If you missed yesterdays installment, you can read it by clicking here. I’ll wait.

The relay was waiting for me when I got home, but I didn’t see it for half an hour. I looked around the porch and even in Va’s lovely hydrangeas, but I didn’t see a package. I kicked Penny’s soccer ball for her several times (it was cooler outside than in the house) while I waited for the UPS guy to get here (they often deliver stuff to our house after 5:00pm). It started to rain. I was hoping the relay would get here before the rain started. Sometimes hopes are realized, because shortly after it started to rain, I spotted the package next to the garage. And then it stopped raining (I would have installed the relay in the rain though.)

I immediately set to work. It took me about 20 minutes to install the relay, but the AC didn’t come on! I was super-bummed! I went in the house to get my voltmeter, and Va could see that I was not a very happy looking person. Even though I was kicking myself for not calling the repairman on Monday, I wasn’t ready to give up.

I started measuring voltages, chasing wires, and comparing them to the schematic. I eventually chased the 24VAC line from the thermostat to a switch that was labeled something like “HIGH PRESSURE SWITCH, PRESS TO RESET.” So I pressed it and the AC jumped to life.

Ahhh. The temperature in the house is almost where we like it now.

I’m not 100% positive that I couldn’t have just pressed the reset button all along. But replacing the relay got rid of the loud buzzing noise, so I’m glad I did it. It also did have a busted piece on it, so it definitely needed to be replaced. I buttoned the unit back up. I wanted to go get some dialectric grease to prevent more corrosion on all those terminals, so I announced that I was going to Lowes to get some. I offered to let David drive, and he eagerly accepted. Va asked me to pick up some take out, and since the AC repair cost me less than $50, I was in a celebratory mood.

David was in a good mood too. Earlier in the day he had beaten someone rated over 2000 at chess on the Internet. He kept telling me about how he had forked his opponent’s queen, and I kept telling him that I had fixed the AC. I think we were both happy that we were each happy. 😀

Instead of dialectric grease, I found some anitoxidant. I bought a tube, but I will not interrupt the air conditioning to apply it tonight. It can wait another day.