On June 30th, the company that services our air conditioner came by to perform a “maintenance check.” All appeared to be working satisfactorily and we thought we were prepared for the predicted hot summer months.
The next week, as the weather did indeed begin to warm up, we felt comfortable knowing our A/C was in good working order.
WRONG! As the outside temperatures began to climb, so did the temperature readings in our home.
It didn’t take long for us to see/feel that the system was not performing as it should and we quickly placed a call for service. The technician arrived on July 8th and after examining the unit, advised us we had a Freon leak* — and the coils would need to be replaced. This was not a “minor” repair (translated: $$$$), but what else could we do but agree?
Then we got the really bad news.
It was going to take anywhere from 10 days to two weeks before the repairs could be done as the company had to order the necessary part. With frustration and a bit of annoyance, we agreed to move forward.
So from July 8th until July 27th, we sweltered in temperatures that ranged from 95°F to 100°F (35°-38°C). Fortunately, the other-half has an A/C unit in his workshop (and a computer), so he spent most of his days there. We also own a motorhome (with air conditioning), so I took my laptop and notebooks and spent my days in it. And we both slept there at night.
This doesn’t mean it was all a “piece of cake.” Our usual and normal routine tasks were all out-of-whack, including the care and feeding of our two dogs. Fortunately, they were able to spend their days in the workshop and their nights with us in the motorhome. And since they trust us completely, they adjusted well.
FINALLY, on Wednesday (the 27th), the repairs were completed and we rejoiced knowing our lives would now return to normal.
WRONG AGAIN!
The unit performed perfectly the remaining part of that day and overnight. But the next day as the outside temperatures started to climb, I noticed the readings on the thermostat were also climbing.
To make this long story not quite so long … we were extremely fortunate that the repair guy was able to come back on Saturday, the 30th.
Curiously, after thoroughly checking everything (and then some), he was unable to locate the exact reason for the A/C failure. In any event, he was able to return the unit back to working condition.
So FINALLY … we are once again enjoying a cool home.
— End of my “Warm” Story —
I hope. 🤞
+~+~+~+~+
*A bit of history — ever since we moved here, we’ve had problems with the A/C –and each time we were told it needed Freon. Ordinarily, this would mean a leak, but none of the techs ever mentioned this. It was not until this latest episode that someone finally made the determination.
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Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
Nan's Notebook 
How long have you been using that maintenance service?
There are a couple of sets of coils in a cooling unit. The expansion coils somewhere inside the home, and the condenser coils outside, in a metal cabinet. They are made of a lot of copper and/or aluminum tubing. No moving parts to wear out.
Just say’in.
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We’re aware. And without going into any more history, suffice it to say we trust the guy that recommended the repair. BTW, it was the outside coils … and the unit is over 10 years old.
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ok.
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But do you trust the guy who “came by to perform [the] maintenance check”? Seems mighty coincidental that the A/C failed dhortly after his visit, in which he found nothing erong. Like cagjr, just sayin’.
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You guys! Don’t be so damn suspicious! Trust OUR instincts, for Pete’s sake! WE are the ones who were footing the bill.
Besides, the story was about more about our personal circumstances than it was about the repairs!!
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😄
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But Nan, all the repair workers were males, correct!? 😉 hehe
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We went with what you gave us. With the number of scams going on in the world, cold callers are suspect, especially for seniors. We often get people knocking on our door, offering to check various things. We send them all away.
Maybe things are different in the States, but scammers are all over seniors in Canada.
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Hello Nan. I am liking this post because I hope the unit is fixed and you will be able to stay cool and get back to your normal routine. I understand your frustration. Some years ago our A/C unit quit, and we replaced it with a used unit that had a 12 month warranty. On month 13 it also quit. So we went with window units until Ron got done changing the floor plan of the house. Now we are getting bids for a split system which will give us individual fan / controls for each room with the rest of the system outside. We have been told this is the way to go if putting in a new system as it costs less to run. Again I hope all is fixed with your unit. These are not times to be without A/C with the current worldwide global warming heatwave. Hugs
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Thanks, Scottie. Yes, it appears the unit is finally fixed and working properly.
Hopefully, we won’t have to ever think/worry about going the entire replacement route — especially considering our ages. Those that follow us would most certainly get more benefit from the system than we ever would!
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These days with blue-collar workers—who sadly are always struggling to make ends meet, esp in this insane inflation!—or contractors or small businesses that rely completely on said blue-collars, I don’t really trust them at all. But then again… I AM in the deep armpit of rural central Texas and we are surrounded everywhere by these type workers and small local businesses. This plays heavily into my distrust of (white) blue-collars NOT out to gouge us as much as possible, always INVENTING problems that at first don’t exist… just to fatten the bottom-line. Maybe it’s totally different up there where you are Nan.
BUT… I’m just speaking from our many decades of experience here. After all, it IS the 19th-century Wild Wild West down here. Hope your A/C problems are truly repaired, at least until next summer. 😉
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Damn it! I’m going to delete this post if ONE MORE person makes accusations related to our situation.
