Furnace Scam

Posted by Glen in on 29 Mar. 2007, 8:15 pm

A “comfort specialist” will be coming to our house tomorrow to try to sell us a new furnace. We also have appointments with a used Hyundai salesman, an oral surgeon and a Nigerian internet scammer in an effort to part with $2500 in the most “comfortable” way possible.

It was a certain family member’s lack of comfort Tuesday night that caused me to fire up the air conditioning for the first time this season, resulting in a loud “pop” and a cloud of acrid smoke in the furnace room. Apparently our 15-year-furnace-replacement timer had expired, causing a short that “smoked” a transformer and wreaked unknown havoc on the control board. Or so said the repair man. Were this an electric furnace, I might get all DIY up in its business, replacing transformers and soldering control boards with wreckless abandon. Unfortunately, it’s gas-fired. It took me 45 minutes just to change the filter last fall, thanks mostly to some ominous explosion warnings printed on the inside.

But wait, there’s more! The comfort specialist will likely try to sell us a new air conditioner as well, as the unit installed by the previous owners is comically inefficient. I think it incorporates a coal burner just for good measure.

Now I shall convince Rachel to stop global warming by living without air conditioning this summer. The CFLs were just a start.

  1. Comment from Angela on 30 Mar. 2007, 9:03 am :

    Remember how you said you like the COLD now? Rachel will need air conditioning in the flatlands! Did you know it never gets too hot in Maryland. Another reason to move back!

    Also, why you gotta knock the Korean carmaker? They’re quite reliable now, you know.

    Lastly, The Decemberists = super amazing, and all I wish now is for them to play at our wedding. How likely do you think that is?? I have no setlist for you however…YET.

  2. Comment from EMBO on 30 Mar. 2007, 12:28 pm :

    We removed our old oil furnace ourselves when we were having it replaced–I agree about the ominous explosion warnings.

  3. Comment from Glen on 30 Mar. 2007, 7:41 pm :

    As it turns out, the “comfort specialist” experience wasn’t so bad. Pressure-free, and about the price I expected. To my four readers: would you repair or replace a 15-year-old furnace, knowing that you plan to move within x years, where x < 5 (I don’t want to reveal too much).

    Angela: I was referring to a used Hyundai! Presumably they were crappy at some point in the past. Also, I demand a Decemberists setlist! We are seeing them not once, but twice in April, which will total four shows for us. Colin ought to recognize us by then, at which point we can persuade him to play your wedding.

    Em: Sorry about your car! Do you need to get a new one? Civics must be in high demand. Despite its 250,000 miles, I had a guy ask me at a stoplight if I was willing to sell mine. No, I’m driving it into the ground (unless it gets stolen, which would suit me just fine).

  4. Comment from DAD on 31 Mar. 2007, 6:51 am :

    About the furnace: Do you want to be comfortable for the next

  5. Comment from DAD on 31 Mar. 2007, 6:56 am :


  6. Comment from Angela on 2 Apr. 2007, 9:01 am :

    I really don’t appreciate the use of vague variables when talking about your plans to move!! It’s like I’m a kid and you and Rachel have to spell words so I don’t understand what you’re saying!! >:(

    I vote repair furnace.

  7. Comment from Glen on 2 Apr. 2007, 4:46 pm :

    Alls I’m saying is that we’re likely moving within 5 years.

    The furnace has been repaired. We called a second repairman who was apparently less commission-driven than the first. The repair cost less than half of what the first guy estimated, and the control board was just fine.

    Most boring comment, ever.

  8. Comment from Angela on 5 Apr. 2007, 10:45 am :

    “alls I’m saying”! you sound like begins with C and ends with arl.

    good work with furnace! let us save money for your new, overpriced MD home!

  9. Comment from Devon on 18 May. 2007, 11:00 pm :

    “I might get all DIY up in its business” HAHA. that comment made my day.

  10. Comment from furnace repair on 19 Nov. 2008, 11:18 am :

    Have your furnace be repaired this Christmas season!

  11. Comment from Glen on 19 Nov. 2008, 9:04 pm :

    Thank you, furnace repair!

Monkeys

Posted by Glen in on 17 Mar. 2007, 11:57 am

Arrrrrghh!!! While installing an over-the-stove microwave, I have discovered more evidence that our house was built and/or renovated by monkeys. The original range hood was not connected to the the roof vent, causing hot exhaust to vent directly into the attic. That would explain the black residue on the rafters. But wait, there’s more. The type of duct attached to the roof vent is designed for bathroom fans, so it’s actually good that the monkeys did not connect it to the range hood.

Now I have to climb around in a pile of blown insulation in the attic and replace the duct with something less likely to burn down the house. Good times.

  1. Comment from DAD on 17 Mar. 2007, 12:55 pm :

    Please at least use boards to walk around in the attic to prevent the projection of feet into the room below. So home improvement continues!

  2. Comment from Glen on 17 Mar. 2007, 4:15 pm :

    I’ve decided to vent through an exterior wall. The hose into the attic ran up to an attic vent but was not attached. So I had the choice of installing an exhaust vent through the roof or through a wall. The wall option seems better.

  3. Comment from DAD on 17 Mar. 2007, 5:43 pm :

    Will the vent duct get to the outer wall by way of the garage?

  4. Comment from Glen on 18 Mar. 2007, 7:29 am :

    No, via the soffit above the cabinets and then through the pantry.

  5. Comment from Angela on 19 Mar. 2007, 9:11 am :

    I hope all this work is designed for higher value to SELL your temporary dwelling and come back directly to your HOME in Maryland. Thank you.

  6. Comment from Glen on 24 Mar. 2007, 11:37 am :

    Given how the market is doing (stupid sub-prime lenders!), we’ll be happy to break even when it comes time to sell. Fixing up the kitcken should help. After that, it’s bamboo flooring.

  7. Comment from Kate Morris on 27 Mar. 2007, 3:11 pm :

    I came across your website and fell in love with all your dog photography. I am the publisher of a free daily doggy E-Zine. Every day we feature a dod and a fun Q+A. If you have dogs yourself please submit them to the site, and feel free to plug your site.

  8. Comment from EMBO on 28 Mar. 2007, 10:33 am :

    Don’t move back to MD–they steal cars here!!! If anyone sees a black Civic driving around with a bike hitch under the back bumper and fuzzy dice on the mirror, it’s MINE, bitches.

  9. Comment from DAD on 28 Mar. 2007, 4:46 pm :

    Where in MD was the Civic stolen?

  10. Comment from Glen on 28 Mar. 2007, 7:56 pm :

    That’s terrible! But they steal cars here, too. I think it’s to pay for the meth.

  11. Comment from EMBO on 30 Mar. 2007, 12:26 pm :

    The Civic was stolen from the employee lot at Howard Community College, a mere 50 feet from my window. Sadly, it was recovered in Mont. Co on Wednesday, completely stripped. I may have to SELL meth now to pay for a replacement. :(