Last minute trip leads to HVAC disaster

Sometimes I think that people are just too anxious to slow down and make reasonable decisions.

Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand how humans can get flighty and overly antsy to get moving at times.

However, if you do not take the correct steps to properly plan and coordinate major decisions you will regret it down the road. This is what I kept trying to tell my brothers when they insisted that we should take an international trip last week. There was absolutely no time for anyone to plan our travel arrangements or housing before we departed. I tried to tell them that we should slow down, choose our housing situation carefully, and make sure there were no surprises. Instead, we got a massive surprise when we arrived at our rental house and found out that there was no central heating, cooling, or air quality control system. Apparently, the entire central HVAC system was being renovated with a brand new energy efficient heating and cooling system. This was awesome, except the air quality control equipment was not going to be installed until a week after our departure. The professional heating, cooling, and air quality control specialists were not going to disturb our stay by finishing the HVAC installation while we were there. This meant, we had absolutely no indoor air handling equipment for the entire week. The worst part of it was, if we had slowed it down and read the rental agreement we would have known about the heating and cooling project. The HVAC renovation was listed right on the rental details page. Too bad we were in such a hurry.

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Fresh air – so many air filters

Sometimes I have to be careful about what I say to my girlfriend.

As much as I love her, she really takes things overboard sometimes.

You can give her the smallest idea and watch it snowball into a massive life overhaul in a matter of weeks. Even though I know this about her, I still make the mistake of speaking freely about things that will have long-term ramifications from time to time. This is exactly what happened when I started growing concerned with our indoor air quality and poorly managed indoor air temperature control system. For as long as we have lived in this house the indoor air temperature has been unpredictable, at best. Sometimes the central heating and cooling system seems like it works just fine and sometimes the air handling devices will really throw you for a loop. I told my girlfriend that the hot and cold temperature fluctuations were starting to bother me, as was the perpetually stale smell in the air. I really wanted to be able to open the windows and let in some fresh air to reset our unfortunate air quality. Of course, I never should have said such things to my lady. All of a sudden, she became obsessed with indoor air quality and fresh air in our home. The next thing that I knew, there was a massive box sitting on our front doorstep one day. My girlfriend had purchased a bulk pack of 100 air filters to theoretically help with the indoor air pollution problem. They aren’t even the right size. I should have known better than to recklessly mention our indoor air quality.

 

heater maintenance

HVAC on long train ride

When I was younger I thought that road trips were absolutely miserable.

I really did not enjoy sitting still for longer than an hour or two at a time.

When I was dating somebody who lived 3 hours away, I honestly thought that I was trekking across the world to go visit him. These days I have a completely different mindset about spending time on long travel excursions. In fact, I just finished taking a cross country train ride that spanned several days to complete. I would tell you that the trip was absolutely amazing, if it wasn’t for the terrible indoor air quality contained on the train. If you have ever been stuck in a public transportation vehicle where you have no control over the indoor air quality or air temperature, you know how uncomfortable it can be. You quickly start to become claustrophobic when you cannot breathe easily and you are sweating in your seat. This is something I realized within 5 minutes of climbing aboard the swelteringly hot train. As I climbed up the steps to the vehicle I realized that the indoor air was going to be stagnant and humid. It felt like there was absolutely no air conditioning system whatsoever. I tried to settle down into my seat and get comfortable despite the unfortunate indoor air quality. However, as more passengers filed on, the indoor air quality only declined. Let me tell you, after two days of sitting on a stinky, sweaty train with no semblance of fresh air or circulation… I began reconsidering my opinion on traveling again.

