UPDATE~ My AC has bit the dust.
By Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (61290)
July 22, 2026 10:47pm CST
Update on the AC.
I was right, it's going to take parts or a totally new central air unit. Which will take forever.... anyway. I have a good friend here who always seems to know where to get things or has things I can borrow if needed--in the past it was a carpet shampooer. She is just one of the best people ever.... she bought a window AC last fall, and it was still in the box. She even had the receipt taped to it. Her central air ended up being fixable, so she didn't use this. She brought it over here for us to use for as long as we need to--and it's a huge window unit. We won't be hot...unless we go outside! So very thankful, this is already a hot and steamy week!
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I realize the AC is not going to break down in the winter, nor is the furnace ever going to break down in the summer. But sheesh...this only happened one other time, in 2020 during the pandemic. It was two weeks getting the parts, etc. to fix it and it was so, so hot outside then.
This time we are in a short respite from the extreme heat--which won't last long. Our brand-new maintenance man lasted two weeks. No complex anywhere seems to be able to keep a maintenance person anymore. This means that once a week, someone comes from the ''sister'' complex that is a two-hour drive away, to do any maintenance requests. That means next week--sometime. After he gets here and tells me he will have to call the AC repair people because he can't fix it (don't ask me how I know it will go down like this!) THEN someone will call the big dogs in to see what's wrong with it, give an estimate, yada, yada...you get the drift. I bet I'm down for a month....and it won't be pretty.
Going to see if I can borrow a window AC from a friend. It's all I can think of to do. I can stand the heat if I have to, but son can't.
Son just made the comment that in the winter we can add clothes and blankets to be comfortable, but in the summertime when the AC is down and it's super-hot and humid, it's just miserable. He is right.
Shutterstock picture.
10 people like this
9 responses
@sallypup (69641)
• Centralia, Washington
23 Jul
I hope you get help super soon. Last night my upstairs bedroom's floor was hot so you can imagine how suffocating it was in there. I brought in a box fan. Hubby is up there now seeing if he needs to try to get the window A/C system working.
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (61290)
•
23 Jul
I hope he can get it going for you soon so you can both get some rest. We will manage in some way, thanks, Lenore.
1 person likes this
@kareng (81408)
• United States
28 Jul
@MarieCoyle Right, we can never give up!! Proud of you!!
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@MarieCoyle (61290)
•
28 Jul
We got the portable unit late Saturday night. But then we had to be at the ER for pretty much the rest of the weekend and came home this morning (Monday.) When I walked in the door with my son, my thermostat said it was 93 degrees in here. It felt like it, for sure.
I can't tell you how tired I was, or he was. Yes, I have put in a window unit before in my lifetime. This one was bigger and a lot heavier. It was packed in what seemed to be about a hundred pounds of cardboard as hard as a rock, layers of Styrofoam I had to cut with a big knife, plastic straps, and pieces of strips of cardboard that are definitely hard enough and lethal enough to use in warfare. I had a neighbor carry it in, I caught him outside on his way to work--he said he could put it in for us Tuesday, but I didn't think we could wait due to the extreme heat. Somehow, I did it...I actually did it!! I lifted it into the window, anchored it, everything.
The entire time I was talking to myself, because it was so heavy I was really struggling. I kept thinking, you never give up, you can't start giving up now, girl! That, and ''I can do hard things!'' and relying on an old standby Bible verse that has carried me through a lot of things, Isaiah 41:10...
It worked!!
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@MarieCoyle (61290)
•
23 Jul
Yes and no. They have a very small home. The only extra space is a very small second bedroom that currently has it’s contents piled into a mountain and covered with plastic tarps, as son in law is painting everything in there plus everything is out of the closet while he builds more shelves, etc. I think we will try to stay home.
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (124764)
• United States
23 Jul
@MarieCoyle I’m for all of your family pitching in and putting you up in a hotel. I worry about you two in that atrocious heat.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (61290)
•
23 Jul
@AmbiePam
Tonight and tomorrow night are actually pretty cool outside. It’s the days after that I’m working on getting through. But yes, it’s a thought. I am going to check with my oldest son tomorrow and see what they are doing this next week. They have had some of my DIL’s family there this week visiting, but if I had to I could drive there and we could stay there if their current company was gone.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (212007)
• United States
23 Jul
Yes, by all means get a window AC in there for son.If for some reason friend doesn't have one to lend..churches or social services should be able to help out with that. Would son's father buy one for you..if you can't beg, borrow or steal one? You could keep in case of emergency.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (61290)
•
29 Jul
@snowy22315
The AC company is supposed to be here by 6 PM tonight to check out what ails the central air unit. So for now, we have the window unit. I am very thankful.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (61290)
•
29 Jul
A friend had a new one in her basement she bought but never used, and brought it over. It's awesome and works great! Thank you.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (138855)
• Marion, Ohio
23 Jul
I hope you can find one to use until it is fixed.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (61290)
•
23 Jul
My AC is a central air system, which means it is a permanent unit. It will need to be repaired where it is or removed and replaced. This isn’t like just buying a window unit, it’s literally thousands of dollars to buy a new central air conditioning system.
@Wrexxo (4901)
•
23 Jul
@MarieCoyle that's a lot of money. I hope it gets repaired.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (61290)
•
29 Jul
@Wrexxo
I am using a nice window unit for now until it is either repaired or replaced, thank you.
1 person likes this
@sissy15 (13365)
• United States
23 Jul
I've been there; I went most of my childhood with no AC, but that's because my dad was cheap. Now we have window units, and they don't always work the best. We have been sleeping downstairs because the window unit in our bedroom upstairs isn't working right; it needs to be cleaned, but with everything happening, we haven't been able to get to it. I hope your AC gets fixed before the major heat hits again. Summer is miserable without an AC, especially when it's humid heat.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (61290)
•
29 Jul
Son is very affected by extreme heat, I ended up borrowing a new window unit a friend had and wasn't using. It's working very well, I feel so, so fortunate. Thanks!
@toniganzon (78897)
• Philippines
23 Jul
I"m really sorry. I live in a. tropical country and when it's summer season here, it's impossible not to have the ac on. it's hot and humid and my son could never sleep without an ac. Even during the cool months we still have the ac on. Especially at night when going to sleep.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (61290)
•
29 Jul
It's been horribly hot this summer. I have a temporary window unit for now, I am so thankful for. Thanks so mucn.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (88416)
• United States
23 Jul
That’s sad when you know the script before they even show up. 
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@MarieCoyle (61290)
•
29 Jul
It really is.
What gets me the most is this is a decent place to live. It's 13 years old, and I moved in as the first renter in my place--I know the history of what's been fixed and replaced, what hasn't, etc. They can't keep help and it's affecting everyone here, but even if you think you can move somewhere, there isn't really anywhere to go unless you have literally thousands per month to spend on rent. This is so sad.
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