Well, the temporary fix on the furnace at the condo failed. On Sunday. The tenants called to let us know today. Wednesday. WTF? We had stressed that the service guy's fix might only be temporary, and that it would take a few days to get the new part, but that they were to call us ASAP with any problems so we could get it up and running, even if it's only another temporary fix. I don't get it.
Ted did do the permanent furnace repair himself. Midwest Appliance Parts of Chicago had the piece we needed for $105, and he spent a grand total of 15 minutes swapping it out. AAA Heating and Cooling of Chicago wanted to charge us $685, including labor.
We'll probably do this kind of thing again in the future, i.e., pay for the service call to diagnose the problem (in this case $95) and then buy the necessary parts ourselves. With a savings of nearly five hundred bucks, it was worth a little extra leg work.
But isn't it frustrating when contractors jack up prices to this extent?
10 December, 2008
07 December, 2008
Carrier Furnace Repair, or Landlord Woes
A few days after the boiler went out for the tenants' unit upstairs, the furnace went out at the condo. Only, the tenants over there didn't bother calling us until today. Saturday. They were without heat for two whole days. Did I mention it's only 15 degrees in Chicago? Me? I would have called the landlord immediately! As the landlord, I'm thankful the pipes didn't burst from the cold.
When we got over to the condo this afternoon, the floors were like ice. I had kicked off my shoes so I wouldn't track snow into the unit, and then I said the heck with that, because my feet quickly became so numb I couldn't stand it. And I have a very high tolerance for cold. How could they have lasted for two days???
The furnace is a Carrier, although I can't remember the model number offhand. We read the error code and narrowed down what the problem was, but, unlike the boiler, we didn't think we could fix it ourselves. So we called in the pros. Our usual go-to HVAC guy said he would have to order parts, as he didn't have anything on hand, and so we--shudder--picked someone from the phone book, because I was without an internet connection and couldn't check Angie's List for recommendations. So AAA Heating and Cooling of Chicago came out, and fairly quickly, too.
Well, the repair guy examined it for only a minute or so (I'm not kidding) and diagnosed it as something with the inducer. Of course, he didn't have a new one on the truck, but said he could get one Monday. Then he told us it would cost $685. Yup, for a spare part. He did get the thing working again, but told us it would be a temporary fix, that it would probably blow out again, and we really needed a new part. We were still reeling from the knowledge of how much this would cost, and said we'd like to think about it. He said unless we made a decision to go with the work now, this very minute, he'd have to charge us a second service call on Monday. Ted stood firm, despite the pressure, and said we'd let them know then, but would go with the temporary fix for the weekend. The service guy finally relented and said if we call Monday, he'll make sure we didn't get charged for a second call.
When we got home, Ted did a cursory search on Google and found the part for less than a hundred bucks--don't know if that's brand new or reconditioned. It looks fairly easy to install, just a few screws and hooking up some wire. I think we can do it. As long as the temporary fix is holding, we'll check with a few local stores on Monday and see if we can just pick up the part and pick their brains regarding installation. At the moment, however, I'm thinking that AAA Heating and Cooling has a tremendously large profit margin built into their pricing. I'm not sure we'll call them back either way.
My personal theory as to why the furnace shut down is this: When we got to the condo, we found that 85% of the floor registers were covered over with furniture or closed completely. That had to be wreaking havoc with the motor, I should think. So I left the tenants a note that they'll have to rearrange their furniture to uncover those.
*Sigh* I wish we could just sell the place and be done with it.
But enough of that. Now, it's Kitten Time!!!
See how sweet they are? Sleepy little babies. But don't let their calm demeanor fool you. These guys are little terrors, getting into absolutely everything. I forgot what it's like to have such young kittens! Trouble, trouble, trouble. But there is nothing sweeter than little kitten kisses and tiny little mews, so I'll forgive them just about anything.
When we got over to the condo this afternoon, the floors were like ice. I had kicked off my shoes so I wouldn't track snow into the unit, and then I said the heck with that, because my feet quickly became so numb I couldn't stand it. And I have a very high tolerance for cold. How could they have lasted for two days???
