Red Alert!

      The bright red light on our thermostat reminds us day and night that we are on “emergency heat.”  As if our chilly house isn’t reminder enough that our wretched heat pump has died and gone to heater hell (we can but hope) and that our next electric bill will put our bank balance in another sort of red zone altogether.
      We are working mightily to correct this situation but… dealing with heating contractors is its own type of purgatory.  We have calls into four different companies.  So far, only one of those called back the same day.  Two others finally called back. Made appointments to come look over our situation, and were no-shows.  What’s up with that?  Business must be good.
      We’re looking at options – or trying to.  The heat pump we’ve had for the past twelve years has never been satisfactory.  I say it was a lemon from the get-go.  The original contractor merely says it’s had more than the “usual” problems and we’ve definitely not had “a good heat experience.”  When I was shouting “lemon” eleven years ago, the story was different.  Somehow, back then I came out the bad guy for complaining so much.
      So I’m a bit soured (so to speak) on heat pumps.  Our house has not had ‘even’ heat; it is dirty heat (and now they tell me the ducts should have been cleaned out every five years!  Why wasn’t that ever suggested!); and, despite all promises and information to the contrary, our electric bills have remained unacceptably high.
      Several of our neighbors heat with propane.  “Your heat bills will be even higher,” say the contractors.  “Much higher than with the heat pump.”
     “No,” say the neighbors.  “It’s not that expensive and it’s great heat.”
      “Well,” admit the contractors, “with propane, the heat coming out of the registers is considerably hotter than what a heat pump will give you.”
      “You might consider going back to baseboard and wall heaters,” another contractor suggested.
      “Your original system was poorly engineered,” we were told.
      “It’s those eleven foot high ceilings,” we were told.
      “It’s the configuration of your house,” we were told.
      And around and around we go. Two more contractors are coming today.  We are asking for bids on several options from each contractor.  We are continuing to question our friends on their heating bills.
      Meanwhile, we are bundled up like a pair of Pillsbury Doughboys.  It’s hard to make decisions when you are cold…