Mum had been living on her own since dad died when I was about 25. We had all left home and though they were now just the two of them, they enjoyed their time together. When dad passed away, she had a hard time coming to terms with her loss and the loneliness that came after. It took some time for her to become accustomed to the loneliness. Whenever she needed help with anything in the house including the electric heating system, she would call us, well, me. I am an HVAC tech with a successful heating dealership in town. My day is usually full of heater maintenance or furnace/heater installations. Mum had called me some time ago complaining that her wireless thermostat was confusing her because the reading it showed did not match the indoor comfort. The heater was also starting to underperform though we had changed the furnace filter during the last heating repair. I traveled to mum’s house to try and fix the boiler. We took this time to catch up with mum. It was a sunny cold winter afternoon and we had some tea in the garden. After changing some of the heat and AC products that were worn out, we were done with the servicing. Recently the heating industry has passed a law that requires companies to give an HVAC service plan to all customers without it. Within a few hours, I had managed to fix the furnace and we were seated in the kitchen knitting and having cake. In the evening, I lay on the heated floor in mum’s bedroom while I continued reading the book of the month.
Heat and AC products
Meeting the smartest HVAC tech in the state
Every year, the company I work for selects several representatives to attend the heat and AC product symposium.
About 300 heating dealerships attended this event.
It was a heating industry event that drew many companies. The event would turn into a networking event. There were different speakers chosen to be in the panel for the event. These individuals were high-achieving professionals in the market. They had acclaimed outstanding awards. We got to the event a day early and headed to our rooms. I was part of a heating repair team of 5. It was a really cold day and I was grateful for the boiler at the hotel we stayed at. The next day, we got to meet and see the panel at the symposium. They indeed were the” industry greats” with all their achievements. One panelist in particular interested me. This individual had won the HVAC tech of the year, five years consecutively. He knew he was around any type of electric heating system and would probably have put together a heater after taking it apart. I had researched him because my master’s project was centered on his work and his ability to solve problems with these systems. I later found out that he worked for the same company that had done the furnace/heater installation of the heated floors in my room at home. There was factual information that he had a hand in passing the rule to include an HVAC service plan involving replacing furnace filters for all customers novice or amateurs. After he spoke on the invention of wireless thermostats and the importance of heater maintenance, I made sure to go up to him. We chatted for a while and I couldn’t believe it.
The HVAC service plan that saved our lives
It was fashion week and as a designer, I had been invited as a participant.
I was elated at this. It was an opportunity of a lifetime, this would push my career a mile ahead. I had been very busy throughout the week before the show. My office and home were a beehive of activity. I have assistance that helps me keep up with my job and promote efficiency. I had been so busy that I did not notice the pilot light on the heater. It was blinking and the color had changed. The boiler was also making weird noises that I thought were stray cats fighting. My bedroom was fitted with heated floors, a more reason to not notice that the wireless thermostat in the living area had wrong readings. The furnace/heater installation was done about five years ago and most of the heating repair done was when the furnace filters were replaced. I was asleep one early morning. I noticed smoke coming from the electric heating system one morning and just as I was about to call the heating dealership, the phone rang. It was the heater maintenance team from the same company I was to call. I had an HVAC service plan which scheduled regular tune-ups for all my heat and AC products. After assessing the heating systems, the HVAC tech reported to me that if the servicing was not done soon, the damage to the HVAC system would have been fatal. It could have caused a fire. These plans, offered as complimentary service by companies, are the best invention by the heating industry. After all, they save lives!
The best winter trip ever: A cabin in the mountains with a boiler
For the past three years now, we always found ourselves, my friends and I, on vacation.
We usually take our vacation days right around the same time. Winter is our season of choice, we call it, chasing the snow. A friend of mine knew a friend who owned a cabin in the mountains. We had seen photos of the place on her social media pages and it looked amazing. We planned to visit the cabin for a few days. My friend Cindy, had assured us that the caretaker confirmed the place was ready. When we got there, we were welcomed by the warmth from the heater. It had been a long cold drive. The bathroom was fitted with heated floors which were just beyond me. We unpacked as we chatted. I took a tour around the cabin. Being an HVAC tech myself, I understood quite well the heating industry. I noticed the electric heating system in the cabin. They had quite sophisticated heat and AC products and it showed that they kept up with the heater maintenance because of the quality of indoor comfort. The air quality was also top-notch, Cindy said that the HVAC techs had recently replaced the furnace filter. They had the wireless thermostats type of regulators. On the counter near the shelf, I saw an HVAC service plan booklet on preventive care measures for boilers. The caretaker had recently run a heating repair session which was the second since the furnace/heater installation was done. I later found out that her dad owned a heating dealership in town. We had a grand time at the cabin. It was super warm and cozy so much so that we danced in our pajamas every other night.