Portable space heater

Setting up basement office

For the past two years I have been working extremely hard on a big project of mine. It is a mental health awareness and support group that other people really seem to appreciate. I enjoy spending my time on it and feeling like I am giving back to people with similar struggles. However, I have never had the environment or infrastructure to take the project extremely seriously. In fact, I always find myself working on long, arduous articles as I sit at a kitchen table or sofa. I decided that I finally wanted to set up a home office so I could concentrate on my work more steadily. Then, I realized that indoor air quality was going to be a massive part of my new work environment. At first, I thought I just needed to buy a desk and a few pieces of technology. Then, I realized one of the most important pieces of technology was going to be a new indoor air handling system. You see, my central heating, cooling, and air quality control system does not work very well. The house is generally fluctuating from hot to cold throughout the day and our energy bills are nothing to be jealous of. The problem is even more complicated because my office needs to be set up in the basement which is always ice cold. The space is not attached to the central heating, cooling, and air quality control units. Therefore, I either need to extend the energy inefficient central heating and cooling system all the way into the basement or I need an alternative air quality control unit. Right now, I’m looking at purchasing a gas powered fireplace or a full mini split ductless heating and cooling system. I need to work more before I can afford either.

 

 

hydronic heater

Saving energy with less heater use

I can tell you right now that I am a bit finicky when it comes to indoor air quality and air temperature control. I know most people are not as sensitive as I am to external stimuli, including the temperature that surrounds me and the amount of circulation in the room. To be truthful, I do not enjoy the feeling of air passing over my skin or drafts in my space. I really like to have a warm, stagnant environment in order to concentrate and feel comfortable. I know that most folks are on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to ideal temperature control ranges and air quality. Basically everyone I know insists that they need to have a fan running in order to circulate chilly indoor air at all times. This indoor air quality control setup could not make me more uncomfortable. This is why I find winter to be a gift and a curse. I absolutely love having a warm, toasty environment that everybody agrees on. For once, in the winter I can set the thermostat rather high without people complaining about sweating through their shirts. However, utilizing my forced air furnace to create the ideal indoor air temperature environment has the negative downstream effect of costing me an arm and a leg in energy bills. This year, I’m desperately trying to cut down on my heating system usage so I can stop handing so much money to the utility company. Instead, it looks like I will be wearing 50 layers of clothes inside. At least I won’t feel a draft.

heated floors

Cold symptoms and dirty heating unit

I know for a fact that the air filter needed to be changed and the air ducts needed to be cleaned

Sometimes I wonder if people are actually as unhealthy as they claim to be. Or, I should say I wonder if they need to be as unhealthy as they claim to be. It seems like a lot of folks these days bring on their own physical ailments by treating themselves very poorly. I am not one to talk, because I have only recently realized how much my drinking and smoking habits impair my ability to function at full capacity. However, now I am thinking a lot about the other ways I could improve my life to improve my health. One of the things I have been considering a great deal is my central heating, cooling, and air quality control system. I know for a fact that I do not take good care of my forced air furnace or air conditioning unit. In fact, I rarely ever bother to arrange professional heating, cooling, and air quality control appointments. I find professional HVAC maintenance services to be very costly and rarely necessary. That being said, I know that your indoor air quality directly affects your respiratory health and overall immune system functioning. This is why I can’t stop wondering if I actually had a cold last month or my central HVAC system was just filthy. I know for a fact that the air filter needed to be changed and the air ducts needed to be cleaned. There’s a good chance that I never was suffering from a viral attack on my immune system… But had to battle a dust attack on my central heating, cooling, and air quality control system.

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You think the South is cold

I know that it is extremely warm down there most of the year, but they could make alterations if they want a nicer climate

Sometimes I think that people will complain about anything if given the chance. They really enjoyed commiserating over the things that are not going right in their lives, more so than they enjoy finding solutions to fix the problems. This is why I have a hard time listening to people who are whining about their circumstances in life. If you aren’t happy with the way things are going, you should start making a plan to change them. This is something I have been trying to tell my own family for several years now when they perpetually complain about the outdoor air temperature where they live. You see, my family decided to move to the South many years ago. When I was growing up, I realized that the outdoor air temperature was not ideal for me so I relocated to the north. I appreciate the lower air temperatures and lack of humidity that I can experience, which greatly reduces my reliance on heating, cooling, and air quality control equipment. My family stayed in the south where they continually complain about the outdoor heat and humidity. I know that it is extremely warm down there most of the year, but they could make alterations if they want a nicer climate. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend that my family moves to my cold winter climate, either. They already complain heartily about the relatively mild cold season in the South, I would hate for them to start whining about the brutal winter that I experienced here in the North every single year, instead.

heating device

Getting new AC for elderly neighbor

I don’t think that I am a particularly kind or compassionate person, but other people disagree.

