Page 536 - Demo

Fools%u2019 Journey530until 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. The first estimate I received had a cost that was probably fair, although higher than I%u2019d anticipated. The second was even higher. But I had a better feeling about the second contractor. He%u2019d seemed more knowledgeable, and prepared a much more detailed estimate for the work to be done.When I got back to the second guy, I told him his estimate was higher than another I had received. He asked me not to make a commitment until he could look over his estimate more carefully. After he did so, he was $100 lower than the first contractor. So, he got the job.On the day the two technicians arrived to remove our current system, Lynn planned to stay in our bedroom with a window fan