It’s too cold.
Hold still then while I knit you another sweater.
No, I don’t think it’s working right.
Put on a sweater. I have on two sweaters and wool socks and I’m warm enough. It’s working just fine.
I didn’t want to turn up the thermostat and face $800+ heating bills again sooner than we had to. We went around and around that sort of conversation quite a few times these last few weeks. Flying home last Monday to a 51 degree house and shivering all night sealed it for him. More discussions. So I finally called to make him happy–couldn’t hurt–and Joe arrived today to check the system out.
When Joe saw what Joe saw, he got Richard to climb the ladder to come up there and see it too.
Our house is an Eichler, and the radiant heat coils in the flooring that was such a fad in the 1950’s didn’t hold up well over time and earthquakes; ours died before our time here and we’ve always had forced hot air via ductwork slapped on the roof as an add-on.
We replaced the furnace once and were sold a White and it lasted two years; when I asked about a warranty, I got laughed at. Seriously.
Okay, then, so the second time we went with an expensive outfit for their stellar reputation. No corner-cutters. New everything–furnace, ducts, the works. Needed to be done.
That furnace, a Trane, is still chugging along nicely a dozen or more years later. But.
Here, look at this. Joe had slit a duct to look inside. There was insulation in there–and it was absolutely soaked. Richard went to give it a little squeeze to test it and it squirted vigorously.
They had the furnace running full blast while they worked to look for any leaks. Joe cut another slit about ten feet further down. That soaked insulation wasn’t even warm, and at 54F outside, we’d had the heater running all day. But the water that had leaked in stopped it cold.
Richard had ordered me an Ipad, a long-hoped-for big Christmas splurge, but the moment it gets here, it’s going straight back to Apple. It doesn’t matter how thrilled I would be to have one. We have to have that ductwork replaced. Again.
$5400. I have no idea how we’re going to do it. All I know is, I want it done right.
17 Comments so far
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Prayers and warm vibes for you. Our house was built by a blossoming contractor. It’s a strange mix of upgrades that we appreciate and no windows on the back side of the house are the same size…
Comment by Channon 11.29.11 @ 6:10 amCold. I can NOT stand cold. I love my ipad but I love being warm even more. I approve of your choice but I’m sorry you aren’t getting your ipad. (by the way if you get a weird email from my ipad it’s because you’re first in my email list (Alison?) and I was on the phone with voicenet trying to work it out. Just erase it.)
Comment by afton 11.29.11 @ 6:57 amYikes! Not the kind of holiday surprise you wanted at all. I hope it all goes smoothly.
Comment by RobinH 11.29.11 @ 8:40 amAh, yes, the Eichler effects (there are a bunch of them up here too). Too bad about the ductwork – that blows (a pun). If you want to see how to permanently fix this, go to Mason Dixon Knitting for the geothermal project from you-know-where!
Comment by Renee 11.29.11 @ 9:13 amI get the iPad dilemma. I was going to get one for my birthday, but we opted for snow tires instead. Not as glamourous, but far more safe and useful in our Canadian weather. Maybe next year…
Comment by Sandra 11.29.11 @ 9:43 amOh, good grief! There are things to be said for the Eichler concrete pads, and they are not all good. GOT to have heat! And getting it done right is the only way to go.
Reminds me of a comment by one of the astronauts: Just think – this thing was built by the low bidder.
Comment by Don Meyer 11.29.11 @ 10:04 amHeat is a good thing, as is non-wetness.
Any chance your home owner’s insurance could be called into play? (My mom’s covered replacing a kitchen floor when her dishwasher leaked. They even paid for the cats to be boarded at the vet for the two days it took.)
We too have a Trane,love it when cold weather hits,it keeps us from tuning into popsicles,it wasn’t cheap, WE live in a farm house built in 1850, and life has been a challenge to get it updated and fuel efficient.
Comment by Kris 11.29.11 @ 11:33 amyes, go see what’s been going on in Nashville at Mason Dixon Knitting.
Comment by Tola 11.29.11 @ 11:57 amBless your heart, I live in the fridgid midwest (tho it’s been much warmer than normal – not complaining!!), but I live in an apt and my landlord pays the heat (gas) and all I have to pay in the electric, which in the summer is ghastly with our also very hot humid summers – I tease people that IA has two seasons, hot and nasty and cold and nasty, :P. Hope you get it fixed and I will keep you in my prayers that Heavenly Father will provide a way for everything to turn out alright in all areas.
Comment by LDSVenus 11.29.11 @ 1:37 pmoh OW! — I do feel your pain — we keep our house cool (64 degrees is balmy here inside during the winter)
is this furnace issue also part of the flat roof problem?
I’m sending you a warm hug and hoping this all works out for you
(oh, and my aunt and uncle lived in an Eichler – in Palo Alto — did you ever know a couple named Owen?)
Comment by Bev 11.29.11 @ 2:22 pmOh shoot. Sending warm and bank-account filling thoughts your way.
Comment by tinebeest 11.29.11 @ 3:05 pmOh, NO! I’m so sorry – there’s nothing worse than cold AND a huge bill to fix it.
Comment by Jocelyn 11.29.11 @ 6:27 pmBlech. It’s awful to have the heat out (never mind the bill). Hope it’s fixed for good this time, and quickly!
Comment by Erica 11.29.11 @ 7:10 pmAny chance the ductwork replacement would be covered under warranty from when you had it all installed?
Comment by Serena 11.29.11 @ 7:31 pmAARRGGHH!! I am really sorry to hear this.
Comment by Sherry in Idaho 11.29.11 @ 10:52 pmOh, darn. That is such a shame, but you are making the wise choice. Warmth will keep you moving and happy in ways an ipad couldn’t. It is too bad you have to make that decision, though.
Comment by twinsetellen 11.30.11 @ 11:01 pmLeave a comment
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