if it's not one thing it's another

These last few months seem to be breakdown time for my possessions. You've already heard all about my car problems and now a bit about my heat pump. This unit is only 3 years old and has worked perfectly up until about a week or so ago. I noticed it was frosting up on the outside of the condenser (or whatever it's called) located under the deck. When I finally went out to try to scrap off the frost, I found not just frost but ICE - as thick as my pinkie finger - filling nearly every slit in the metal cover around the unit. I tried to scrap it off and nearly got frostbite before I stopped. Then I tried to melt it using a hair dryer. That was an exercise in futility and rather funny, or would have been if I hadn't been worried about the unit by this time. Note: hairdryers aren't strong enough to melt very much ice. So I called BGE Home (they actually took calls on a Saturday) and they came out yesterday. The repairman had a bit of trouble finding out what the problem was, because it was so unusual. One vital electrical connection was not functioning because DUST HAD GOTTEN INTO THE CONNECTION!! Can you believe that? I asked him if I should dust inside the closet where the heat pump's fan and electric stuff is. He laughed and said "No" that it was just a freak kind of thing and not likely to happen again. (I was relieved, as I had thought that maybe a mouse had gnawed the wires. I did have a mouse a few months ago, but he is dead and gone now.) I had to carry about 8 buckets of hot water downstairs to be poured into the outside unit to melt the frost built up on the inside of the casing. However, all is well now. The BGE person was very nice and knowledgeable and gave me some pointers on the unit - things I had not been told before. So all's well that ends well. Maybe my electric bill won't be so high in the future!

Now, my refrigerator is making a loud thump when it shuts off (or maybe when it comes on?). I figure it's the next thing to go. And my computer is 8 years old, so it could go at any time. My radio makes an odd noise when I turn it on. (Sometimes I think I'm the only thing functioning correctly in this house!) Life is just full of all these lovely little potential problems, isn't it? Our ancestors had a much more simple life - no appliances to go bad. Of course their lives were short and rather inconvenient. I am very attached to all the conveniences in my house, even when they become inconveniences, so I'm glad I live in the 21st century.