Well, we've had our first house-related...
#118819 - 11/04/04 02:36 AM
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atomic rose
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 7013
Loc: Maine (IBS-A stable since July '05!)
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...unforeseen UNPLEASANT surprise. Our furnace doesn't work. Hasn't worked for a week now. We got more fuel oil delivered yesterday, hoping that would kind of improve things - I knew we were low-ish - but no, still the same, so it's definitely the furnace. It shuts itself off for no apparent reason, so you have to go in the basement, bleed the oil line, and reset it. I have to do this a minimum of 5 times a day - every time I want heat or hot water, basically. Talk about a royal pain in the tush. I'm just thanking my lucky stars that this is happening in November, when it's in the 20's at night, instead of in January, when it's in the negatives at night... because waking up to an icy-cold house blows.
Naturally, we'll get it fixed... we just can't afford it this week. Maybe next week. I'm hopeful.
Ok, I'm off to the basement with a flashlight - because most of our lights are out in the basement too - have I ever mentioned how much basements creep me out? especially dark ones? - so I can have some heat.
*end rant*
I LOVE OLD HOUSES!! Heh.
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O man that does SUCK!!! I hope you can get it fixed soon!!!
O yeah watch out for the BOOGIE MAN!! LOL 
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Heather7476
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Don't talk about the boogieman... I don't need ANY help being afraid of the basement, thanks. 
You know how basements sometimes have unfinished crawl spaces? Where it's just dirt, basically? I HATE THAT. Ours is really big, and there's just a small window into it from the main part of the basement, so you can't see all the way into it. My imagination goes crazy every time I go downstairs, thinking about what might be in there. *shiver*
LOL!
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Oh Casey that is such nuisance...but surely the vendors knew about this?? Over here if they didn't disclose it you would have redress against them. I remember Panda did a post about the US legal position on this lately if you do a search.
Is it going to be very expensive to fix?
We are just getting quotes for our bathroom to be renovated at the moment and hope to get the builders in before Christmas. That WILL be fun. We are taking out ANOTHER loan to pay for it as the bathroom is DISGUSTING (There are lots of life forms growing on the ceiling) I will post before and after pics once it is done.
Hope the furnace gets sorted soon!
Sinead
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S.
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The furnace was inspected and tested at least twice before we closed, and it was fine. It was fine when we moved in, too. Just our luck, that's all. Adam's father seems to think it just needs a serious cleaning and a tune-up, so we're going to call someone today to come and look at it next week. Although, we might have to have someone in sooner - when I tried to reset the furnace this morning, it wouldn't reset! So I've been sitting here with 2 sweaters and my wool bathrobe on, trying to warm up.
Mmm, ceiling life forms. Yuck!  That sounds like the bathroom in the place we just moved out of. Can't wait to see your before and after pictures - I'm sure it'll be impressive! Personally, I love renovating, so... have fun!
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My friend and I lived with 2 guys in college who refused to pay for oil for the heating until the following semester and we couldn't afford it on our own so we used to study in bed with LOADS of clothes on. Until her parents brought us 2 electric heaters...they were in our rooms so the guys didn't know about them, and they couldn't refuse to split the electricity bill! tee hee hee!
Try doing some jumping jacks to keep warm, or go to the nearest mall!
Sinead
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S.
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Ha, ha. That's funny Casey. I guess that's what happens when you buy a house and stop renting. Something for me to look forward to, I guess. 
But seriously, a cold house wouldn't be too much fun.
Hope you guys can get it fixed soon. I don't know about the weather there but they're calling for snow tonight here in Ottawa.
Have you posted any pictures of your lovely new place yet?
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Ha ha!!!
#118864 - 11/04/04 07:59 AM
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RachelT
Reged: 07/01/04
Posts: 2350
Loc: Minnesota
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Casey... didn't we have this conversation the last time we talked? Poor you!!! I don't know if I'd ever get over my fear to have to go down there 5 times/day, especially in the dark! You know, I'm with you on this one! 
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~ Rachel (IBS-C)
If life hands you lemons, make lemonade!!
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Sorry to hear about your furnace problems.I know when we first bought this house the hot water heater went out in the first 2 weeks that we lived here.That was a big pain! I know what you mean about basements....when we were house hunting my hubby got the bright idea to look at run-down homes that we could renovate to our liking.He was all excited about 3 bedroom house in foreclosure that was listed for $20,000.Just to shut him up i went to look at it with him. In the basement the realtor pointed out a headstone/tombstone that was up under the base of the first floor fireplace facing downward towards the basement ceiling,you could even read the name on it and part of the date....it was very old and the realtor guessed in was an 1800's date......I couldnt get out of that house fast enough!!!!! I was totally creeped out and my hubby was mad because i wouldnt even consider the house at all.He said " your never gonna find the perfect house!" and i said " I think wanting a house without a tombstone in it,isnt too much to ask for!!!!" LOL, i can laugh about it now thankfully! No, we didnt buy the house either.
