Fixing my Through-The-Wall air conditioner dilemma

One of the warts of our 106-year-old house is that it does not have central air conditioning.  Over the years I have explored installing some type of cooling system but it has always been cost-prohibitive.  In the Master Bedroom, we have what is known as a Through-the-Wall air conditioner.  What some crazy or visionary previous owner did was take a small window and sealed it off to hold this unit. It is a very old, SEARS Coldspot.  How old?  When you google the model number you get Maytag refrigerators because Sears stopped making these around the time Nixon resigned.

While it still works in the “it turns on” sense, it doesn’t produce cold enough air if the temperature reaches a certain point.  That point being the temperature one would turn an AC unit on.

It’s hard to find anyone who works on these units these days because most homes have central air or at least SpacePak.  But lo and behold, I found a recommendation on my local Facebook neighborhood group for a place that does this type of service.

I called Bob and from our initial phone call, I had a gut feeling I would not be happy.  Bob kept cut me off while we were talking.   I’m willing to adhere to the “respect your elders” mantra up to a point.   I don’t believe this Missionaria Protectiva gives someone a free pass to be abusive, or even just a plain old dick.

I was trying to ascertain whether it was worth his time to look at my ancient AC unit.  He said that he can usually do something to get these older units going and I wishfully believed him.  What I should have done, and he confirmed onsight, was send him a picture of the air conditioner.  I mean I did tell him it was a SEARS Coldspot and anyone in the business should have been able to say “hey they haven’t made those in at least 20 years!”

Bob came over, looked at the unit, pulled it partially out of the sleeve and took some measurements.  He said that he could try to powerwash the coils for $500 but couldn’t guarantee that would help.  He recommended a new unit and could do the job for $940.  He’d also give me $20 off as credit to the $109 service charge for that day’s visit.  Whoopie.  He apparently didn’t hear my question about how much was labor and how much was the unit.  

So after feeling sorry for myself and my $109, I did some research.  After watching a dozen Youtube videos, along with the one thing that Bob showed me — how to remove the existing unit — I felt confident that I could buy another Through-the-Wall and install it myself.

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We found a unit on Amazon for $375.  I was hesitant to order something instead of buying something at a nearby Big Box Store in case the sizing didn’t fit but we opted to go for as inexpensive as possible because everything we save on one home repair, we get to spend…on another home repair.

Update:  We also qualified for a ComEd Energy Saving rebate so knock another $25 off the total cost!

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Sometimes even the simplest DIY projects become complex

On a recent visit to my in-laws, my FIL gave me a spare USB Charging Electrical Outlet they had lying around.  As much as I embrace technology, I didn’t really feel like I need one of these in our house any time soon.  But since they gave it to me for free, essentially saving me $15, I figured I might as well install it in the kitchen to have a second charging area.  My wife Nightingale might appreciate being able to keep her iPad charged while cooking.

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When to hire out and when to DIY

I’m happy to report that one of the many home repair and improvement projects around our house has finally been completed. We finally got someone to paint our Wrought Iron Gate and Basement Access Doors (known affectionately to us as our Wizard of Oz doors).

A good rule of thumb is if you hate a task, you’re probably wise to outsource it, even if the economics are questionable. Also, you can probably figure out a way to make more money. But no one can make more time.

The two biggest challenges we had were weather and finding someone to take on this small of a job.  Most painters can earn more money on bigger jobs so they were reluctant to take this one.  The other problem was the weather didn’t always co-operate.  To paint this material correctly, you have to do a lot of prep work.  It involves scraping off the rust with steel wool and then applying a coat of special primer designed for iron (this is why we decided to outsource the job).  So you need to check the weather report and make sure there is no rain forecast for at least two consecutive days.

Unfortunately for us, the first two times the job was scheduled, it unexpectedly rained that morning.  Even a little sprinkle will require putting off the project because the metal holds the water and the paint won’t adhere correctly until all the water evaporates.

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The choice between doing it yourself  and hiring a contractor is more than just a matter of money. It’s a careful balancing act between a bunch of other factors: less hassle, faster results, safety, and professional-quality work.  We probably could have done the gate ourselves, but it would have taken 4 times as long and probably wouldn’t have looked as good.  Luckily I was able to find Changing Colors Inc.  After a couple of false starts, they were able to paint the door and gate and it looks great.

[Disclosure: I received no special treatment for mentioning them in this post.  I did get 10% off for being an Angie’s List member.] 
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DIY Quick Fix: Repairing a hole in a plaster wall

A couple of weeks ago I had to repair a hole in our upstairs hallway.  The  reason I had to repair it is because I foolishly lost my temper and slammed my fist against the wall.  I really didn’t think I hit it that hard but apparently I caught the plaster at the right angle and caused some damage.  I suspect some of the lathe was already cracked because when I removed some of the plaster (see gallery) the lathe was cracked in multiple spots and I only hit the wall in one place.

