Today our washer and drier arrived. We went with an Energy Star rated clothes washer since we figure it will save us money in the long run (and since we get a nice rebate from our power company for buying it). They look nice in our laundry nook.
Action Plumbing & Air also came by to “green sticker” our furnace…which apparently needs to be done to verify that it’s safe, and in good working order. Seems like a racket to me.
The guy that checked it out found that the interior fan was pretty clogged up with dirt (since it looked like the previous tenants hadn’t changed the air filter since the Regan administration), which he claimed could overheat the system and break the whole thing. Cost to clean it? $350.00.
So I said, “umm, that’s not really in my budget. Can I clean it?” He looked at me funny and then cut me a deal. He would dismantle and reassemble the blower system and motor for $50 and I could clean it.
So he did, and I did. It took a little improvisation (our toothbrushes were still packed), but I found a way to de-gunk it enough for it to pass code. He told me in 40 years of working with furnaces, that’s the first time any of his clients has ever cleaned their own drum fan. I took that as a compliment, and saved $300.
Screwdriver: $2.75
Bits of old carpet pad: $0.00
Not having to pay $300 for a task that took me 20 minutes: Priceless Ok, technically $300.
your home is lovely. i am so very impressed with your saving so much by cleaning your furnace. that is the kind of thing my mom would have done. she was a MAJOR bargain hunter in everything.loads of love grandma h
Good job Tom. That is funny and smart.