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A tombstone???? That is just too much for me too... jinkies!
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((Casey)) Get some hot cocoa and a fuzzy blanky and keep yourself warm girl! We had an oil furnace when I was younger... think I was about 8, I can remember the smell and the clankity clink clink clank when it turned off or on... I do hope you can get it fixed!!! Good Luck!
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Re: Ha ha!!!
#118908 - 11/04/04 09:31 AM
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michele
Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 6886
Loc: southeastern michigan
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Oh, I hate creepy places too!! I am deathly afraid of spiders and I'm always afraid they are going to get on me..ick!!!!
One thought, did your house inspector give you any sort of gaurentee?? I thought when we bought our house and had it inspecyed 5 years ago we were given like a 60 day gaurentee on certain things and I think the heater was one of them?? Maybe something to check into?? I hope you get it fixed soon, things like this suck!!
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Same here!
#118926 - 11/04/04 10:06 AM
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atomic rose
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 7013
Loc: Maine (IBS-A stable since July '05!)
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I have a weird fascination with old old old cemetaries... you know the kind, the little ones you see on the side of the road in small towns... I just find the history they hold be to kind of interesting. But. I draw the line at having a stone IN MY HOUSE. Zoiks!
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Quote:
I have a weird fascination with old old old cemetaries... you know the kind, the little ones you see on the side of the road in small towns... I just find the history they hold be to kind of interesting. ME TO!! I LOVE TO GO AND READ THE HEADSTONES AND WONDER WHAT THIER LIVES WERE LIKE!! But. I draw the line at having a stone IN MY HOUSE. Zoiks! ME TO ME TO !!!! COULD YOU IMAGINE THAT ON TRADING SPACES!!!LOL
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Heather7476
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HEATHER!! Trading grave filled basements?? hehehehe
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Quote:
HEATHER!! Trading grave filled basements?? hehehehe LOL!!!! I like to see how they would decorate it!!!
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Heather7476
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Let me tell ya the whole story. That house creeped me out before we even walked into it.Standing in the backyard waiting for the Realtor to meet us there i just had this creepy feeling we were being watched.The backyard was just overgrown with vines and bushes and lots of woodpiles where the previous owner had a small fire pit.Once the realtor got there the front door would NOT open! The deadbolt was unlocked but it just wouldnt open,almost like something was making it stick at the top of the door? I was standing there with every horror movie theme song running thru my head.I whispered to my hubby " something just doesnt want us here!" he tells me in an annoyed voice " oh knock it off!".We ended up having to go around back of the house and climb thru a window that had no screen attached.Once inside the realtor walked over to the front door and it opened easily!!! The whole house just creeped me out,it was dark and gloomy and just trashed from years of neglectful renters passing in and out of it.The basement just made the hair on the back of my neck stand up,it was dark,low ceilings and all the lightbulbs were burnt out or none were in the sockets.Trust me i was the first one up those basement stairs when she shined the flashlight on the tombstone!!!! Makes you wonder if the house wasnt built on an old cemetary? It was a woman's name on the tombstone,Laura Baere wife of William it read. Makes you wonder where old Willie is buried?!!!
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They're baaaaaaackkk ... UHHHHH!!! No thanks... I have had a presence in a house before...its no fun if they don't want you there!
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While I think for the most part home warranties are a rip off because they seldom cover all the things we would like, they are a God send for major systems like furnace, air conditioning, etc. We've had our air go out in August, they came and fixed it for the $45 service fee. Our furnace went out when it got cool, they fixed it for the $45, turns out the pilot light wasn't lit! Now the leaky master bath tub cost of $450 because they wouldn't cover it because it had been improperly repaired previously (like we would've known since they had to cut the ceiling out in the kitchen to look at it!). Nobody would cover the ruined carpet in my basement from Hurricane Ivan though. Thankfully it was just the carpet. Gotta love homeownership...it's always something. I hope you get your furnace fixed soon 
Rena
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Long story short, we couldn't get the cussed furnace reset and started yesterday at all, no matter how we tried, so afford it or not, we had to call someone to fix the thing. I had plans for yesterday - the first time in over a month I was going out and having some fun on my own, because I usually don't have a car - but of course I had to cancel all those plans to sit at home and wait for the repair guy.
... WHO NEVER SHOWED UP.
Adam's father ended up coming over and beating on the furnace - literally - hitting it, flipping switches, trying everything he could think of till it finally fired. Of course it didn't stay on, but now we know what the problem is: it's the transformer. Marvelous.
So we still don't have reliable heat or hot water, and I get to spend another day sitting at home waiting for a DIFFERENT repair guy to show up. Grrr.
Ok, I'm done venting. For now, anyway.
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I am so mad for you!!! 
