Archive - June, 2008

Lessons from the AC failure

With both cooling units failing in my house over the past week, I have learned a lot about heat pumps.

I thought I would share a few things that I have been told.  Feel free to correct me if I am wrong!

  • Loud electrical buzzing sounds coming from the exterior unit are not normal and should be looked into right away.
  • If you have to put both hands right against the vents to see if air is blowing out, and you still have to guess whether or not it is blowing out air - it's not!
  • If you use your electronic thermostat to adjust the temperature more than two degrees, you will be activating the emergency heat strips in the wintertime.  This is horribly inefficient and be prepared to fork out a ton of cash to cover that cost.
  • Heat pumps work most efficiently when they are set at a temperature and left there.
  • The cool air blowing out of the vents should be at least twenty degrees less than the outside air temperature.
  • It is great to have friends and family who work on HVAC for a living!
  • It is probably best to have a thirty-something year old HVAC unit inspected at least once each year.

Any other lessons I need to learn about the AC? 

Read recent posts

Home Work, The FLE, Settlers, and Financial Counseling

This weekend was INCREDIBLE!

I'm off on Fridays, and I woke up ready to work on the yard.  This is unusual.  We are employing the "scorched earth" technique to our yard since the landscaping is over thirty years old and has overgrown everything and is eating the house.

So, my truck got to be a truck this weekend.  I hooked up the overgrown azaleas with a chain to the back of my truck and stepped on the gas.  It was AWESOME!  I chopped down some huge holly bushes.  I also put siding up on the house.

 

Then, on Saturday I got to teach the Financial Learning Experience at Rexam, a global business that is a world leader in the consumer packaging business.  It was AWESOME!  The folks that attended were so kind and in to it!  Lives were changed.

I raced home and watched the shuttle launch (I am still an engineer, folks!).  Then the family played Settlers of Catan.  I won one and lost one.  Not too bad! 

On Sunday, ALL three of the financial counseling appointments showed up, AND the appointments for the awesome NewSpring volunteer financial counselors also showed up!  The appointments were incredible!  In fact, one of the financial counseling appointments was done over the internet and a phone connection.  It is amazing what Google Docs allows one to accomplish!

If you are interested in receiving FREE financial counseling from one of the trained counselors at NewSpring Church, click HERE and let us know.  We will get you set up with a time that works for you and help you put together a plan that takes your finances to the next level.

Did I say lately that I can't believe I get to do this for a living?

Read recent posts by Joe 

Purchase I Was Broke. Now I'm Not.

Page 3 of 3«123