HVAC Adventures (with Social Media Component)

This meme is so true... and that's where I am right now, since yesterday early afternoon! 😭 Not cool, literally...

I finally found an old friend who is a reliable and honest HVAC technician, after trying to track him down through another uncooperative friend (that's another story about egos and such). Social media to the rescue (Facebook, specifically)! I was very happy to see a reply last night. He and his wife are amazing people.

In the meantime, I could not just sit and wait, so I called one of the local companies (thank you, Google). The technician came, delivered the dreaded news of "locked up compressor," and recommended a new system, to the tune of $6,100. 

OK, not good, so I started calling around for quotes (haven't heard back from my friend at that time yet). Home Depot-affiliated Florida Home AC sent someone within a couple of hours (a plus for fast response, on Sunday afternoon). Then their salesperson showed up. He supposedly knocked on the door (don't believe him; yes, my fan was running but it's not very loud; I would have heard someone at the door). Instead, he called the home ship and reported that I was not at home. The office person called and I found the salesperson sitting in his car in front of the house. He barely glanced at the outside unit and I let him inside, to look at the air intake system in our basement. 

He immediately stated that he needed to use the bathroom first (yes, stated, not asked -- there is a difference). He whined that he drove an hour to get to the house and must use the bathroom before he can do anything else. Really, in the age of COVID? I don't like other people using my bathroom and here is this stranger, being very pushy? There are plenty of gas stations near the house as well as interstate rest area nearby. My high school students can plan better! The bathroom is upstairs, next to the bedroom, so I kept an eye on him, not really knowing what he is truly up to.

He finally took another quick glance at the air intake and declared that replacement cost is $10,271. By that time, I have done my homework and knew that this quote was baloney. I told him as much and he turned on the slimy salesperson mode, stating in saccharine voice that he was a professional and I did not really know how to price the system. Oh, no -- that does not work with me, especially since I was already furious with him regarding barely glancing at the system and the bathroom demand. I politely but firmly asked him to leave and threw his quote in garbage.

The ratings for the first company are good so the first guy was probably honest, but I will still wait for my friend, as he can double-check and offer a much better replacement deal, if it comes to that. In the meantime, I am sitting next to the fan that is running at full blast. How did people survive pre-AC???