New furnace filter

I changed our furnace filter this past weekend. We have one of these big 20x25x6 'accordian-style' filters (pictured above). Those black things have, like, comb teeth that you have to space between the pleats and it takes a bit of work to make the change.

Awhile back, though, I picked up one of these at Menards that was in a box THAT size (instead of folded up in a small box).

When I went to install the new one I couldn't figure out how to get the filter OUT of the box. It's like it wouldn't open. Then I realized you simply slide the entire box into the casing. It took like two seconds!

I'm not sure how I like this though. It is definitely easier to replace, but it just doesn't seem right not having to go to a bunch of work to change it anymore. Plus, what am I supposed to do with the giant "comb" spacers?

We'll see. Maybe I need to learn to appreciate easy things for what they are. Like, harder isn't necessarily better. At least not always. I dunno.

***

Matthew 6:25-27

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

New furnace filter

I suppose our furnace is going to stop working now.  You know how these things work, right?

I changed the furnace filter today. It seems like whenever I do something preventative it always results in something going wrong.

Looking back, the last time I did it was May of last year, so it was probably due. It was dirty enough.

We have those big 20x25x6 pleated filters, and they're not cheap. I think they are supposed to be changed every year, but this may be the first time since we've lived here that I've done so.

Normally I order the Aprilaire 201 (that fits our model 2200) from Amazon. This year, in an effort to deprive Jeff Bezos of more bazillions, as well as save myself a few bucks ($10), I went to Menards down the street and got the BestAir A201. As I said, it was cheaper, and it looks exactly like the other one.

So whether the furnace will actually work or not I do not know. But when we do decide to turn it on, we should have a little cleaner air flowing through the house.

***

"Unless the Lord builds the house,
    the builders labor in vain." (Psalm 127:1a)

A new kitchen faucet

I had the pleasure of replacing our kitchen sink faucet this week (Wednesday). It wasn't really a 'pleasure', because I hate doing home projects like this. I'm always worried I know just enough to make things worse. This wasn't so bad though.

Our old faucet broke loose just before our guests arrived on Saturday (Isaac & Ricci). One of the two bolts that hold it onto the sink rotted away (actually, the washer). It was still held by the other bolt 'a little' but I knew it wouldn't last long. Sure enough, it was eventually left dangling atop the water pipes...

Initially I went to Menards in search of a couple replacement bolts and washers. After not finding anything there I got online and ordered two bolts and two giant washers that fit the old Delta faucet. It was just over $20. I also sprayed the old bolts with a 'liquid wrench'-like substance, hoping to have them loosened up by the time the new ones arrived.

As luck would have it, the place where I ordered the parts called and said they were out of stock and only had one bolt and one washer. So... I cancelled the order and decided it might be best to simply replace the entire faucet. This turned out to be the right move, because I never could get the old bolts to loosen (fortunately the washers were so rotted I just broke them loose).

So, as soon as our guests departed Wednesday, we headed to Menards and picked out a new faucet. We opted for one with a side sprayer instead of the detachable head. We already had a side sprayer, and these were a little cheaper. We did want the higher arch to wash pans and so I can get my melon head under the sink to wash my hair.

It was actually a pretty smooth process putting in the new faucet. I put a couple couch cushions in front of the sink with a yoga mat on top and that made it much more comfortable contorting my body in the nether regions of the under-sink. I think it took about an hour for removal of the old and installation of the new.

In the end, I'm pretty happy not only with the new sink, the ease of installation, but even the decision to replace instead of repair!

"The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden (and under the kitchen sink) to work it and take care of it." (Genesis 2:15)

Outside ac unit repair

A funny thing happened after I felt all good about changing the furnace filter yesterday...

I thought the house seemed a little warm when I woke up Saturday morning. I didn't think much of it, but later on I was outside and noticed the Air Conditioner unit outside making a funny noise. It was off, but every now and then it sounded like it was trying to start. Sure enough, it was.

