Bad news, good news, better news.
By patgalca
@patgalca (18181)
Orangeville, Ontario
April 9, 2016 7:31pm CST
Our furnace stopped working on Monday. Fortunately my daughter's boyfriend works in heating and air conditioning. He came and fixed the problem but it didn't last and I spent Monday night sleeping on a very uncomfortable futon in the family room by the gas fireplace. He slipped in early in the morning and fixed the problem again, this time it lasted all day until he dropped by after work to put in a new switch.
Our furnace is 15 years old and lately it's been stopping a lot. Usually it's because hubby neglects to change the filter from time to time. This morning I woke up to cold again. The boyfriend slept over so I went in and told him the furnace was out again. He looked at it, opened it up, said something is cracked and that we need a new furnace.
We bought that furnace and spent years paying it off because it cost somewhere between 5 and 7 thousand dollars. But now,... now we have a professional in the family. A new furnace will cost us about $1500 plus labour. Yeah, we have to pay the BF to install it. I am just grateful I put the money aside that my sister/mother loaned me a few months back. I have enough for the furnace but we may have to pay the labour in installments. I'm sure he'll accept that.
Cars breaking down, furnace dying, I'm sure the washer and dryer are next (they're about 15 years old as well)... I know stuff doesn't last forever but everything breaking down at once is just too much. We have enough trouble living week to week. I am looking forward to a lump sum of money from the government that should be arriving in the next month.
7 people like this
5 responses
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
10 Apr 16
They say it comes in 3's, so hopefully anything that happens won't cost you an arm and a leg.
If the washer or dryer break down, fix it. The cost will be less than buying a new one.
If you can't fix it, look for a good used one. Not easy to do if you don't have the money for it. I know this all too well myself. We had to replace our washer and dryer several times. Each time it cost us between $50 and $75 a piece. The last one cost us $100 for the washer. We have had it for almost 2 years now. It is a good machine. Now I fear the dryer will go. But, the only thing that should go would be the heating coil which is a cheap fix.
Just keep on keepin on lady. Things will come around.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18181)
• Orangeville, Ontario
10 Apr 16
It's terrible that they don't make things to last anymore. I just retrieve a chaise from my mother's residence as they had to make room for a wheel chair in her room. I had my name on it for years. I don't know how old it is but I have a picture of me sitting on it with my sister and brother where I was probably about 7 years old. I am now 53 and that piece of furniture is almost as good as new. The upholstery is not even worn. They just don't make things like that anymore.
2 people like this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
10 Apr 16
@patgalca If they made things last then we wouldn't have to keep buying more and more replacements.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
10 Apr 16
@patgalca the trouble is that they want us to buy the newest, latest, most improved things and they break faster than the good old tried and true.
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
10 Apr 16
It does seem things breakdown right when you can least afford it. About 6 years ago I bought a new washer and dryer. I told the salesman my last set lasted about 20 years. The salesman said, "Don't expect that out of these new ones. You'll probably only get 7 years out of them."
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18181)
• Orangeville, Ontario
11 Apr 16
@RichardMeister We had to unplug our dishwasher a couple of times when we first got it. I think it was more because we didn't know what we were doing... were the settings going to change if we opened the dishwasher after it was set? Stuff like that.
We bought a new freezer when our's gave out... but then it was second hand. We bought an upright in its place. When we had a problem with THAT one (someone didn't close the door all the way and no one heard the beeping), we insisted that the company we bought it from fix it for free so they did. I'd rather buy new than fix the old anyway. The washer and dryer are pretty beat up.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
11 Apr 16
@patgalca I don't think so. A year ago I called for a repair. The repairman called to tell me he was on the way. Then he asked how old the machine was. I told him around 5 years old. Then he asked if it was making a loud noise when it went into the spin cycle. I told him no. He said if it did then the bearing was going out and it would cost more to fix it than it would to buy a new one. So I've got the feeling that it is considered shot as soon as it cost more to fix than buying a new one. And it sound like the most likely thing is the bearing going out. I don't know if you can buy any new washer and dryer that doesn't have some computerization.
The only trouble I have had with the computerization on mine was the washer. On occasion when I pushed the "on" button it wouldn't turn on. So I unplugged it for a couple of minutes and when I plugged it back in it turned on. About two months ago it started doing this every time I used the washer. It did it for about a month then quit doing it. The strange thing is, it has never done it since.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
10 Apr 16
You are fortunate to atleast know someone who's in the heating and a/c business. We have so much to get done with our house but we don't know anyone who has those skills nor the money to pay a professional. Totally feel like we are stuck when I dwell on things. As we do need to get a new furnace as ours is a good 40 yrs old and has stopped several times and thankfully hubby was able to get the blower going w/o calling anyone but that's one scary bill especially since we will probably have to do the electrical upgrade first too.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18181)
• Orangeville, Ontario
11 Apr 16
@3SnuggleBunnies My husband isn't handy at all. I can think of four places where he patched a wall and didn't sand it down completely so you can see that bad work. I don't think we can sell it like that but he says "It doesn't matter" to everything. I don't think he cares if we take a loss on this house as long as he can get the kind of house he wants.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
12 Apr 16
@patgalca Mine isn't really as well. I have a similar situation as well where he replaced some drywall. Didn't read on how to properly do it so yeah it's a pretty ugly spot. I wouldn't mind taking a loss either if it got us out of this house HOWEVER we can't afford to get our dream house either. And if we ever could the kids would be grown and out of the house with their own families by then....or if we're alive still LOL
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
11 Apr 16
@patgalca We have 50k atleast worth of work here as well. The things we've done 14 yrs ago need to be redone (as we did much on our own) on top of the big stuff we haven't been able to afford either. I need all the big stuff and of course hubby has no skills in much of this and isn't very helpful.
And of course to rub salt into the wounds of this house my relative has told me "that's why we bought new homes" um with what we make we can't afford new and we were thankful to afford a home at all! Which at times feels like renting a house or apartment would of been a better idea. Basically damned if you do and danmed if you don't.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325818)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Apr 16
It is strange how everything breaks down at once. Things are meant to last these days. You probably did well to get 15 years out of it.
