I kept checking the forecast and everyday was more of the same heat and humidity
My central air conditioner failed at the worst possible time. I’d just invested into a new car and paid a huge roofing repair bill. I’d also signed on for a winter cruise with a group of friends. My budget was already stretched to the breaking point. I simply couldn’t afford to call up a professional HVAC contractor for repair. Since my air conditioner was toward the end of its lifespan, I worried the cost of service would be higher than buying a whole new system. I was hopeful I could manage without central cooling until next spring. It was already early September so the weather normally cooled off quickly and considerably. This past year, however, the temperature remained consistently in the upper eighties. Conditions didn’t cool off much at night, and the humidity was horrible. I started by running overhead ceiling fans and opening some windows, expecting the breeze to be enough. Instead, the house was overheated and sticky. I then bought a couple of box fans. They helped a little. At least the fans moved the air around and made it feel a bit cooler. I still struggled to sleep at night. I was sweaty all of the time and took several cool showers everyday. I finally went back to the hardware store and found a portable chiller. I needed to wet the filter and place it in the freezer and fill the reservoir with water. Although the chiller supplied a steady stream of cool air, it wasn’t enough. I kept checking the forecast and everyday was more of the same heat and humidity. It was a very long and uncomfortable two weeks.