It’s been a relatively cool summer here so we haven’t bothered using our home’s A/C much. Actually, we haven’t used it at all since we discovered about a month ago that it wasn’t working properly. And by properly I mean not working at all.
Last summer, we had the technician out to look at our A/C. He said it was out of refrigerant and that we found the leak and filled it up – $180, please. A couple of weeks after that, the A/C seemed to be lacking in its air cooling capacity – again. So a service call later, another leak found and another 4 pounds of coolant (no charge since it’s still under the 30-day warranty) and we’re good to go.
Since running the A/C isn’t cheap – and I am – we didn’t have much need for it the rest of the summer. In fact, we didn’t feel the need for it this summer until about a month ago. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be working (where’s a thesaurus when you need one?). Anyway, we placed another call to the A/C folks and paid another $78 for them to tell us that our rooftop unit was full of leaks that could not be repaired (stupid 30-year old welds)
So they advise me that my course of action include:
-
replacing the rooftop unit only ~ $1950 (uses the old coolant)
replacing the rooftop and ceiling units ~ $4880 (uses the new coolant)
replacing both with a cooling/heating unit ~ $5650 (in lieu of the heat strips in the ceiling)
So I’m going to Costco to buy more fans.
When I was out of town 2 weeks ago, the friend I was staying with got the same news you did. She was not happy, but she had to agree to get a new unit. I hope your fans do the job until cooler weather sets in!
Michele sent me.
OUCH! That’s pricey. Here in the south, we really don’t have much of a choice. During the summer we have to have air conditioning. I tell you I’m not looking forward to when we have to fix it.
This is why I prefer the spring weather, when we have the type of weather where there is no (or very little) need for any type of cooling or heating appliances. I am enjoying such a day, today.
Oh, we went through that a couple of years ago. It’s the pits, isn’t it? Unfortunately, we live in Texas…and we are old and cranky, so going without air conditioning is absolutely unthinkable. Top that with the fact that we have a strange house with THREE (count them, 3) ac units! ALLof them were old and decrepit. Try replacing three at once. Do you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? That’s about all you can afford to eat.
Sorry you are having the problem, especially with a pregnant wife. I bet she is sorrier about it than I am.
Thank god my brother has second sense! When the ex-roomies took off, they couldn’t grab all his new AC units before he found out. The one they did grab was reimbursed by the ‘rents of said jerks, so luckily we’re cool, and no big loss.
Maybe get one small window unit and fans to disperse the cool air around. That’s what we did until my brother bought all those AC units…it was more efficient to get those than Central air/heating unit.
Good luck!