Looking at it though, I probably use the word chaos far too much. Still, I feel like it's okay because over the past week chaos and I have been BFFs. Let's do a quick rundown of the fun.. (one- so you will understand my chaos and two- so I can make a list. I heart lists.)
Sunday
+removed kitchen cabinets from wall
+covered as much of house as possible in plastic dropcloths
+realized air conditioner was not working
+melted
Monday
+went to work
+called Jackson Heating and Air to check on air conditioner
+got a call from Uncle Contractor, approved to call in electrician
+got a call from Jackson Heating and Air and left work early to meet them
+found out air conditioner/heat pump/air handler needs replacing
+ran by vet to pick up pills for Loki (our devil kitty)
+ bought a few fans
+ still melted
Tuesday
+called out from work (sorry IC ladies!)
+met with Jackson Heating and Air salesdouche
+recieved a quote of over ten thousand dollars to replace everything air conditioner related in house
++++freaked out+++++
+called the Dad and the Man
+prepped cats for Vet
+called Uncle Contractor's air guy and Dear Mother's air guy for estimates
+took cats to Vet
+met with air guys & Uncle Contractor's drywall crew
+got estimates, picked up cats, and dashed to my grad class
+came home, took cold shower
+melted again!
Wednesday
+flat tire
+late to work
+the Dad fixed my tire and picked me up from work
+met with Uncle Contractor's air guy and paid him $$$
+dashed to my 2nd grad class
+ did not melt!!
Thursday
+ priced other cool things with the Man after a long day of work
and here we are...
As you can tell, not as chaotic as it could have been.. but it's been a very expensive week. It's all worth it though because I've learning a lot from the experience and have some amazing transformations to share eventually.
Although heating and air is not the most thrilling thing in the world, I've had a crash course in a few basics over the past week. With the "Energy Star Tax Credit" that a lot of people are talking about it might help to know a few key facts. I researched this when trying to decide if we should spend the extra now on a higher efficiency rated heat pump, or just save the cash. If you are planning on making some improvements to your home in order to make it more energy efficient or if you are suprised with an opportunity like ours to do so, keep these things in mind:
Research (if you have time) what size heat pump you need.
For our home we initially had a 1993 model [yup, our A/C was old enough to drive] 8 SEER 2 ton heat pump. By getting a new model we would be changing the type of freeon it uses because of govermental regulations. We decided to upgrade from a 2 ton to a 2.5 ton capacity. We're hoping this will keep our nerdy nest artic cool even in the dead heat of Alabama summers. Along with that, we agreed to nab a 15 SEER unit. We went with the 15 SEER to qualify for the Tax Credit (which will bring us about $1200 back next tax season) and for the monthly estimated savings of $20 on our power bill.
You might also want to check out the Energy Star Tax Credit site to see if your purchase will qualify. As with anything that is government driven, there are some strings attached, for us it was all based on a SEER rating greater than or equal to 14.
And please, for the love of Pete (or anyone else) shop around! I learned my lesson. We saved a *ton* by getting a number of estimates and by taking to heart a few word of mouth recommendations. I'm beginning to amass a number of experts that I would be glad refer you to if you need a/an: Accountant, Realtor, Contractor/Tiler/Drywall team, Mechanic, Tire Guy, and now HVAC expert. Not to mention that the Dad and Uncle Contractor are always willing to help with suggestions from their pool of pros.
Along with trying to recover from our suprise outage, upgrading our nest, trying to finish out my 2nd semester of graduate school, and the Man working late nights and going in for early mornings-- I also need to begin preparing for helping Dear Mother after her surgery. She'll be having a knee replacement in early May which, in looking at my packed calendar, is only 3 weeks away!
So.. although it has surely been chaotic this week and I really can't see things slowing down, I am still thrilled with the changes that we've been able to make to our home and grateful that even though everything seems to be happening at one time.. it's better now than never.
I know this nerdy bird has been running around like a chicken with her head cut off and I'm not a fan of winging it, but I think if we can keep aloft over the chirpin' chaos of this next month we'll be flying high and our nerdy nest will be something to crow about.
(That outpouring of birdy nonsense was a little ridiculous, but I had to. I just had to - I got stuck on "nerdy bird" and couldn't let it go.)
To close, in honor of our gorgeous weather on a Friday afternoon and in response to my sniffles and watery eyes.. a quick quote from a friend's facebook status:
"Dear plants: I know you are trying to reproduce and all, but please.. give it a break!"
I love the blooms, I love all the pretty spring colors and I am hoping for some more pretty weather.. especially now that I won't be melting thanks to our lovely new investment. Cheers to sunshine and the weekend!
No comments:
Post a Comment