Trares
How does the saying go — “When it rains it pours?”
As a homeowner, it has been pouring around here recently.
My wife and I have been in our house for the past 13 years. We had it built a couple years after we got married, as we were outgrowing life in apartments and eyeing a larger place for pets and … kids?
After looking at our budget and our options, we chose to build a home in a burgeoning neighborhood. The idea of starting our family home from scratch was enticing — becoming more so when we met with the builders and got to choose our carpeting, cabinetry, countertops and more.
When we moved during the December of 2012, it was enchanting: fresh white walls, soft carpeting, gleaming stainless steel appliances. Everything was so new.
Years take their toll; those fresh white walls have been painted and repainted. Two cats left their (claw) marks in varying places, and then when Anthony came around, we dealt with the typical damage a toddler inflicts. We’ve replaced carpeting, furniture and other decor when we’ve wanted a different look or items became worn down.
I wouldn’t trade our house for anything — it’s home. And I realize that in time, things need to be replaced.
Still, I wish these things wouldn’t happen all at once.
Over the past year, we’ve had a run of high-profile failings that have left us wincing. Everything started with the hot water heater. We came home one day to find water pooling around the bulky tank. After wrapping towels around the base to prevent an all-out flood, we called the repair guys to come take a look.
No surprise, the bottom of the tank was rusting. The only solution was a new water heater, they said.
We gritted our teeth and agreed. While I enjoy a cold shower after a long workout, the idea of no hot water was a non-starter.
Then our washer and dryer started making an other-wordly noise. During the washer’s spin cycle, it sounded like a helicopter was landing on our roof. The dryer sounded as if it were filled with rocks, not sweatshirts and socks. When the dryer stopped drying entirely, we knew it was time for a new set.
As we did that first load of laundry, we questioned if the washer was working, since we didn’t have to yell over the noise.
But the kicker came this winter. We had noticed the furnace would struggle to heat the whole house when the temperature dipped below 20 degrees. It always bounced back, though.
That changed in February, as the extended cold snap proved too much. Even when the daytime temperatures rose back into the 40s and 50s, the furnace was cooked; it was running constantly and barely getting up to 65 degrees.
A repair call was made with trepidation. A new washer and dryer was costly yet manageable, but a new furnace/air conditioner was an entirely different beast.
Our fears were warranted. Systems like our were designed to have a lifespan of about 10 years; ours was an old man by comparison. Parts were corroded, the heat pump was malfunctioning, the fan sounded like it was sending shrapnel through the unit.
Repairs were a possibility, but couldn’t guarantee a new raft of breakdowns wouldn’t rear their head in six months, or a year. Bottom line — the furnace was cooked.
So we bit the bullet. Sitting through a consultation, we figured out a brand new unit that fit in our budget. The whole session was like trying to buy a car; there was financing arrangements and monthly payments and warranties to work out. It was painful.
Still, when the system was in and that first blast of warm air filled the house, it helped ease the sting. We won’t need to worry about our furnace or air conditioning for a long time.
Now we just hold our breaths until the next domino to fall. I’m looking at you, refrigerator.
Ryan Trares is a senior reporter and columnist for the Daily Journal. Send comments to editorial@therepublic.com.