I hate waiting for repair men and then to not have one show!!!! GGRRRRR
I was thinking can you finace it???? I know alot of companys will do that in the winter with a broken furnace!!
Just a thought!!! BIG HUGS!!! Bundle up and stay warm!!!!
I am sorry you had to cancle your plans!!! Maybe tommrow you can go out and play!!!!
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Heather7476
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I'm sorry to hear you're haivng such problems but at least its not the furnace itself needing to be replaced, just the transformer... good luck!
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Dietetics Student (anticipating RD exam in Aug 2010)
IBS - A
Dairy Allergic
Fructose and MSG intollerant
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Hi Casey,
Our furnace isn't working either. We had our first cold spell the other day and the furnace won't come on. The repair man is coming today.
I got a little space heater that I used in our bedroom and it keeps it nice and warm while we sleep and now I have put it in the family room for some heat. It works pretty good. They aren't expensive about $20.00.
Also, I put my heating pad under the covers so the bed is nice and toasty when I get in.
Good Luck staying warm. BRRRRRR!
Barbie
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Moved into a new house in the summer and was told the oil boiler needed servicing and a couple of things doing, called someone to do that and it turned out it is too old, too big, illegally installed and a fire hazard. The amount it would cost to put right ie replace boiler, tank and feed line, plus possibly other stuff too, I thought I'd rather spend a bit more and get off oil altogether. Decided to try a renewable source fuel, but all companies are so busy and, yes, we were let down on appointments a couple of times too, so we have only just had a site visit for estimate and still need to go through funding application which could take ... I don't know how long ... Result: winter is fast approaching and we still have no central heating. We do have one open fire plus a couple of electric heaters borrowed from kind friends. Trying to eat something hot at most meals (until ten days ago we didn't have a cooker either so this is a big help) and we keep reminding ourselves that not so long ago everyone lived like this anyway!
On the positive side, if you still love your house after all this (we do!) you can be sure you are in the right place!
Have you posted pictures of your house, Casey? I would love to see them!
Josephine
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Stupid furnaces!! Josephine, that's just awful... thankfully, our system's been inspected and all that, and it's all a-ok and up to code, it just probably hasn't been cleaned, serviced, or worked on since the original owners sold it 5 years ago. And Barbie - I hear ya! - I sleep with my heating pad, and I have a little electric heater here in my office, so at least I can be warm when I'm on the computer!
Josephine, I'll be back in a minute with some pictures... I know I posted some, but it was months ago and darned if I can find them now. LOL!
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Ok... I haven't taken any new pictures since we moved in, so anyone who's been here for a few months has probably seen these already. These were taken back in July, before we moved in.
Front of the house:
Part of the backyard, showing the lovely deck:
Another part of the backyard, showing a tiny corner of the landscaping (and, in the foreground, the un-landscaped part that I'm going to turn into a vegetable garden):
We got this place for a song. Seriously. And yes, I do still love it here... the furnace is just a SMALL glitch in the broad scale of things!
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Casey, your house is beautiful! Just like a postcard of a typical New England home. Now I can imagine you cooking lots of wonderful food in the perfect setting. And the garden looks great too, I like gardens a bit overgrown and it's really good that you have room for a vegetable garden because it makes such a difference to the flavour.
Thanks for posting the pictures again for me. Hope you get the furnace fixed soon for a really cosy winter!
Josephine
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Oh how I sympathize! Home ownership is great, but then there's that whole taking care of a house thing! Last week while I was in China my hot water heater blew. We now have a new one, but the geyser that errupted from the old one flooded our basement (it is fully finished) so we're having to put down new carpet and everything that was in my basement is now in the middle of my living room floor! It looks like we moved in yesterday! What a state to come home to! But I must say that hubby handled it great, so that was a big help.
Hope you get things fixed with the furnace before your first big freeze - 20s sounds cold enough for me alright!
Min
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GORGEOUS!!!!!!!! 
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Hey Casey,
The repairman just left. The furnace only needed cleaning that's why it wouldn't start. But, while he was up there he found some things wrong with our AC like the drip pan was full & we need a new evaporator coil, etc. $1500 worth of repairs. Anyway, I need to get the AC fixed cause even in the winter here we can have 80 degree days and we need to use it. OY!
At least we have a reliable repair guy.
Good luck
Barbie
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$1500?!?! Yikes! I'm glad the furnace only needed a cleaning, but cripes... if it's not one thing, it's another, huh?
Our repair guy just left, too... he had to take the front apart and take the motor out, but it turns out the whole problem was a bearing that got stuck. A little WD-40 and $25 (hey, he had to charge us *something* for coming out here, I guess... oh, and he replaced the nozzle, too, which needed to be done) later, our furnace works. WHEW!! I can't even tell you how relieved I am that it wasn't anything expensive... and I'm so glad it's fixed, it's been snowing on and off all day, and we're supposed to have snow tomorrow, too. Not a good time to have a non-functional furnace!
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