Keeping It Cool

Anyone who knows the most basic Miami and South Florida history knows that most of us are living in this metropolis because of the invention of one man: Willis Carrier. Carrier invented modern a/c, without which, being here, especially from June through September, would be unpleasant. It seems this is a particularly brutal summer. It's probably just my getting older, and more sensitive to weather extremes, but whenever I walk back into my house from even a brief trip outside, I'm thankful. The other day, I checked D2's car's tire pressure before she left for Gville. Just that short task left me dripping in sweat -- and it was night! Our oversized house has 4 !! a/c units. There are three 5 ton jobs, and a small 1 ton that cools my guest house/football watch room. The three units are originals, and the house is now 17 years old, which in itself is hard to believe. It seems just yesterday we moved in, and now that was 14 years in the past. I noticed the unit we use least, that cools the living and dining rooms, was not working. So Monday I had Danny the a/c guy. Norman referred Danny -- he says he's the best he's ever had, and Norman is a thrid generation Miamian. Danny and his brother pulled the coil, and showed me how it had rotted out. They could patch the hole, and recharge it with freon, but that would cost $1000, with no guarantee of success. So it was time to replace the first unit. The existing ones are Tranes. Danny said Trane was fine, but it was hard to get parts. Rheem was cheaper, and the parts are ubiquitous. Plus, you find them everywhere. So I ordered up a new Rheem 5 ton, with a 16 SEER. The old units were 12 SEER. Every SEER makes the unit more expensive. I'm glad there aren't 30 SEERs... As I write, Danny's men are at work. One of the fellows called to me, to enter a room to get window access to the outside unit. I spoke to him, and he protested he spoke NO English. I asked in my sometimes workable Spanish where he was from, even though I suspected. Sure enough -- he answered Cuba. He came FOUR months ago! I was able to glean that he was a mechanical engineer in Cuba, and earned far less than he does now, as an installer. He has a 24 year old son who is also an engineer, and hopes to come to the US soon. Castro's failed project continues to send benefits to the US...even though the old bastard is now 88. Anyway -- hopefully we'll soon be back and cool, house wide. I'm sure the two other 5 ton units will go soon, too. Danny told me the older ones would routinely last 15- 20 years or more; the new ones you hope to have for 10. A 10 year warranty -- I'll take it. Would that there were such guarantees for the rest of life.