Page 534 - Demo

Fools%u2019 Journey528ceramic-tile work, and repairing it had required. Now there was something which hadn%u2019t needed attention back then, but did now%u2014our aging air-conditioning system. It was a ductless type with two indoor cooling units%u2014one upstairs in the living room and one downstairs in my office, and both were served by a single outdoor compressor.Our old AC was still working just fine, putting out cool air as it had always done. However, the fan in one of the indoor units had recently begun making a disturbing clicking sound. I learned online that systems like ours typically had a lifespan of around 20 years, and ours was 27 years old. So we decided to replace it now, in the spring, when we could do so on our timetable, rather than wait until it died, which would likely occur during the hottest time of the year. At first, I considered replacing the air conditioner myself. After all, I%u2019d installed the one we currently had, and had installed similar units in other houses I%u2019d built. However, if I simply unhooked the refrigerant lines to replace the old equipment with new units, the Freon would be lost into the atmosphere. I had known for a long time that Freon%u2019s chlorofluorocarbons contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere resulting in excess ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth, which contributed to serious negative effects to both people and the environment. That%u2019s why allowing Freon to escape was against the law. I also knew there were specialized devices available to capture an AC%u2019s Freon. But I didn%u2019t have one. And if the new equipment used a different type of Freon, the existing refrigerant lines would need to be purged and cleaned to completely remove any traces of the old Freon before the new Freon could be injected. This also required specialized equipment. To top it off, I didn%u2019t have a way to test for leaks. So I decided the best solution was to hire a heating/cooling contractor.I phoned two companies and explained how the installation would be complicated by the fact that all the refrigerant, electric, and drain lines were hidden within our home%u2019s wall cavities. Each understood, and said they normally liked to replace everything, but they could reuse one set of lines, and replace the other set by using the two access holes I had cut in the drywall beneath the stairway.