Tuesday, July 31, 2012

If It's Not One Thing, It's The Weather

I don't know about you, but I am tired of fighting this heat wave. Seems like it's been going on since February. Ruined my snow day optimism last school year. Fried me in the classroom, even WITH the air conditioner. "Oh, don't worry," said my lunchmates. "I hear that the summer will be unseasonable cool." Heard from whom? A local chief meteorologist, perhaps? The one who said we would have four major snowstorms between Thanksgiving and Christmas?

The Mansion thermostat is set at 75. In years past, it has been on 72. Tonight, making sandwiches for supper, I could no longer stand the heat. I got out of the kitchen. And saw that the ambient temperature inside my home was 80 degrees. I asked Farmer H why that would be. He said maybe because the air conditioner can't keep up. What is it, some uncoordinated nerd trying to play basketball with the varsity? Keep up, indeed! That's what we paid for. An air conditioner that keeps up. Funny how from the get-go, Farmer H snagged a unit from a company with which he does a high volume of work business. A bargain, he declared. A floor model. It had to be replaced.

Of course he bought the new one from the same company. Seems like every winter, it needs service. And every summer, it needs service. Coolant one year. A coil the next. Farmer H is not the best at maintaining his bargains. The repairman last year specifically said to change the filter once a month. And clean the coil. Farmer H declares that he has done so. I know that he has not.

So tonight, he decided to do it again. Change that filter. Funny how he couldn't find it. After just having changed it last month, according to him. THEN he decided to clean the coil. Which meant he had to shut off the whole unit. Which then takes thirty minutes to come back on. All between 6:00 and 7:00. When the setting sun blazes across the front of the Mansion, frying us like an ant under a magnifying glass.

The temperature upstairs is now 82 degrees. It was 88 down at the creek-side cabin. Which has NO air conditioning, and does not draw any amps of electricity. Farmer H says he is calling the cooling people tomorrow. I think they might be too busy rolling around on their piles of money to make a house call.

2 comments:

Chickadee said...

I remember that certain "meteorologist" promising us an unseasonably cool summer. I remember his words every day we have temperatures above 100F, which is often.

On those days above 100F, our AC runs almost constantly. I shudder to think what our electricity bills are going to be next month.

Hillbilly Mom said...

Chick,
I want him to give himself a D- (he gets a little credit for showing his face on air day after day after bad forecast) and eat his videotapes. I hope they still have videotapes. Because he wouldn't be suffering much if he had to eat his digital broadcasts.