Bad Timing. Furnace Fails.

I like cold weather well enough.

But gosh darn it, today I noticed it was getting colder and colder in the house.  I thought I better turn up the thermostat that maybe I forgot to turn it back up this morning.  I turn it down for the night.

Then I remembered it seemed cold and quiet in here last night, when I got home.  I was gone much of the day.  Turning up the thermostat didn't have any affect.  The fan wasn't working either, but I could hear the heat pump outside going strong.  I went into the garage, and not a sound was the furnace making, except some strange clicks. I put my ear against its metal side, to listen and all I heard was an ominous low hum.

Uh oh.  Regardless, I flipped the circuit breakers on and off and changed the batteries in the thermostat.  Still, nothing.  I called my brother, who is still up in Washington visiting his daughter.   He said I better call a repairman.  So I tried.  I went down the list of those listed for Albany.

Numbers disconnected.  No answers.  One was closed til Monday for the holiday.  I finally got one answer.  They came right away.  The news was not good.  The blower motor is frozen up and there's a coupling bad too.  I asked why and he said "old age".  The furnace is 40 years old, original with the house, which was built in the early 70's.

I can understand things freezing up with age.  I can understand that concept real well.

However, the timing is certainly not the best.  Accuweather says tomorrow the high will be 41 degrees and the low 24 degrees.  24 degrees is pipe freezing weather and without heat, that's all I need as add on--frozen broken pipes.

My brother said to get the cats to lay atop the pipes to keep them warm.  Sure.  Right.

I'll just pile cats on me, wear them as heaters.

The heat guy said he might be able to get a new motor on Monday, he's not sure.  I said "see you then".  He says, "I hope you can keep warm."  I said, "No worries," and slapped my stomach, "body fat."

These things happen.