The furnace is a Carrier, although I can't remember the model number offhand. We read the error code and narrowed down what the problem was, but, unlike the boiler, we didn't think we could fix it ourselves. So we called in the pros. Our usual go-to HVAC guy said he would have to order parts, as he didn't have anything on hand, and so we--shudder--picked someone from the phone book, because I was without an internet connection and couldn't check Angie's List for recommendations. So AAA Heating and Cooling of Chicago came out, and fairly quickly, too.
Well, the repair guy examined it for only a minute or so (I'm not kidding) and diagnosed it as something with the inducer. Of course, he didn't have a new one on the truck, but said he could get one Monday. Then he told us it would cost $685. Yup, for a spare part. He did get the thing working again, but told us it would be a temporary fix, that it would probably blow out again, and we really needed a new part. We were still reeling from the knowledge of how much this would cost, and said we'd like to think about it. He said unless we made a decision to go with the work now, this very minute, he'd have to charge us a second service call on Monday. Ted stood firm, despite the pressure, and said we'd let them know then, but would go with the temporary fix for the weekend. The service guy finally relented and said if we call Monday, he'll make sure we didn't get charged for a second call.
When we got home, Ted did a cursory search on Google and found the part for less than a hundred bucks--don't know if that's brand new or reconditioned. It looks fairly easy to install, just a few screws and hooking up some wire. I think we can do it. As long as the temporary fix is holding, we'll check with a few local stores on Monday and see if we can just pick up the part and pick their brains regarding installation. At the moment, however, I'm thinking that AAA Heating and Cooling has a tremendously large profit margin built into their pricing. I'm not sure we'll call them back either way.
My personal theory as to why the furnace shut down is this: When we got to the condo, we found that 85% of the floor registers were covered over with furniture or closed completely. That had to be wreaking havoc with the motor, I should think. So I left the tenants a note that they'll have to rearrange their furniture to uncover those.
*Sigh* I wish we could just sell the place and be done with it.
But enough of that. Now, it's Kitten Time!!!
See how sweet they are? Sleepy little babies. But don't let their calm demeanor fool you. These guys are little terrors, getting into absolutely everything. I forgot what it's like to have such young kittens! Trouble, trouble, trouble. But there is nothing sweeter than little kitten kisses and tiny little mews, so I'll forgive them just about anything.
04 December, 2008
New Windows for the Basement, Work We Contracted Through Angie's List
We cheated. We didn't replace the basement windows ourselves. For only the second time this year, we hired a contractor to do some work on The Box House.
Earlier this past spring, we removed the overgrown yew bushes from around the house, giving them away on Craig's List to whomever wanted to dig them out. When the trees were gone, we discovered that our basement windows were essentially falling out:
That's not quite true. We knew they weren't in great shape, but from inside the basement, you couldn't really tell just how bad. Note in the next picture how there is greenery growing behind the glass. (Hmmmm, on closer inspection, I think that's some wayward late-season mint. We had it growing everywhere, and enjoyed an abundance of mint juleps over the summer. The storm window is no doubt acting as a green house.)
Regrading the yard helped with some of the garden encroaching inside, but with the bushes gone, anybody walking by could see how bad the windows were. Blow on them too hard, and they'd fall off. In fact, after a storm we'd go outside, pick them up off the ground, and set them back in place. Pull them off yourself, and you could rob us blind.
Of course, the rooms where Ted and I have our offices, and spend a good part of the day, had security bars. Unfortunately, if there was ever an emergency from within, these bars would prevent our escape.
The old windows were quaint and old-fashioned. They swung up and inward, attaching to a hook on the ceiling.
Unfortunately, the windows and frames were kinda rotted, the glass was thin, and they leaked like crazy. You could feel a breeze coming in through the closed windows. Restoration wasn't worth it for a number of reasons; the windows weren't really quality to begin with, and we wanted egress windows that we could open quickly and easily--without struggling to open them and hook it to the ceiling just to get out.