 

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Most modern homes have drywall.  But our house was built in 1913 and even though it has been updated throughout the years, it still has a lot of the original stain glass, woodwork and plaster walls.  Hence I couldn’t just slap on some drywall spackling and call it a day.
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Garlic Soup is the best hangover cure

With summer just around the corner, most people are thinking cold beer, not hot soup.  But I’d like to share a recipe for a soup that does double duty.  First, it is a great way to prevent a cold.  If you feel a cold coming on, a bowl of this garlic soup will keep those cold viruses at bay.

Second, if you are recovering from a rough night of partying, this is the perfect hangover cure.  It’s a pretty easy recipe and doesn’t take long to make.  I’m not gonna tell you how to make it though because you can google česnečka or Czech garlic soup and find dozens if not hundreds of recipes like this one or this one.

One of the things that bother me about most recipes is the assumption that you know what the hell they are talking about when they use cooking terms.  For instance:

“Add onions and garlic and cook until translucent.”

What the fuck is translucent?

Okay next up is with so many versions of this recipe, which one is right for you?  Well when it comes to Eastern European Cuisine, never confuse homemade with healthy.  That doesn’t mean you cannot make it healthier.  If baking is a science, cooking is more of an art.  You can improvise.

You can use any type — chicken, beef or vegetable — of broth or stock you like or have on hand.  I think broth works better but stock is fine too. How do you tweak your favorite recipe? Tell us in the comments.

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DIY Closet Shelf

A short while ago I had Erin from Organizing with Erin come over and evaluate our storage situation.  One thing she suggested was adding a shelf to our bedroom closet.  There were several ways I could go with this suggestion.  The easiest would be to get a board, plop it on some books and call it a day.  But where’s the fun in that.  Instead I decided to build one that would be a little more sturdy in case I ever decided to put something heavier than blankets or shoe boxes on it.

 

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Fixing a broken fence gate on the cheap

The back gate that leads to the alley was in need of some repair. While the wood itself was still serviceable, the gate had somehow shifted and it was hard to open and close.  There was also some wood rot and structural disintegration that prevented me from simply patching it with a few new boards.

I actually considered outsourcing the task to a handyman but it would have cost me time and materials way out side my budget.  The handyman suggested I just get a Fence Kit from one of the Big Box stores and cut it to size.  He said he could do it for $50 an hour and estimated three hours of work or I could do it myself.  Well luckily we had mild weather over Thanksgiving Weekend when my FIL was in town. Since we don’t have premium cable the next best thing is working with one’s hands.

The final cost of the gate was about $75.

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If you liked this post, you should check out How to Build a Fence Gate on the Cheap

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PSA: Five things to keep in mind when selling on Craigslist

Recently I was looking for an item on Craigslist and I decided, what better way to share my experience than to tell everyone how to do something better! I’m looking for a specific item and this post will focus on that. however these rules apply for almost anything you are selling on CL except perhaps a small child. Don’t try to sell a small child on Craigslist. That’s what Etsy is for!

1. Do Your Research
2. Snap Good Pictures
3. Provide Accurate, detailed Measurements
4. Check your Spam/Junk Folder
5. Let People Know the item has been sold

Do Your Research
Do 5 minutes of research on your item. I was looking for a Roll Top Desk. A quick search on Craigslist shows that Roll Top Desk yields 100 hits and RollTop Desk had 45 hits. If you were trying to sell one of these, you’d want to go with “Roll Top Desk” even if you are certain it is “RollTop Desk.”

Snap Good Pictures
Snap a good picture, from multiple angles. This might not seem like it applies to everything but some objects need more than one view. since it doesn’t cost you anything to post photos, why not. More importantly, make sure the picture is clean and clear. Not too dark, not too light. You should check your photo from different devices like multiple computer browsers and smart phones/tablets. okay that last one might be overkill.

Provide Accurate, detailed Measurements

Provide measurements especially if it is a piece of furniture.  I cannot stress this enough. People want to know if that desk will fit in a specific corner or against a certain wall. heck even if you are selling a blender telling someone how tall it is will tell them them whether it will fit under their cabinet counter. Why not wait until someone asks? well you might get several people asking you which means you have to reply to each one individually. Also it helps weed out people who aren’t able to use your item.

Check your Spam/Junk Folder

CL has automated the method for contacting people and you might think you are not getting any responses.  It could be that the auto-generated email went directly into your Junk Folder next to the Nigeria Prince Bank message and the ad for Viagra and Cialis.

Let People Know the item has been sold

Let people know you sold the item…within reason. If you get a ton of emails you don’t have to respond to each one. but if you get a couple and you sell the item, it’s good karma to let people know that the item is no longer available.  Also, take down the ad even though Craigslist eventually does it for you.

Do have the heart to cut the back of this for computer cables?