I happened to do considerable RESEARCH on the problem that we faced — PLUS the fact the repair person SHOWED us the reason the coils needed to be replaced.
AND … as I said before … I wrote this post to share an EXPERIENCE … not to judge the repair work or the workers.
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Stuff just happens. Leaks develop in these systems all of the time. The coils may not move but there is still thermal stresses that cause the coils to expand and contract which, over time, can cause almost microscopic cracks in the copper or aluminum tubing. We just replaced our AC system a couple of years ago for the same reasons, the coils or lines were starting to develop leaks. It sounds like the technician you were working with knew what he was doing.
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THANK YOU!!!!
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Nan you don’t go deleting this post. Though this comment has made me chuckle.
Glad ac problems are now behind you and everything is cool now. Is Oregon semi arid area? Those temperatures are high!
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No, I won’t delete the post, altho’ I admit I was tempted. Armchair critics are the worst …
We’re based in the No. part of So. Oregon (if that makes sense). The particular area we live in has been called the Banana Belt since overall, the temps are generally quite mild. But as with many areas on our planet, temps are changing and from our understanding (we’ve only been here five years), summers in the area are getting much warmer and drier.
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Nan: not to get personal/off topic, but my sister just relocated from Ashland to Olympia because of drought and heat. Don’t recall if that is your area (not stalking, just curious). I will note it was hotter in Olympia this week Thani. Vacahell,land of the ever ending mid 90s
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We lived northwest of Ashland before we moved — in Josephine County. Your sister’s move is a pretty big change! Ordinarily lots of rain there, but the weather has been pretty radical lately in a LOT of places!
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Stick to football and religion. Can’t go wrong!
😎
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That’s debatable (no pun intended).
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Hearing of your somewhat warm summer up there, temps confirmed by my BIL in Portugal, I’m wondering what sort of summer we are going to have down here?
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If one believes the climate-change folks, probably a hot one!
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I’m glad you got it fixed. I’m in Fla and it would be unbearable without AC, although I grew up here and until I was in junior high, we had no AC..can’t believe I survived.
If you are where I think you are…Oregon?…you’ve had some unbelievably hot temps!
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Yes … we live in the more Central part of Oregon. Most of the really heavy-duty heatwave has been north of us, but we’ve been getting our share!
We had a swamp cooler when I was a kid. ALMOST as bad as no cooling. 😣
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Yikes ! For someone that abhors hot temperatures, this read like a horror story to me !
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Believe me, it FELT like a horror story!!
Thanks for stopping by. ❤
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The first thing I’d do is investigate the… no, just kidding!
Glad your cooling down! Ain’t no joke to be without air in our new air fryer world. We have had, and I’m guessing here, but in the last month, 28 days of it had us in 100+ heat index. I went for probably 6 weeks without cutting the grass for fear it would kill it dead. It finally rained a wee bit and I cut grass the next day, but as high as the mower can cut.
Finally, today our temps were under 90. We went out and enjoyed the day on the lake. Got rained on. Got windy out there and pretty damn rough. We loved every minute of it.
I’m such a lucky guy, the wife asked to go! Don’t have to ask me twice.
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I’m so glad you had other options during this time, and glad it now is … touch wood … working properly once again! Fingers crossed that it holds up for the rest of the summer! We had our a/c troubles early in the summer, late spring, before the temps climbed into the 90s, and all has been well (touch wood again) since then! It is impossible to breathe when it’s 90+ indoors and even a fan doesn’t help!
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Oh my, Jill. I had to snicker at your “touch wood” comments (I’d always heard the phrase “knock on wood”), along with “fingers crossed.” It’s almost prophetic since the system went down AGAIN late afternoon yesterday. (And back to the motorhome we went.)
We’re really not sure what’s going on as the repair person was extremely thorough in his final checks when he was here on Saturday. And then, to make it all even more strange … we tried it again this AM and it’s working!!??! Of course as we all know, it’s the late afternoon that becomes so unbearable and that’s when it quit.
In any event, thanks for the wood touching. Keep it up and maybe things will all come together for good.
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Ha ha … that is the influence of my Brit friends!!! It is ‘knock on wood’ here, but every time I use that, they remind me that it’s ‘touch wood’ over there, so it’s just become natural for me to use that!
Oh my! I’m so sorry it’s gone down again! Or … is it working again? I don’t know about where you are, but here it’s supposed to be in the mid-90s by mid-week … we got a little bit of a break for the last week or so, but it’s heading back up now. I shall keep touching the wood … and my fingers remain crossed! Do keep us posted!
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Nan, I understand what you’re going through. Hang in there. Hugs
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Just be thankful we don’t live in the Delhi area in India. What will happen when a country with over a billion people becomes unlivable?
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One thing about it … many of them would want to relocate to a nearby river! 😖
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