Layers. Lots of layers. That’s what I wore and that’s what covered the bed at night during the recent four-day period when I was without heat. And while I wouldn’t recommend turning off your furnace in late December in western Washington, it can be done as long as the weather cooperates.
The old furnace, a Lennox, was installed in 1975 when the house was built. On Wednesday morning, it quit working due to a broken heat exchanger. Fixing it, assuming parts could be found, would be the equivalent of repairing a cracked engine block in a $300 car. Due to a no-show that day by the first company I called, I didn’t get the bad news until the next day. When the furnace guy who came out on Thursday told me his company could install a new furnace first thing on Saturday, I didn’t even call around for other estimates. I chose a Goodman gas furnace rated at 95 percent efficiency. Puget Sound Heating & Cooling installed it this morning.
While the new furnace will probably never pay for itself on heating costs alone, it qualifies for a $150 rebate from Cascade Natural Gas as well as a federal tax credit. I’m not a committed environmentalist, but there’s also the satisfaction that goes along with replacing my old clunker furnace with a high-efficiency model. I just wish I had done it in the fall.
Fortunately the outside temperature was normal for this time of year, ranging from the high 30’s to the high 40’s during my heatless period. Inside it was between 50 and 53 the whole time. The trick is to move around a bit when you get cold and to dress in layers.
The house is warm now. No more layers. Life is good.
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