Most days of my life are littered with human beings getting in touch with me to share heartfelt thank yous for the work that I do in the world.

To be honest, as much as I enjoy supporting a mental health community and education podcast… I engage in the project for myself, more than anyone else. Still, other humans seem to think that I am generous and philanthropic. At least, I can try to be in my day-to-day life… Like right now, trying to secure a brand new air conditioning system for my extremely elderly neighbor. You see, my next door neighbor has been suffering from heating, cooling, and air quality control breakdowns for as long as I have lived here. His central heating and cooling system is at least 20 years old. He refuses to replace the forced air furnace or air conditioning system because he insists that he will not be around long enough to enjoy the high-quality indoor air. Still, I can’t stand knowing that his air conditioning unit breaks down roughly every month and he can only afford a professional heating, cooling, and air quality control appointment to repair the cooling system roughly every three months. This is why I am trying to purchase a brand new central cooling system for my neighbor at the moment. I know he won’t accept financial donations for his HVAC appointments, but maybe he will take this modern air conditioning unit from me if he has no choice.

hvac equipment

A home pottery studio

Now, I have been investing in dehumidification and additional temperature control monitoring devices to make sure that my new studio maintains the ideal indoor air quality

When I was younger I really enjoyed making arts and crafts. I would lock myself in my bedroom every weekend and waste my time constructing strange projects with play, yarn, and tape. I also was an avid drawer and painter when I had the time as a kiddo. To this day, I wish that I had more spare time to practice my favorite creative hobbies. In fact, there have always been additional arts and crafts hobbies that I have wanted to attempt. This is why I took a pottery class at the local Cultural Center a few months ago. Wouldn’t you know, now I find myself constructing my own home pottery studio. It turns out, purchasing a clay wheel and a kiln is not all that expensive. However, the indoor air quality control equipment that is required to keep your clay and finished pottery projects in good condition is a whole other story. It turns out, you cannot rely on basic central heating, cooling, and air quality control when you are planning on utilizing temperamental play. If the indoor air temperature or air quality is not contained within a very tight range of appropriate air conditions, you are bound to ruin your clay. The air temperature matters just as much as the amount of humidity contained inside your home, it turns out. Now, I have been investing in dehumidification and additional temperature control monitoring devices to make sure that my new studio maintains the ideal indoor air quality. My HVAC renovations have been considerable, so I really hope my interest in pottery lasts longer than my other hobbies have.

 

 

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Party was frosty cold; I left

You know, I have a reputation for being an harshly strenuous human being.

I do not suppose that I actually am that challenging, however I do guess that I have a lot of impulsive behaviors that can be strenuous to understand, however often times, I am operating on the same seasoned fight, flight, fries, plus fawn responses that I learned while in my tumultuous upbringing, and unfortunately, other people do not properly understand when you are operating on survival instincts instead of a up-to-date human brain.

This is one of the things that I am still having to work on, especially after creating a big scene at my work party last week. You see, I am harshly sensitive to indoor air temperatures on top of everything else. I cannot kneel a burning warm or frosty chilly room, because my body does not regulate my temperature actually well. I have to rely on the central heating, cooling, plus air quality control systems that can be found in most up-to-date residential plus Commercial properties. Unfortunately, when somebody has thermostat settings that do not agree with my own temperature control preferences, things can get difficult. This is what happened at our office party. I walked in plus the air temperature was frosty cold. It felt like somebody was blasting me with arctic air. I tried to stay moderate by going outside plus putting on additional layers, however nothing was offsetting the Ice Cold air Conditioning. Eventually my body was getting so over stimulated by the cool temperatures that I needed to leave. I found myself in a “Flight” state from the brutal chilly air plus I could not stop it; FYI – pulling an Irish Goodbye at your boss’s party doesn’t go over well.

 

 

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