So heeding Stavros' friend advice, I figured that my best bet would be to contact our Condo Association to see whether they could give me some trade contacts. As it turns out, there had been a precedent case like this in our building and they told me that to repair the problem, I could expect to pay around $400.00. Kumar took care of getting in touch with the technician recommended by the association. Unfortunately, the technician apologetically told Kumar how swamped they were and that he'd only be able to come in about a week's time.
We were debating on whether to tell the service guy about what Stavros' friend had done or not. It's not that we wanted to withhold information so as not to have the a/c's warranty deemed void. Regardless of whether the airconditioner's warranty was up or not, we wouldn't normally omit details like that. If anything, if indeed the water being poured into the unit had actually made matters worse, we wanted this problem addressed as well, but we were worried that the service people would capitalize on this knowledge and tell us that this and that would have to be done and that they would charge us exorbitantly. We weren't sure either, if for the amount the association had estimated, we should just get a new portable airconditioner. But then we figured, the central one would have to be fixed anyways.
So a week passed and the service people finally came on Kumar's day off. Kumar excitedly called me at the office just to let me know so right away I asked him whether he took down the portrait that I had since hung back up beneath the A/C. Kumar incredulously replied "Gosh, I wonder sometimes what you think of me! "Of course I removed the picture!" He shot back. "Huns, I was just making sure" I teased! (Poor Kumar!) The service people spent about a good hour and half to fix the airconditioner, tested and re-tested it and then finally satisfied that it was working well, issued us a bill for $240.00 which Kumar paid and then left. Kumar picked me up from the office and the kids from the daycare later that afternoon and when we got home, he immediately turned the a/c and we relished the cool air.
All is well that ends well, right? Wrong. The next day was actually a cooler one with a more seasonal temperature of 27 degrees Celsius and not humid, so we didn't even have a need for the airconditioner, but the following day was a different story. It was another scorcher. Jaden had fallen asleep on our way home from the daycare. So when I got home I put the a/c on again to keep him from waking up drenched in his own perspiration as he always does, but the unit was taking longer than usual to cool the place. When I checked, the air coming out of the a/c wasn't even cold and sure enough, Jaden woke up in a fit. I swear I was at my wit's end!!! The next day was Saturday and I had Kumar call the service people but they explained to him that they didn't work weekends and that it would have to wait until the following week. It really didn't help that the forecast for the day was 30 degrees but would feel more like 35 with the humidex, so that afternoon I took the kids for a little outing to Future Shop a bit fearful that the rumors that all airconditioners in the entire city had been sold out was true, but was relieved to find a prominently displayed stack of some portable a/c's at the store. Without wasting another minute, I made a beeline for them, chose one, paid for it, enlisted the help of an employee to help me fit the massive thing into our tiny car and drove the two blocks back home.
I waited for Kumar to get home from work and had him haul the box upstairs and then we both immediately got cracking on installing the unit. It was fairly easy to do, the only problem was the kids hovering around us while we worked and not to mention the muggy heat that was making Kumar sweat bullets. And then it was time for the moment of truth! With bated breath, I watched Kumar as he pushed the "on" button of the remote. With 8,000 BTU's it was powerful enough to cool our bedroom, the only downside is that it makes an incredible racket (lol). That night, I couldn't hear myself think as I attempted to replay the events of the day in my mind and mentally put together an outfit for the next day and I lost count several times of the fluffy sheep I was counting but when I finally fell asleep after what seemed like an eternity, I did so like a baby and the next thing I knew, it was morning! So all is well that ends well, finally? Well, we still have no choice but to get the central air fixed anyways, especially in case we decide to just sell and move out of the condo, but in the meantime, I might as well invest in those nifty little earplugs...I'm just wondering now which color ones should I get???
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