We need a new air conditioner in the living room. For the past few summers we’ve just taken it for granted that every few days we would mistakenly use the microwave in the kitchen while two air conditioners were on at the same time, and blow the circuits, and have to go over to the basement in the next building to reset the main circuit breaker. We had an electrician in at some point to see if there was anything we could do to get more electricity into the apartment, but he told us that it would be a very extensive and expensive job, because he’d have to first get more electricity into our building overall and only then focus on our apartment in particular. So we accepted our fate and tried harder to remember to turn off one of the air conditioners before using the microwave.
This summer, though, the power kept going out even without the microwave, or any other possible source of trouble. It didn’t happen as soon as two air conditioners were on at the same time, and it only happened when one of the air conditioners was the big one in the living room, so at first we weren’t sure what the problem was. The worst problems came during the hottest week, when the local electric company was using brownouts to manage the higher than usual usage, so, we realized, each time a brownout happened, and two air conditioners were on, and one of them was the air conditioner in the living room, we lost power.
But knowing that we had no way of fixing the problem, except to sit in the heat with no relief, was not comforting. After blowing the circuits three days in a row, Mom decided that the problem was probably coming from the big air conditioner in the living room which was getting old. She reached out to a friend of my cousin’s, who happens to be an electrician, and was told that, one, older model air conditioners are less energy efficient, and two, as air conditioners get older they use more power. She suggested that we get a newer, more energy efficient one, and, hopefully, that would solve the problem.
So we ordered the new air conditioner, and we hope that once it’s in place we won’t have to traipse outside and into the next building and down to the basement to reset the circuit breaker in the heat of the summer. And who knows, we may even discover that the new air conditioner will even allow us to use the microwave every once in a while.
The problem is, it costs money. And we didn’t have this on our list of expected repairs for this year. Nor did we have the faucet in the bathroom sink on the list, or the new car battery, or the higher cost of groceries, or the latest federal court decision that might mean I have to go back to making regular payments on my student loan, on top of the medical loan.
One of my projects this summer has been to educate myself about all of the bills and home details Mom has been taking care of for so many years, so that if, God forbid, Mom can’t take care of things, I will know what to do. This idea came up as a result of Mom’s second hip replacement, and the heart scare, and a very, very gradual realization that I am not a teenager anymore. I took the project seriously, and in my turtle slow way, I filled a binder with files for each category of responsibility: the car, the apartment (including the mortgage and maintenance and insurance), the appliances, the monthly bills, etc., and I was quickly overwhelmed by how much money it takes to just to keep things copacetic. I have a whole folder on what to do if different appliances and fixtures and furniture break down (with phone numbers for repair people and warranties and preferred brands), but this past month has made it clear that no matter how organized I try to be there will always be unknown costs that pop up. And you know what I can do about that? Nothing. Except raise the dose of my antidepressant, when necessary, and trust that I will be able to figure it out when the time comes.
I just want to say: Phooey. This adulting stuff really sucks. I give it one star, at most.
If you haven’t had a chance yet, please check out my Young Adult novel, Yeshiva Girl, on Amazon. And if you feel called to write a review of the book, on Amazon, or anywhere else, I’d be honored.
Yeshiva Girl is about a Jewish teenager on Long Island, named Isabel, though her father calls her Jezebel. Her father has been accused of inappropriate sexual behavior with one of his students, which he denies, but Izzy implicitly believes it’s true. As a result of his problems, her father sends her to a co-ed Orthodox yeshiva for tenth grade, out of the blue, and Izzy and her mother can’t figure out how to prevent it. At Yeshiva, though, Izzy finds that religious people are much more complicated than she had expected. Some, like her father, may use religion as a place to hide, but others search for and find comfort, and community, and even enlightenment. The question is, what will Izzy find?
rachelmankowitz 
Haha. I think have the same air conditioner as your old one.
Ha!
Whoever advised you to purchase an LG unit was spot on. They manufacture energy efficient, quality window air conditioners. This new one should serve you well.
My Mom treats Consumer Reports like her Bible; if they say LG, we get LG.
cool
I am an LG fan forever! Both my washing machine and my stove are by LG. Their service is excellent, too–I just had to have them come out once when we first bought our stove. Stay cool, Rachel! 😉
Thank you!
I hope the new unit brings you relief without any outages.
A new efficient unit should be cost effective over many years.
I hope so. Thank you!
Your concluding para about adulting is hilarious, Rachel! That says it all!! 🤷🏼♀️😊
Thank you so much!
So sorry you had to go through all of this. Hope things settle down for a while.
Thank you!
Sorry you have to do adulting. It’s a challenge. But the new air conditioner looks great.
Thank you!
I have to say that the situation with the electrics in your apartment sounds very early 1950s, Rachel. If you cannot run those appliances at the same time, something is badly wrong with the wiring. The overall owner of the building should be held responsible for modernising the electrics, they sound dangerous to me.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thank you! I think the building was build in the 50’s, and never updated, at least in the electrical system. Unfortunately its a co-op, so everyone would have to agree to an update and help pay for it and we just went through a huge reno for the heating system that drove everyone crazy, so…
From what I understand, they did the opposite:
The general electrical system should have been updated before the installation of air conditioning in each unit, precisely to support the load of all connected appliances in each apartment, and for the entire building. There are calculations for it.