We knew we were losing a lot of heat through these windows. At the end of last winter, when we moved in, we worked in the basement in our winter coats because it was so darn cold. So we wanted to replace all the windows and get them hooked into the security system before winter settled in again, and knew we couldn't do it ourselves quickly enough. Besides, they are oddball sizes and needed to be custom made.
After interviewing several companies and gathering estimates, we settled on Scientific Window of Chicago, which we found on Angie's List. Although they said it would be six or so weeks before they could install the windows, they were here in three and a half. A crew of four came in and got it all done in a day.
We chose slider windows. They can be opened to let air in without having to maintain clearance in front of them, and the glass can easily be popped out for quick egress. We didn't really lose much in the way of light coming in.
Overall, we're pretty happy with the work. It was freakin' expensive to replace everything at once, don't get me wrong. But to replace 13 custom-sized windows ourselves would never have gotten done. Anyway, heating cost savings in the next few years should balance it out. It's not quite as cold in the basement with the winter winds now properly blocked.
This pic with Ted is before they finished cladding the exterior with aluminum.
The finished product:
Sometimes, it's worth hiring out the work.
Earlier this past spring, we removed the overgrown yew bushes from around the house, giving them away on Craig's List to whomever wanted to dig them out. When the trees were gone, we discovered that our basement windows were essentially falling out:
That's not quite true. We knew they weren't in great shape, but from inside the basement, you couldn't really tell just how bad. Note in the next picture how there is greenery growing behind the glass. (Hmmmm, on closer inspection, I think that's some wayward late-season mint. We had it growing everywhere, and enjoyed an abundance of mint juleps over the summer. The storm window is no doubt acting as a green house.)
Regrading the yard helped with some of the garden encroaching inside, but with the bushes gone, anybody walking by could see how bad the windows were. Blow on them too hard, and they'd fall off. In fact, after a storm we'd go outside, pick them up off the ground, and set them back in place. Pull them off yourself, and you could rob us blind.Of course, the rooms where Ted and I have our offices, and spend a good part of the day, had security bars. Unfortunately, if there was ever an emergency from within, these bars would prevent our escape.
The old windows were quaint and old-fashioned. They swung up and inward, attaching to a hook on the ceiling.
Unfortunately, the windows and frames were kinda rotted, the glass was thin, and they leaked like crazy. You could feel a breeze coming in through the closed windows. Restoration wasn't worth it for a number of reasons; the windows weren't really quality to begin with, and we wanted egress windows that we could open quickly and easily--without struggling to open them and hook it to the ceiling just to get out.We knew we were losing a lot of heat through these windows. At the end of last winter, when we moved in, we worked in the basement in our winter coats because it was so darn cold. So we wanted to replace all the windows and get them hooked into the security system before winter settled in again, and knew we couldn't do it ourselves quickly enough. Besides, they are oddball sizes and needed to be custom made.
After interviewing several companies and gathering estimates, we settled on Scientific Window of Chicago, which we found on Angie's List. Although they said it would be six or so weeks before they could install the windows, they were here in three and a half. A crew of four came in and got it all done in a day.
We chose slider windows. They can be opened to let air in without having to maintain clearance in front of them, and the glass can easily be popped out for quick egress. We didn't really lose much in the way of light coming in.
Overall, we're pretty happy with the work. It was freakin' expensive to replace everything at once, don't get me wrong. But to replace 13 custom-sized windows ourselves would never have gotten done. Anyway, heating cost savings in the next few years should balance it out. It's not quite as cold in the basement with the winter winds now properly blocked.This pic with Ted is before they finished cladding the exterior with aluminum.
The finished product:
Sometimes, it's worth hiring out the work.
03 December, 2008
Mom's Latest Quilt, a Farewell to Our Lawn Care Guy, and a Shout Out to My Very Talented Man
I love showing off Mom's quilts.
This one is her latest, which she's giving to her lawn care guy for Christmas. He's cut the grass and shoveled the snow at her other house for more than a decade. They have a better-than-average contractor-client relationship; she's been invited to his family's house for dinner, and he knows all about our family and our new adventures at The Box House. But now that we found a tenant for the house who is willing and eager to take on the outdoor chores himself, we can't see fit to continue with professional lawn care, even though we really, really like the guy. We'll definitely miss him! (If you're out in the Bloomingdale/Roselle area and need a recommendation for lawn care, let me know.)
