During our inspection, we suspected that the HVAC and hot water heater were going to need something. Being the optimist that I am (haha), I was hoping for a little freon and a good cleaning. Turns out neither work properly. Who knows with the HVAC and most likely a burned out element in the water heater (according to Al).
The HVAC service came out to inspect the HVAC unit. It was completely out of freon and a little dirty. The unit seems to be the original unit to the apartment/condo (optimism fading) but it was checked for leaks, filled up with freon and a good cleaning. They would check back next week to see if the freon was holding.
You guessed it. Theydidn't even need to wait a week. If the freon leaks down far enough, the outside compressor will shut off as a safety feature but the inside air will still blow. I guess I should have mentioned that this is an electric system around 15 years old. I don't know the details. Two days later, I turn on the system, patiently watch the outside fan (yes, I am that person) - nothing! Al goes out and hits the reset button on the compressor and it starts. We call the HVAC service.
Turns out there are several tiny leaks on the outside compressor. Replace! No holes inside. Probably should replace anyway for energy efficiency and warranty. Decisions.
Good news! Al replaced one the heating elements in the hot water heater! Next, he has to drain the water heater and replace the other - fingers crossed.
Now to make the decision about the HVAC. This is really a no brainer. The entire thing should be replaced. This way, we could be energy efficient with a warranty. I also heard about a germicidal ultraviolet light that can be installed in the cooling/heating system. The gadget looks something like this.
It is supposed to improve the quality of the air inside your house. There are forums out there with mixed reviews. You can find some here - Germicidal UV for cooling/heating reviews. While I don't think this would have much of an effect on pollen and dander, I do think it might improve the overall quality of the air. I'm intrigued and plan to do more research.
Another little gadget that I've found is a thermostat called The Nest.
Hannah and I saw it at Lowe's. The marketing video did it's job and had us fascinated. It runs about $300 and is totally not in the budget! It basically learns your lifestyle in about a week and sets your house temperature accordingly. In the long run, it saves you money on your heating and air cost. My first thought about this gadget is that it isn't for us. Someone is always coming and going in our house. We leave for the day, but my mother comes a few hours later to babysit our Yorkie, Cookie. Home from school, back out, you get the idea of a busy family with kids. I'm not sure this thing would ever learn our lifestyle. Still, it is really cute and you can control it from your smartphone! I guess I should mention that there seems to be some issues with it coming back on after a power outage and finding certain wi-fi routers. Maybe we can wait for the 3rd or 4th generation when all the "bugs" are out, but it sure is cute and modern.
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