How to Fix Stuff

[hittman]

It’s the same company that I called for the outside unit a year or two ago where the guy said “ you’re an electrician, you can do this yourself “. I was at work and my wife was screaming bloody murder when it quit so I called someone. I did pay the 95 for the guy showing up but did the repair myself. I’m starting to get to the age where I’m getting tired of fixing everything myself but I’m too much of a tightwad to call someone if it’s something I think I can do. I do however know my limitations. I’m not a carpenter and gladly paid someone to install the outside door and storm door a few years ago.

 

[Bronze]

It’s the same company that I called for the outside unit a year or two ago where the guy said “ you’re an electrician, you can do this yourself “. I was at work and my wife was screaming bloody murder when it quit so I called someone. I did pay the 95 for the guy showing up but did the repair myself. I’m starting to get to the age where I’m getting tired of fixing everything myself but I’m too much of a tightwad to call someone if it’s something I think I can do. I do however know my limitations. I’m not a carpenter and gladly paid someone to install the outside door and storm door a few years ago.

You just described me.

 

[Brewdawg1181]

You just described me.

Yeah, me too.

 

[440BB]

Me too. It's a family tradition, as my Dad is capable of building and fixing almost anything. At 87 he let a third party do work on his property since his son wouldn't get on the roof and sweep the chimney. I'll fix the car and tractor, replace the water heater and cut his hair, but a man's got to know his limitations.

 

[hittman]

I don't do heights well any more. About 15 years ago I had a ladder slip out from under me and fell and one foot landed on a ladder rung. I had what the foot specialist said was the worst blow out fracture he had ever seen. I was not able to wear a shoe on that foot from November to May the following year. About the only time that ladder gets taken out of the garage now is when a neighbor borrows it.

 

[Bronze]

Ladders scare the hell out of me. I've been better the last few years but my sphincter still gets a workout.

 

[hittman]

A couple years ago I needed to replace trim boards on my house before having the painter come to paint the outside. I went and bought a stabilizer and did as much as I could stand. Luckily I have a really good next door neighbor that used to do work like that and he offered to nail and caulk the highest ones on the side. He wouldn't let me pay him so I put a gift card in his mailbox. He acted almost like he was mad that I did that. I'll never forget years ago when I watched him and a neighbor back a pickup truck into his driveway and sat a 40' extension ladder in the back so it couldn't slip and he climbed it to the peak of his house to paint. I painted mine with a boom lift before but will never do it again. It's not a lot more to just pay someone to do it.

 

[hittman]

Ok, the tech came and left. It turns out that it wasn’t just a dirty evaporator. The A coil is leaking Freon. It’s about 21 years old and has the old r22 Freon. They said to replace the coil would be about 3200. They are going to email some quotes for a new unit. He said the furnace we have is a really good one and he wouldn’t replace it. He said they’d throw in a new blower motor if we buy a new AC unit. He said with a new blower motor that we could probably get another 10-12 years out of the furnace. I just need it to last until my youngest graduates college in three years. I’ll worry about the furnace when the time comes. We just spent almost enough to buy a new unit on her summer tuition.

 

[AstroTurf]

Ok, the tech came and left. It turns out that it wasn’t just a dirty evaporator. The A coil is leaking Freon. It’s about 21 years old and has the old r22 Freon. They said to replace the coil would be about 3200. They are going to email some quotes for a new unit. He said the furnace we have is a really good one and he wouldn’t replace it. He said they’d throw in a new blower motor if we buy a new AC unit. He said with a new blower motor that we could probably get another 10-12 years out of the furnace. I just need it to last until my youngest graduates college in three years. I’ll worry about the furnace when the time comes. We just spent almost enough to buy a new unit on her summer tuition.

second opinion time...

 

[hittman]

Yes, definitely a second opinion. This company has been good to deal with but I just want to make sure we really need it.

 

[Bronze]

Ok, the tech came and left. It turns out that it wasn’t just a dirty evaporator. The A coil is leaking Freon. It’s about 21 years old and has the old r22 Freon. They said to replace the coil would be about 3200. They are going to email some quotes for a new unit. He said the furnace we have is a really good one and he wouldn’t replace it. He said they’d throw in a new blower motor if we buy a new AC unit. He said with a new blower motor that we could probably get another 10-12 years out of the furnace. I just need it to last until my youngest graduates college in three years. I’ll worry about the furnace when the time comes. We just spent almost enough to buy a new unit on her summer tuition.

Did you see how he accessed the evap?

 

[Bronze]

Finished installing the gutter guards. Now I’m waiting for a monsoon to test them out.

 

[AstroTurf]

Finished installing the gutter guards. Now I’m waiting for a monsoon to RIP them out.

fixed that for you...

 

[hittman]

Did you see how he accessed the evap?

I was at work but my wife said he took the humidifier off and went in with one of those electronic sniffers and that’s how he found the Freon leak. We have one at work to check acetylene cylinders for leaks. He came and got her and took her down and showed her.

 

[hittman]

I forgot to mention that the other night I did see a green spot in front of the drip pan that looked like it had been wet there. I hadn’t noticed it before but usually just go down to change the filter and don’t pay much attention to the rest of it.

 

[440BB]

Ok, the tech came and left. It turns out that it wasn’t just a dirty evaporator. The A coil is leaking Freon. It’s about 21 years old and has the old r22 Freon. They said to replace the coil would be about 3200. They are going to email some quotes for a new unit. He said the furnace we have is a really good one and he wouldn’t replace it. He said they’d throw in a new blower motor if we buy a new AC unit. He said with a new blower motor that we could probably get another 10-12 years out of the furnace. I just need it to last until my youngest graduates college in three years. I’ll worry about the furnace when the time comes. We just spent almost enough to buy a new unit on her summer tuition.

Our old AC unit's coil also developed a leak at the 20 year mark during our youngest's freshman year in college when money was tight. It's as if they know lol.

One thing we had them toss in while replacing the AC was a pigtail for the furnace so that we could disconnect it and directly hook up our portable generator, since we don't have a transfer panel. No more space heaters during a power outage!

 

[AstroTurf]

Also check with your energy provider as they have good deals on finance with a system upgrade...

 

[hittman]

What a weird coincidence. Our youngest just finished her first year. Luckily in 21 years we’ve only had power out for a few hours at the most. It’s not a common occurrence for us. I’m an electrician so if I needed it, I could install that myself.

We got the quote from the hvac place and I think it’s about 1000 high. We’re going to get quotes from a few different places to compare. I think they’re just counting on us going with them. They’ve treated us fairly in the past but I want to make sure we aren’t getting taken advantage of.

 

[hittman]

Also check with your energy provider as they have good deals on finance with a system upgrade...

Thanks. I really don’t want to take payments. We have to start paying rent for my youngest at college in a couple months and don’t want another monthly payment.

 

[CMD-Ky]

Finished installing the gutter guards. Now I’m waiting for a monsoon to test them out.

If they work as well as mine have, you will be very pleased. I did not install them. As someone once told me, "You are too old, too slow and too chicken". True, but terribly humiliating to admit the truth.