is important to run exhaust fans whenever the bath/shower is used and when cooking. Today builders use panel products for sheathing, and walls and ceilings that are insulated.  Houses are "tight" and prone to condensation under certain conditions.  Most Moisture condensation occur during the winter, when indoor humidity can condense on the walls, windows, and attic areas.  Condensation may occur on a double-pane window.  This usually happens when the frame is cold, or the edge of the thermo-pane is cold.  Also, drapes and blinds in front of windows often act as insulators, causing the temperature of the glass to be lowered, and increasing the likelihood of condensation. Facts about Condensation

Question: My sewer line is clogged, is that covered under warranty?  Top
Answer:   It depends on what is causing the line to be clogged.  If due to flushing improper items, it is not covered.  Baby wipes, paper towels, personal hygiene products are should not be flushed.  Conservative amounts of toilet paper are the only item that should be flushed. 

Question: My hose bib is leaking.  Should I have protected it in the winter?  Top
Answer: The homeowner should winterize all exterior hose bibs to prevent freezing and possible busting.  

Question: My garbage disposal is not operating properly.  What could be the cause of this?  Top
Answer: Please refer to the disposal manual to see operation and what items should be allowed to enter the disposal.  The garbage disposal is located under the sink.  If the unit gets clogged up by a utensil or food or if there is a power surge the unit will trip and all power will be off to the unit.  This is to keep the motor from burning up.  Please try resetting before you call the service department.

Question: Is landscaping and drainage warranted?  Top
Answer: Landscaping is not covered under warranty. 
  
Question: Can walking in the attic damage my sheetrock.  Should I walk in the attic?  Top
Answer: A homeowner should minimize all trips into the attic.  Ceiling joists are not adequate to support weights as great as the living floor supports.  Too much weight can cause the sheetrock to flex causing minor damages.  All damages caused by homeowners are maintenance items and not warranted items.

Question: Why did my electrical outlet in my bathroom or kitchen stop working?Top
Answer: A GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) is designed to monitor the current entering and leaving the circuit or receptacle it protects.  If the device detects a difference in the current, indication and electrical leak, or ground fault, it will immediately open the circuit, also known as tripping.  Generally a high level of current flows during a fault, but GFCI's are designed to trip in 1/10th second if a ground fault of as little as .005 amps occurs.  If you were to drop an appliance or electrical device int a tub of water it would trip the GFCI before you could feel any electrical charge.  A number of outlets can be looped to one GFCI outlet.  If something trips the outlet, resetting it will make it work.  In most cases the GFCI receptacle that needs to be reset will be the one closest to the breaker panel. 

Question: Why did my exterior electrical outlet stop working?  Top
Answer: Also during large periods of precipitation the GFCI could trip due to the amount of moisture.  A GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) is designed to monitor the current entering and leaving the circuit or receptacle it protects.  If the device detects a difference in the current, indication and electrical leak, or ground fault, it will immediately open the circuit, also known as tripping.  Generally a high level of current flows during a fault, but GFCI's are designed to trip in 1/10th second if a ground fault of as little as .005 amps occurs.   In most cases the GFCI receptacle that needs to be reset will be the one closest to the breaker panel.  Note: Generally appliances such as freezers and refrigerators should not be plugged into an exterior GFCI outlet unless specifically designed to do so.

Question: My power is out in my house.  What should I do first?  Top
Answer: The first thing that you should do is to check the breaker panel.  An arc fault is a high power discharge of electricity between two or more conductors.  Arc fault breakers are designed for safety.  For example, if you were to pull the power cord to an appliance that is running, the spark that you see is the arc.  The arc fault breaker is what catches that arc and trips, preventing electrical shock.  Also the main power from the utility company to the home may be nonoperational.

Question: Why is my smoke detector beeping or chirping?  Top
Answer: Smoke detectors are hardwired and have a battery backup (9volt)  When the battery dies the smoke detector will chirp until the battery is replaced.  All the smoke detectors are wired together.  So when one goes off, they all will.  Customers should test the operation of the smoke detector by depressing the test button.


Question: My dryer is not drying my clothes as fast as it used to.  Why is that?  Top
Answer: It is important to make sure that you regularly make sure that the dryer vent is free from debris.  This may be the cause, if not refer to the manufacturers manual for other reccommendations.

Question: My A/C unit is not cooling properly. How often should I change my A/C filter?  Top
Answer: It is important to make sure that you regularly change your air return filter to ensure that your unit runs properly. Normally you should change your filter every 30 days unless specified by manufacturer differently.

Question: I am noticing pest in and around my house.  Was my house treated for pest and was a monthly pest service included in the purchase price? Top
Answer: Your house was treated for termites pre and post the slab being poured.  Monthly pest control and annual termite contract is not included. 

Question: My driveway/concrete has a hairline crack in it.  Is this normal? Top
Answer: Concrete products normally have some cracking or shrinkage.  Minor cracking is normal.  Cracking can be caused by elements outside of Manuel Builders control.  Control joints are placed in the concrete to help control cracks and provide a less visible area for them to occur.  Cracks that exceed 1/4inch are generally cracks that need repair.  Please note:  The repaired area will not match the existing area in color and texture. 

Question: Whose responsibility is painting touch ups? Top
Answer: Painting touch-ups required due to normal homeowner wear and tear is the responsibility of the homeowner.  Any touch ups not due to normal wear and tear may be covered under the 1 year warranty.  It is important for the homeowner to understand the characteristics of the paint used on their job to understand the proper method of cleaning marks on the paint.  Any damage due to improper maintenance of the paint will not be covered under warranty.  It is also important for the homeowner to keep all paint left at the end of the job, for painting touch ups.  It it not likely to match paint exactly if you do not use the same paint used from the job.