Incidentally I did find a Roll Top Desk that was suitable for our needs for $80 chair included. Since we are having children, my office is being converted into a nursery and the computers need to come downstairs.  It was solid enough that I feel like I got a nice antique but in bad enough shape (and cheap enough) that I won’t feel too bad when I  cut small holes in it for computer cables, or if we find something even more awesome and antique-ee later down the road.

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My Almost Free Grill thanks to Sears and ChicagoNow

So I bought this Kenmore 4-burner LP Red Gas Grill w/searing burner and side burner at Sears. The regular price was $399.99 but of course they had one of their perpetual sales and the item was $100 off.

Here are pictures of me putting the damn thing together.

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How The Grill was Almost Free

I had a eCoupon for $35 off a purchase of $300. The first snag is that $299.99 is not $300 and the online system isn’t programmed to let me slide on that. So I opted to purchase the 2 yr protection plan and a grill cover. I normally do not do extended warranties or protection agreements because they are usually throwing money away but Sears is awesome when it comes to tool replacement and I suspect that if anything is wrong with the grill in the first two years, the underpaid works at the exchange center will basically give me a new grill.

eCoupon Discount
$35.00

I think also used some Shop Your Way Rewards points that i have accumulated over the years through purchases from Sears and K-mart. And that my friends who have my cell # have also used because someone should get the credit right?

Additional Discount
$16.60

Because of my SYWR Membership I got free shipping on the grill cover and a discount on that as well. The cover was $31.99 but i got it for $24 because of my SYWR Membership and that’s about what it would cost me to buy it just about anywhere else.

I used $150 in gift cards. This included a $50 card my mom gave me at Christmas and gift cards I ordered by converting credit card points.

Gift Card Discount
$150.00

That leave $98.39 for the grill itself. Luckily, I won the ChicagoNow Best Gallery Contest a few months ago and that came with a $100 Amazon gift card. Now I couldn’t actually apply it here but with a little creative accounting and robbing from Peter to pay Paul, effectively I had an extra hundred bucks to work with.

I still had to pay tax and of course the service plan and cover bumped me up but over all it was a good deal.

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How to build a Fence Gate on the cheap

The other day I decided to take a crack at fixing the gate between my deck and the side fence in my yard.  Technically there isn’t much need for a gate here but as Previous Owner had one,  I figured maybe there is a reason.  Perhaps once every full moon it becomes a portal to Narnia or Middle Earth or a late night Bed, Bath and Beyond.  A Home Owner can dream, right?

I did what amounts to research i.e. I Googled the terms fence and gate and watched a couple of YouTube videos.  Surprisingly, I couldn’t find much in the way of comprehensive This is How You Do it and Why.  I suspect the Fence Gate Lobby has restricted such material from the general populace. It required piecing together information from different sources to learn, for instance, why you put a diagonal board inside the gate frame (to alleviate the weight of the gate from the supporting fence post).  And that you should angle the board so that it is next to one of the hinges you use to hang the gate (same reason).

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I didn’t Research the Crap Out of It, so maybe there is a Bob Villa or Tim the Toolman resource out there that would have told me everything I ever wanted to know about gates but was afraid to ask.  My line of reasoning went as follows:

1. The existing gate is one dirty look away from falling apart anyway, so i couldn’t make it worse even if I simply removed the gate.
2. It’s a small enough space that I don’t have to follow all the rules of measuring and weight distribution to make it work.
3. Previous Owner left me plenty of spare 2x4s and other pieces of scrap wood so I’m only out the hardware for the hinges and the dog-ear fence pickets…approximately $13.
4. You can learn a lot from your mistakes if you are willing to own up to them and apply what you learned to future projects.

So with that the first thing to do was build the frame.  As I said Previous Owner had left behind some 2x4s in the garage.  One of the things I learned from watching all those Woodworking shows on PBS  and DIY shows — or perhaps I’m’ just making it up — is that you want to conserve wood and make as few cuts as possible.  Now I have to think of an example…okay.

Say you have two 10 ft 2X4s, so 20 total feet of wood (yep I went there) and you need four 3 foot pieces.  A novice might make two cuts on one board and one cut on the other.  A better practice is to take the two boards and make two 3′ cuts on each.  That gives you 4 pieces of wood 3 feet long and you have two 4 foot boards left.  Note: this is just an example made on the fly but hopefully you get the point:  Odds are stronger that you will need that combination more than you will need a 1 ft board and a 7 ft board and its easier to cut a larger board down to size than to try and put feet back on a board.

So with that rule of  thumb and my already having pieces that were close to the size I needed, I simply trimmed the horizontal board to fit the already cut vertical board.  Or maybe I trimmed the horizontal to fit my verticals i don’t remember now.  The point is that great Rule of Thumb didn’t really apply here.  However the gate turned out okay and will suffice until the entire fence finally falls apart and I replace the damn thing with PVC fencing.

Update: Apparently there was too much weight on those little pieces of wood connecting the fence to the gate.  If you liked this post, you should read How to Fix a broken fence gate on the Cheap.
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