Because electrical overload can cause fire easily!
I know because I live in an old building; and it was necessary to do it.
Geez that’s a lot of ongoing problems. Sound like my life. Especially with the power going out, although all three times it was weather related.
But getting the chance to complain about it all really helps. Truly.
Yeah i would agree
somehow I am no longer receiving your posts😡yes i agree. Adulting is totally overrated.
I’m so sorry. WordPress is an enigma to me at the best of times. But it’s great to hear from you!
Personally, I feel like adulting is liberating, although it can be a bit hairy at times. I don’t like to be dependant on someone else. You’ll get the hang of it. And it won’t be as bad as you think! Amy
It’s taking me a very long time to get used to it, but it’s at least better than childhood, for what that’s worth.
I like to be pragmatic and look for easy, quick and economical solutions.
I also call this minimalism.
Brazil is a tropical/temperate country, so we leave the windows open during the day; less in the winters, in the middle of each year, here.
We are accustomed to more frequent contact with the sun, water, and open air.
In the U.S., videos show that windows are usually closed because all houses and stores have air conditioning.
In fact, it is a colder place, and demand for more infrastructure and support. But in the summer, open windows could take advantage of natural ventilation.
In fact, even in winter, like now, it’s sunny and warm here. I love!
79º F
I keep my windows open whenever possible, but when its really humid there is no air flow at all, just a wall of heat.
Suggestion, if I understand correctly: try to gradually take on the maintenance and bureaucratic tasks for managing the house and your lives. That way, if your mother is unable or absent, you will feel calmer and more proactive.
Interesting plan. Thank you!
You really made an upgrade with the air-conditioner. I know you will have good luck with it. For myself, I limit my use with AC to the really hot days and take advantage of the ceiling fans in almost every room. The big one in the living spins so fast on high I’m sure if I turned it upside down it could work like a helicopter rotor and take me up for a ride.
You’ll do fine with adulting. You have all the necessary tools – a binder, a folder with warranties (I never know where mine are), and antidepressants. You’ll be great!
Thank you so much! I used to have a ceiling fan but it was too low and caused injuries. It’s possible that an unreasonably short person used to live in this apartment.
Ha! That must be why I’m partial to ceiling fans. I’m definitely unreasonably short. Be safe and stay cool.
Just had to have the A/C in my house replaced. So much better with the new one (colder, quieter and they say more efficient). Wish I’d done it last year.
I feel the same way. I can keep the volume on the TV much lower now.
A new more energy efficient air conditioner is a good idea.
But did your electrician check to make sure the breaker was okay?
All is well. Thank you for asking!
We just got a new energy efficient air conditioner because our big air conditioner, a mere child of four, simply found this work too tiresome to extend its best efforts any more. Our new energy efficient air conditioner has taken the task much more seriously–to a fault. I came downstairs last evening briefly to find it was puffing away. I turned it off and went back up to bed. The next morning, when I told my husband it had still been going (assuming he’d forgotten to turn it off), he said he had, indeed, turned it off last night, but it had been on when he came downstairs this morning. Apparently, new-AC felt neither of us understood that the room would be too warm if it did as we wanted. My husband had to reset it for a higher temp in the late evening–or something. Tomorrow may be a new surprise.
Life is filled with challenges, Rachel–no doubt about that. Very glad you and your mom don’t have to traipse next door on unexpected powerless trips, at least.
Thank you! I hope the AC stops trying to think for you. I hate when tech tries to do that.
Maybe AI stands for “Always Interfering!”
Yes!!!!!
Congrats on the new air conditioner. Heat, humidity, and allergies are a wicked combination to deal with. Hope you no longer have issues with any of them.
Thank you!
We’ve just installed a ceiling fan in our lounge. It works OK and the one is the bedroom has been running all night in this heat. AC is not a practical option for this house.
As long as the ceiling fan does the job, who needs AC?
It does the job well enough.
Good for you, trying to get a handle on the bills before you are forced to. I had plenty of warning to work on the bills my husband always took care of, but, well, I waited and now I struggle.
I’m expecting it to always be a struggle for me, because it just doesn’t come naturally. But I’m doing my best.
Everything has shot up in price. We are all(99% of us Americans) sharing in your situation.
It’s been a lot.
This adulting thing does suck at times! Hopefully the new a/c keeps your circuits intact!
Thank you! Fingers crossed!
I feel like everyone is being smacked by the reality of adulting this year, even those of us who have been doing it for a long time!
I think we all need a vacation, or to win the lottery. We deserve it!
I live in Florida and don’t have A/C — only fans during the summer. My car doesn’t have A/C, either. That has been adequate for the first 6 decades of my life. As I get older, I no longer want to empty the dehumidifier in my bedroom closet (to prevent mildew from eating my clothes). In another year, I will probably have central heat and air. It seems like the older we get, the less resilient our bodies become.
I think I was born without the resilience gene.
LOL…I think I was a desert lizard in another life.
Ugh to unexpected expenses, but YAY! to a new air conditioner. I am not good with being hot. I move my fan with me from room to room and I carry an ice pack. I hope your new AC is doing a good job keeping you cool!
Thank you!