When a big piece of metal ruins the decorating budget

Last week I woke up to feel a slight chill in the air. I knew immediately that our furnace was off.  Our repair guy Brian came an hour later, tools in hand to see what was up. We thought we had fixed it the first day, but by evening it was off again. The next day it happened again, and again.  It was a bit of a stressful week as every time you realize it wasn't working, it was a mix of emotions. Frustration, panic, worry. There comes a point when you wonder what to really do.  Brian was trying to save us from getting a new furnace, but service calls, even at a great price, add up. The furnace was old, was uncared for by previous owners, and was on its last legs. We knew the time was going to come one day, and it turns out Friday was the day.
Except for the venting they look relatively the same.

Although I was so sad at having to shell out that money we hadn't expected, it felt good knowing that we were getting a new furnace that would be High Efficiency and heat our house better. It means sadly that some projects are on the back burner for now. C'est la vie.

So, we're the proud new owners of a new high efficiency furnace. It is quiet, blows hot air much more powerful through the house, and makes our bedroom feel like a hotel when you hear the air come on at night. :) Its a definite improvement to the house, for our enjoyment and for resale. It will also help with the air conditioning this summer thanks to the more powerful fan.

We met Brian though a nice connection. A favourite organization of mine, which I have talked about before is George Herman House. It is a home for women living with Mental Health issues. Every year they hold a silent auction and 2 years ago we picked up a handy man service. We finally redeemed that gift certificate this past Fall. The handyman David was so nice and awesome. (Anyone who supports charities in my mind gets bonus points) and his partner in the business, is Brian - who does Furnaces.