In the scheme of things it wasn't a huge thing but it was something we could not do without.
Our a/c has been playing up. It wasn't right and we had to keep turning it off. Dh (he's an electrician, not a heating and a/c guy) reckoned it was leaking freon. Now what is unusual about all of this is that our a/c unit is only two years old.
Of course at the moment we are in the middle of a heatwave with temperatures hitting 100 oF with the humidity, so not a good time to be without the a/c. Called a service guy out and he came on Tuesday am and basically said yes it could leaking the freon and he filled it with some sort of gas and said he had to leave it for at least 12 hours and would come back at 2:30 pm on Wednesday. Meanwhile no a/c for us.
We have a couple of portable fans so hunted them out and got on with it. By 2 am Wednesday morning both dh and I are moaning about how hot it is. I open the windows in the bedroom and bathroom to let in some "cooler" air and what do I hear but our next door neighbours a/c unit working. She is away; how I was tempted to break into her house and sleep in a cool house...LOL
Dh was at work on Wednesday and luckily I had made plans to go to see daughter and grand daughters; and they have a/c. Came back for 2:30 pm, called office at 3:30 pm to make sure he hadn't forgotten about us, and he finally arrived at 4:45 pm.
We did indeed have a leak and by 6:45 pm we were back up and running at a cost of just under $500 ($119 per hour labour). We all agreed, this shouldn't have happened to a 2 year old unit. After discussing with him if we should take out a service plan, which costs $30 per month, he said it wasn't worth it, as dh could do it. Dh has indeed serviced our furnace, and what he told dh to do on the a/c unit he could manage no problem.
It is necessary in this country I feel to have a/c with our high humidity. However it is surprising how many people do not have it, or if they do they do not turn it on? Dh works in a steel factory where it is super hot, so he is exhausted by the time he gets home after 8 hours in the factory. I am a woman of a certain age who spends her life having those "tropical moments," so having a heatwave on top of those is not a positive thing.
Do you have a/c and could you live without it?
I mentioned that we were leaking FREON, infact it was probably PURON, as freon is partly responsible for ozone depletion. Pruon is a safer alternative. You can read more about this here and here.
9 comments:
I seldom have the a/c on. That said, I have lately. It's on its last legs, though and I turn it off when the nights are cool!!!!
(ツ) from Cottage Country Ontario , ON, Canada!
We never had a/c when I was growing up in Toronto. As teenagers, we complained a LOT about this lack. My auntie still lives there and still doesn't have it. She uses fans. Currently do not have it, although it's nice on the trains on the way home and my cousin's place is actually quite cool (ex-local authority, so quite solid). It gets the sun earlier in the day, so by evening is very comfortable.
But, yeah, I definitely don't envy you OR miss those wretched Ontario summers...I hope you can keep it working and manage to keep cool! xx
Here in Istanbul, we are having crazy hot and humid days. Thankfully, it lasts only three weeks or so. When I was purchasing my apartment, I had paid special attention to this and my principle home is always nice and cool. I do not remember having to use my fan for more than 10 days in 12 years. I do not have an a/c at all.
The studio apartment I have rented recently turned out to be an oven! Since I made a hasty decision, I haven't checked these thing properly.There is an A/C unit which is not working and the service guy spent three hours to no avail. This weekend hopefully with the help of the apartment complex management, they will take care of the problem. I am using my fan all night long and sleeping is a chore these days. Sorry for the long comment :)
Glad you are feeling cooler, why do these modern conveniences always seem to break down when you need them most.
Yes, we have a/c, and during these hot and humid days it is on 24/7. We keep the temp at 71*F year round, and we feel very comfortable.
I don't like going into a building with the a/c on so cold a sweater is needed to keep warm and when you leave the heat just wacks you in the face as soon as the door opens.
Cheer up....soon we will be complaining about the "S" word and freezing temps. never happy are we? But glad I live where I do.
Have a great day
Patricia
We do have AC, but here in NE Washington State we only need it about 2-3 weeks a year and ALWAYS shut it off at night as it cools down considerably every evening. We have very low humidity and I am very grateful for that. Having grown up in the Midwest U.S., we know how miserable that makes you. Our daughter currently lives in the Washington D.C. Area and is experiencing that for the first time in her adult life. She wants desperately to move back to the NW. I do enjoy the convenience of AC and the comfort it brings. I hope that you have fixed your problem and your AC runs well for you for a long time to come.
Blessings,
Betsy
I HATE AC but this summer have had to use it. We can get by pretty well in the house with fans most of the time though. The AC has gone kapooee in my car and I REALLY miss that.
I don't have it. I do have a ceiling fan, which I use when I first get in in the evenings, but really, I'm generally out of the house for much of the day anyway.
What a relief for you to have your aircon up and running again. We got the living room air conditioned last year as my husband's health wasn't great and he was really feeling the heat. Sadly, a lot of Aussies find the cost of running aircon too much of a strain on already 'fragile' budgets. That's when we go to the shopping centres, pubs or libraries 😉
No AC just fans. there is AC at work but i am in and out of the office, I go from AC to a sweltering collections center. I find the AC way too cold. We have humidity for two months of the year in central New Brunswick.
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