Thermador Filters Arrived

We just replaced the filter in the Dyson air purifier. Those things are not cheap! The HVAC filter was also just replaced and we are still waiting for the prepaid  “spring” HVAC and water heater checkup. After spending several sessions back and forth with Amazon about a third party vendor who sells junk filters, we finally decided it was time to order the filters from Thermador rather than suspicious vendors at Amazon. We are still waiting for a refund. We decided to get a three pack to save the hassle of ordering all of the time. The filter is placed in a very peculiar location - at the bottom of the unit behind the freezer drawer. You literally need to get on the floor to remove and replace the item. So when the reminder came on the screen that it was time to finally replace the filter we were glad that the Thermador filters finally arrived this week. Because we have been having issues with faulty filters we were nervous about these too. The instructions said to keep the slot horizontal once it was inserted. We did, and nothing happened even after resetting the filter menu option. So we pulled it out and tried it again, reset the filter option and still nothing happened. So I went back to my photo library to three years ago to see how the notch was set. It wasn’t in a horizontal position; it was on an angled position and there was actually a notch that was barely visible to show the correct position. When we turned the filter to that angle the refrigerator made a very strange noise. So we reset the filter option again and waited to see if the ice would start to tumble. This time it worked. The last thing we wanted to do was call for service for such a nonsensical thing. We had to do it before. I’m just glad we didn’t need to do it again. 

3M Filtrete Air Filters are EXPENSIVE

In Milwaukee our air conditioning system was easier to access...the original unit was in the basement and the other unit was in the attic above the tandem garage that was turned in to a tv room and mud room. This old building another story. Both units are located in the ceiling - one above the bathtub - and until last month, were near impossible to reach. They still are, but after spending a mint on replacing some parts, all we have to do to replace the filters is to insert them on top of the drop down hatch rather than near any equipment. The repair folks gave us the filter measurements and we listened to them without checking ourselves. Of course, one of the sizes was wrong, but we are too lazy to go back and exchange it, since we opened the package. We went to Frager's in the neighborhood to get the filters, and they had them all right. But we didn't realize there were so many different kinds to choose from, and ended up with three different ones, only by chance and dictated by available sizes. One unit now has a recirculating system with just our air, while the other unit recirculates the building air... that's the problem living in an 1890's building. There is not a lot of control over your HVAC system. But what surprised us both was that it cost $70 for four filters! I don't remember them being so expensive... Plus you need to change them every three months. I don't know how people pay for all this stuff when you add in all the other routine expenses of daily living. Maybe we are just paying more attention to it since I retired. In the end, I'd like to know if any of this really does anything. 

A Lost In Space Week With Old House Repairs

Compared to the Midwest, we live in very tiny spaces. And these tiny spaces are very old - from the 1890's. And as with any house it needs a lot of attention. Last week was one of those lost in space weeks where wall repairs and HVAC issues needed to be addressed. Luckily we were able to schedule two different crews to coordinate the work since the HVAC people don't deal with plaster repair - they just know how to make a mess. Of course, nothing ever goes as planned or stays on schedule. So our usual routine was definitely off kilter and we always get crabby. Hopefully whatever was done will last awhile or with wishfully thinking - permanently? In the Midwest we had a wonderful do it all handyman that was available whenever we needed him. He would even stay in the house and babysit the dog whenever we left town. Here we are somewhat lucky, and at least have a reliable handyman that can pretty much do it all too. But he is so busy because everyone needs him! His phone is ringing non stop and he is getting ready to do a massive kitchen update in Virginina, among all the other projects. I'm just glad he could squeeze us in. He's probably one of the few people we can really trust and feel confident about his work. That's very hard to come by around here. We should know. 

Where Are the Nips?

My husband has a sweet tooth. So much so that I order large quantities of his favorite candy through Amazon every few months. It was time for a replenishment, along with the darn filters that we need for the Keurig one cup tea and coffee maker, and the Brita water carafe. So I requested the usual - Bali's Best coffee assortment, and Nips chocolate parfait. The filters and the Bali's were delivered together in short order, but there must be a serious shortage in the Nips supply. We received an email from Amazon that the product was not yet available, and they would let us know when it would be. Then we received another email asking if we would like to consider an extension on the delivery date. So we did. It's been more than a couple of weeks. So finally today, we got a "good news" email from Amazon, saying the product will finally be shipped, but won't get here until next week. I appreciate the communication, but don't understand the problem with the Nips supply. It certainly isn't a big deal, but when you have a sweet tooth, things can get ugly!