Not bad work for an Accountant

The AC has been wimpy and folks it's hot! I could take it no more. So I call the guy that remodeled my bathroom hoping for a bargain or at least a name of a trusted AC guy. He gives me the name of a guy he calls honest. Which actually the guy was.

I call the AC guy. He asked if I had cleaned the cool hair return filter recently. I hesitantly say "last year". Well you're suppose to clean it every month. Oh! Take it off and look at it. Okay, it's off. What kind is it. I don't know. It's oblong. Well is it green or blue? It's green. That's a rubberized Hog Hair filter. What a name, it sure fits. That is actually what it is rubberized hog hair. Hmmm. I am ready for Trivial Pursuit.

Now clean the filter. Then clean the coils. What coils? One in the AC unit and one in the furnace. Is the coil in the bottom or top of the furnace. Uh? Top, uh no bottom. I reflect upon it for a moment. Okay many years ago I was in the top section. It's in the bottom.

First turn off the power to the furnace, then the thermostat, and finally the AC unit. Is there a switch there? Yes it's on the side of the house. Okay I see it. Now you can't wash the coils off from the outside you have to spray them from the inside. So take the AC apart. What? Krap! Then clean the coil. Now the coil is the thing that looks like a radiator right? yes. Whew that's cleared up.

I go to task. Turn off the thermostat, then the furnace, and look at the box on the side of the wall. I don't know about you folks but electrical boxes bring back memories of playing with electric sockets. Not good. I pull off the cover and to my surprise no hanging wires. Just some kind of pull plug that says "to turn off pull out". Okay I can do that. Done! Then I take the screws out holding the top. Two surprises, one the fan is connected to the top and two, the grill falls off the front. I hate engineers! Well I take the hose and spray thoroughly. One thing I cannot believe. The hose springs a leak and the water nails me square in the eyes. Amazing! Oh well sweat as soaked me to my underwear anyway. It is hot as I said. So then I decide before I put it together I should wash the cool air return filter so it had time to dry. Well that was like watching mud run it was so dirty. Soon enough the water turns clear. I hang it on the gate to dry. Shouldn't take long in this heat.

I go back to assembling the AC. Trying to line up the grill while holding the top with an big electric motor is a challenge and time consuming. Then you're bent at very strange angles trying to hold the top, the grill, and the screwdriver. Finally it's back together. Now for the coil in the furnace. I look it over, there's screws all over the place which one. Well the first one is the wrong one I discover. Okay, Oh look the front panel is actually two panels. So I take out the screws I think do the job. But the darn thing won't come off. Wait there's silicone hold that thing together. A gentle tug and it's off. Then there's the coil. I want to say it's a good thing I've lost some weight here. Because I was on my hands and knees in a tight spot. Made it so much easier to get around. Now I take some compressed air I had to clean my computer and keyboard and go at it. Finished, put back the panel and the extra screw and I'm done. Run outside put the switch back into place, turn on the furnace, and then turn on the thermostat. Nada, nothing, It's not doing a thing. I run out to check the switch. It's in. However I pull it out and replug it. Then I notice a black tube is right in the middle of the fans. That's not good. In fact that is very bad. The fan comes on and hits those wires in the tube it could cause a short or at least ruin the electric motor. I keep a fence around my AC unit to keep dogs from peeing on my unit. Well when I had dogs. I keep it there now to keep people from stealing my AC. At least a deterrent. But darn it. I have to take the fence down a second time and then the tedious job of reassembling the AC again. No choice here. I'm back at it. I pull the black tube to the side and lock into a channel in the housing. Then again the reassemble.

Everything is back together. I once again run around turning on the furnace, AC switch, and thermostat. Nothing. Uhg. I check the fuse. Looks good but still I replace it. Then I run to the fuse box and switch the AC lever on and then off. Nothing. Back outside. I look at the switch. I take it out and turn it the other way. Nope, not working. So I put it in again and then push a bit harder and jiggle it to make sure it is full connected.

Now I am really pouring out the sweat. I pray that this does the trick. I turn the thermostat on again. Nope. I lower it, nope, I lower it some more. Yaye! it comes on.

I can't say it's an ice box in here but it sure is better. I can actually feel a breeze coming from the vents. I'm sure it needs a touch of freon but this is ever so much better.