random thoughts – Day 1,738 – (Thursday) – heat is good

The furnace has been an adventure. The cost was large enough ($8,000+) that I chose the zero-percent, 25-month financing option. The “discount” for paying in full was a pittance at 5% and would mean decimating the emergency fund or taking on 17.99% credit card debt. While this is hardly the time to be taking on new debt, the idea of raiding the emergency fund with potential unemployment looming seemed worse. For once, I was glad The BungaLowell isn’t larger with a bigger system requirement.

The financing had some unexpected challenges. When the application was submitted on Wednesday, I forgot my credit reports are frozen. That led to the application being on hold and a multiple step process for me that included multiple harried phone calls to the finance group before I merrily skipped off to the office for the afternoon, thinking everything was all set.

At 7:20 this morning, instead of seeing a text saying that the crew would arrive at X-o’clock, there was a text from 7:00 with the news the financing application didn’t process yesterday. The finance company wasn’t open for the day yet (their recording told me so). The sales guy sent a website link to resubmit the application that led to a screen saying “Access Denied.” After a couple attempts and several texts, we eventually learned the finance company’s website was down. My stress level was shooting upwards with a trajectory that felt like it would result in my head exploding. My worry was that the installation wouldn’t happen today as planned.

Luckily, after about an hour of coffee and stress, things were sorted out and the crew was on the way.

The new furnace.

I showed then team the basement and the bulkhead access that was a straight line to the furnace location and went upstairs to get to my own work done. From 9:00 until about 3:15, the basement was abuzz with activity. There was periodic banging and clanging, but it wasn’t too terrible. For a while, an electrician joined the festivity. 

The crew was polite and seemed organized. They were meticulous with cleanup. The new heating appliance that rules the basement is fresh and shiny. It has clearly labeled black and white PVC pipes. Warmed air is flowing from the floor vents and the temperature is back to the programmed settings. 

As rough as the jabs to the head, heart, and wallet have been in the past 10 days, there have been some bright spots. Sure, the furnace died this week, but it had the decency to not do so on a weekend or holiday and before the temperatures drop to the 20s this weekend. It cost a mini-fortune to replace, but there was financing available. Yes, it was a sudden expiration with no apparent early symptoms, but the replacement was also very quick. Which is all to say, it could have been worse. And now there is heat, and it is good.