On the kitten news front, the furry babies seem to be making themselves at home. Here's Seamus just hanging out with Mom while she works at the computer...
Maggie was having a difficult time accepting the kittens at first. We call her the Omega Dog, because she is the most submissive creature we've ever seen. For the first few days after the kittens arrived, she would try to avoid them. If one looked at her directly, she would turn away, refusing to make eye contact. She'd hug the wall, eyes averted, if she needed to get past, or whine for one of us to get her. She stuck to me like glue, constantly craving reassurance. Usually she'll nap next to me, this weekend she napped on top of me. All of her behavior indicated she was making herself submissive to the kittens. And she seemed to have lost her spark.
But today there was a noticeable shift. She sat next to the kittens on the floor; she even went into downward dog position once. I found all three animals alone together in our bedroom. They weren't interacting, but they were all sitting on the bed in a row. And now Maggie wags her tail like crazy when they're around. Okay, not every time, but there was a definite lack of whining today and more tail wagging and I could walk through the house without a shadow. I think she's trying to make friends now and it helps that the babies are so laid back. It would be cute to see all three critters snuggling together. The kittens themselves are very curious about her as well, especially her tail, but she's so big compared to them that I think they're holding back a bit.
And finally, I just have to publicly proclaim that I'm a lucky, lucky girl to have a guy like Ted around. The heat in the tenants' unit went out, so we went to check the pilot on the boiler. We tried relighting it twice, but it wouldn't stay lit. My first thought was "let's call the heating guy" because really, I have no clue about these things. But Ted somehow figured out it was a faulty thermocouple, went to Home Depot for a new one, and popped it into our ancient boiler, saving us a service call. I think I'll bake him a pie tonight!
This one is her latest, which she's giving to her lawn care guy for Christmas. He's cut the grass and shoveled the snow at her other house for more than a decade. They have a better-than-average contractor-client relationship; she's been invited to his family's house for dinner, and he knows all about our family and our new adventures at The Box House. But now that we found a tenant for the house who is willing and eager to take on the outdoor chores himself, we can't see fit to continue with professional lawn care, even though we really, really like the guy. We'll definitely miss him! (If you're out in the Bloomingdale/Roselle area and need a recommendation for lawn care, let me know.)On the kitten news front, the furry babies seem to be making themselves at home. Here's Seamus just hanging out with Mom while she works at the computer...
Maggie was having a difficult time accepting the kittens at first. We call her the Omega Dog, because she is the most submissive creature we've ever seen. For the first few days after the kittens arrived, she would try to avoid them. If one looked at her directly, she would turn away, refusing to make eye contact. She'd hug the wall, eyes averted, if she needed to get past, or whine for one of us to get her. She stuck to me like glue, constantly craving reassurance. Usually she'll nap next to me, this weekend she napped on top of me. All of her behavior indicated she was making herself submissive to the kittens. And she seemed to have lost her spark.
But today there was a noticeable shift. She sat next to the kittens on the floor; she even went into downward dog position once. I found all three animals alone together in our bedroom. They weren't interacting, but they were all sitting on the bed in a row. And now Maggie wags her tail like crazy when they're around. Okay, not every time, but there was a definite lack of whining today and more tail wagging and I could walk through the house without a shadow. I think she's trying to make friends now and it helps that the babies are so laid back. It would be cute to see all three critters snuggling together. The kittens themselves are very curious about her as well, especially her tail, but she's so big compared to them that I think they're holding back a bit.And finally, I just have to publicly proclaim that I'm a lucky, lucky girl to have a guy like Ted around. The heat in the tenants' unit went out, so we went to check the pilot on the boiler. We tried relighting it twice, but it wouldn't stay lit. My first thought was "let's call the heating guy" because really, I have no clue about these things. But Ted somehow figured out it was a faulty thermocouple, went to Home Depot for a new one, and popped it into our ancient boiler, saving us a service call. I think I'll bake him a pie tonight!
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