it's pouringit's raining
I just replaced one of my AC units a few weeks ago. Package unit (2Ton A/C and gas heat packed outside the house) which I was quoted $3K to repair, $8,500 to replace. I bought a brand new unit (same brand and tonnage) shipped to my door for $2,850 with pad. The good thing about package units is that they come pre-charged with refrigerant, so no real HVAC skills needed. Hook up 220V and thermostat wires and a gas line. Saved a bunch of money, but lost a 3-day weekend working a few hours in the mornings or evenings. I feel really bad for the folks that are on a shoestring budget (often elderly) who have no choice but to pay the price HVAC companies toss at them. My other AC unit is a 5-ton and is the normal split unit so I can't do the same magic on that one. It'll be $10K+ when it gives up he ghost (which it's 20+ years-old as it is).This house is really cutting into my airplane budget. We moved in about a year ago. We knew the roof was on borrowed time, but with this rainy year it's been leaking so we are getting it replaced to the tune of $30k.
Then the boiler (which is responsible for domestic hot water and backup heat) stopped working, and I discovered a huge hole in the heat exchanger...$4k. Did I mention the water heater is leaking?
The room over the garage that became the room for the three little girls was not air conditioned, so we put in a mini-split. $6k.
Now the geothermal unit responsible for cooling the rest of the house has decided it's time for a break. It worked fine last week while we were at Oshkosh, then quits today now that it's in the 90s and super humid. Sigh. This is the newest house I've lived in, but has the oldest systems.
the old man is snoring...it's pouring
Small house.??We knew the roof was on borrowed time, but with this rainy year it's been leaking so we are getting it replaced to the tune of $30k.
I have one like that too.My cat drools when you pet him.
Well… not for long, by the sound of it.Sigh. This is the newest house I've lived in, but has the oldest systems.
Should have just gotten rid of the ballasts and installed LED replacement bulbs that use 120V direct-wire.This is how my house has been. 10 years of ownership and the only thing that's original from when we moved in is the walls, refrigerator, and 2 windows - though to be fair the deck as well, but I did restore and repaint it. I'm never doing that again. Next time it's due I'm taking it out and planting grass.
My latest project has been replacing all of the ballasts for the plethora of florescent tube light fixtures I seem to have here.
I tried - but my fixtures are wired in a weird way so the LED replacements I tried to put in weren't igniting. It was confusing enough that it was cutting into my flying time so I returned them and just purchased ballasts - easier drop in replacement.Should have just gotten rid of the ballasts and installed LED replacement bulbs that use 120V direct-wire.
A mini-split? If you don't mind sharing, what brand?I just replaced one of my AC units a few weeks ago. Package unit (2Ton A/C and gas heat packed outside the house) which I was quoted $3K to repair, $8,500 to replace. I bought a brand new unit (same brand and tonnage) shipped to my door for $2,850 with pad. The good thing about package units is that they come pre-charged with refrigerant, so no real HVAC skills needed. Hook up 220V and thermostat wires and a gas line. Saved a bunch of money, but lost a 3-day weekend working a few hours in the mornings or evenings. I feel really bad for the folks that are on a shoestring budget (often elderly) who have no choice but to pay the price HVAC companies toss at them. My other AC unit is a 5-ton and is the normal split unit so I can't do the same magic on that one. It'll be $10K+ when it gives up he ghost (which it's 20+ years-old as it is).
Not a mini-split, a package unit. You see them a lot more on commercial applications, but in my case the kitchen/master BR are on a crawlspace and apparently it was easier to keep the entire unit outside rather than carve out an interior space for the heater/blower like a typical split system. It's a Goodman, which is a middle-of-the-road brand but gets the job done. The unit is connected to a plenum which provides the return and supply air ducts. Weighs about 450lbs, so I had to use the tractor with some forks on the bucket to move it into place.A mini-split? If you don't mind sharing, what brand?
Thanks for that! I'm not thrilled with the concept of mini-split, but I'm looking for an interim solution before adding central air, better than window or portable units. Central air is going to be more of a pita because the heat is hot water. I love the hw heat, but not helpful for the ac.
I used an online outfit called The AC Outlet. My unit actually shipped direct from Daikin (major AC/refrigeration manufacturer) in Wichita, KS. I was a little hesitant to make such a large purchase from an online retailer, but they had the unit to my door in less than 5 business days and offered free shipping (with liftgate if needed). I'm sure some of the more exclusive brands (Lennox/Trane/etc) can be difficult to get parts for if they're unique, but I've been able to buy capacitors or contactors straight from a local supply house and they didn't ask for any HVAC licensing IDs. I'm sure it might be different if I were trying to buy refrigerant or similar EPA-controlled items.Where/how do you buy your HVAC equipment? I have a whiny blower that one of our two contractors said he would come replace in January, and the other said he would come take a look in 2022. I’m starting to get to the DIY point but don’t want to install a Chinese listening device that wears out after two hours.
Congrats. Now why did they stop calling it the biennial? Seems like a fitting name for something you do every two years.Passed my flight review this morning. Free to menace the skies for another 24 calendar months.
You can get a flight review every day if you want.Congrats. Now why did they stop calling it the biennial? Seems like a fitting name for something you do every two years.
Put it on the curb first thing in the morning. If your neighborhood is anything like where I live, it will be gone by the time you get home.Still trying to find a way to get rid of refrigerator.
Las Vegas is really hot right now. I almost burst into flames walking between hotels.
Is it normal for the Alpha to be sitting on its tail like that?4 Rotax in a row.
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Is it normal for the Alpha to be sitting on its tail like that?
No clue.Is it normal for the Alpha to be sitting on its tail like that?
Did a little time building (and engine break-in) yesterday... 3.1 hrs, 1 take off, 1 landing.
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Mostly followed streams and rivers. Maybe next time I'll draw some shapes in the flight path- i'm just not that creative.