My first instinct was to clean out around the outside of it and inside. There were some leaves and mulch and whatnot. Then I checked to make sure no circuit breakers had tripped. Finally I resorted to Google. Aha!

I happened across this swell youtube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpYHcXwu9JA) and it seemed like something I could maybe tackle. I tried exactly what this guy did - starting the fan by spinning it with a screwdriver - and my problem was the same as his. The capacitor was the culprit! Now, if only it wasn't the first day of a three-day weekend!

I looked online for the specific capacitor I needed. It runs both the fan and the compressor. I could get one for $10-$20, but getting it before Tuesday was going to be the problem (holiday weekend).

Well, it just happened that... Jane noticed a Coe Heating & Air Conditioning van parked at the neighbors house. While I was looking things up on the computer (which just happens to look onto their driveway) I saw him come out and get in his van. So I ran out and sort of sheepishly asked if he happened to have an extra capacitor on him. He asked what the problem was, and came over and looked at it.

Sure enough, it was a bad capacitor. He put the new one on right away, cleaned out the unit more thoroughly than I had (he used a hose with high water pressure), and this is when I was glad he was there... When he started it up, the compressor didn't come on right away. He sprayed it down with the hose and said he hoped it was just too hot and needed cooling down. He was right. It took right off. Then he checked the freon, and it was a little low. So he charged it up, and told me, by the way, this unit is 21 years old. Apparently at the end of this year they will no longer make parts for it and he said just to be aware that we are on borrowed time with it (they are rated to last 20 years). He said it may be another 20, or it may go out next week... it's just hard to say.

Anyway, I felt extremely fortunate that this guy was next door. He said he was only there doing a personal favor for our neighbor, so we owed her a big-time favor. He said because of that he wasn't going to charge us the $200 weekend/holiday service call fee. He only charged us for the parts, and it was $60, so I gave him $100 and thanked him profusely. I also said that when the time came to need a new ac unit, he would be getting our business.

What impressed me was that he never grumbled, he went above and beyond merely fixing what was wrong. He didn't have to clean the unit out and get himself wet and dirty. Plus, apparently it's been a family-owned business since 1962. Not only family-owned, but that's the year I was born. I can be oddly loyal about such things.

In the end, we averted a major discomfort on the first hot weekend of the summer, and discovered a new company to use for our HVAC needs.

Changed the furnace filter

I changed our furnace filter this morning. I think I bought it last year and it's been sitting there beside the furnace ever since. I thought it was probably time, and since m'Lady was still snoozing this morning and I was up early (as usual), I went ahead and did it.

Fortunately I wrote this post in 2011 with the kind of filter and a youtube video showing how to go about changing it. It's one of those accordion-type filters and there is no way I would have known what to do without google and youtube.

So, now that that's done, I turned the air back on and we can hopefully enjoy cleaner, better-smelling air quality on this 80+ degree day.

Carry on...

Oven fixed (again!)

Our oven stopped working yet again this past Thursday. Of course it happened to be when we had all the kids here visiting.

We just bought it in May of 2014 at the local appliance store down the street. It's nice that they can come fix it in a reasonable amount of time, but this is the FOURTH time it's stopped working in 2 years!! I'm beginning to think the Whirlpool model WFG530SOAW1 gas range is perhaps a lemon.

Anyway, last week when they fixed it they just adjusted the igniter elements - because it wasn't lighting (which has always been the problem). Since we were idiots and didn't pay for the extended warranty, we had to pay for the labor. Well, when he came to fix it Friday he just went ahead and replaced the igniter. He only charged us for the part and not the labor because he admitted he probably should have done that to begin with. So that was at least nice.

While I don't regret buying local, I do dread the thought of replacing ANY appliances. They honestly don't make them like they used to (said the appliance repairman). Gone are the days when you could buy a refrigerator, washer/dryer, oven, dishwasher, or any such standard item and trust that it would last a good 20 years or so. I suppose that's what they call "progress."