Relatively warm outside on Monday, I looked out and saw the wood boiler steaming and smoking out of the top release valve. Not good, you guys. I sent Perry a text telling him what it was doing and that the sound was loud. I attached the following photo…
His reply, “Don’t go near it.” I let him know the temp gauge said it was 213°, and he sends a follow-up text, “Open the side panel and unplug it and flip the switch to off.” Not sure how he expected me to open the side panel while not going near it. 🫤
By this point, I figured I was about to blow sky high if I did it — and if I didn’t do it, I was about to blow sky high. I got it done, called for a repair service visit and watched as it steamed/smoked the rest of the day.
Mr. Service dude showed up yesterday.
It didn’t take the guy long to determine that the bearings were going out of the pump and it had overheated because the pump had shut off. Ordering a new one wouldn’t allow for an immediate fix. And by this time, the weather was no longer warm. Matter of fact, it was windy as all Hell and snowing.
Even the birds were hanging on the swinging feeder — fighting the wind as their feathers ruffled — trying to get that last meal in before the seeds were unavailable or frozen.
We’re still warm so far…
We currently have heat from mini-splits — heat pumps — that aren’t good when the temp drops low. I have an iHeater. So far we’re warm. The “feel like” temperature last night was 9°. Mom looks worse than she did before, and she has another appointment today. And now I have a heating problem and Dharma is the only family member that doesn’t mind frigid weather.
This is proof that when it rains it pours, and Murphy’s law stating, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong,” is true.
On the upside… we’re warm enough and Mom — although she looks worse — is healing. We’re all healthy and have plenty of food to eat. Life is still good. 🩷
Now you know: When signing the statehood papers for North Dakota and South Dakota, President Benjamin Harrison shuffled the papers around before signing so no one could tell which state was officially recognized first.