Sabotage!

My family has a long history of disastrous drainage issues occurring during holidays - Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc - that generally resulted in a plumber and, on more than one occasion, subsequent removal of the downstairs closet ceiling and disassembly of a pipe-joint, with super gross sludge being removed. Until this weekend, I'd assumed the story we'd been told - the pipes weren't installed with the proper grade, so particulates and larger items were settling instead of flowing down hill - was true. Now I know different: it was sabotage! By my siblings!!

They visited me this past weekend and apparently sabotaged my AC, and attempted to kill both my kitchen sink AND my fridge!

One of their earlier efforts was the sink: I had a brief moment where I thought the sink was going to back up, but that particular trick was foiled by my rapid deployment / use of the garbage disposal. 

But I did run the AC more than usual, and noted, toward the end of the weekend, the air was barely cool and the flow was ... well, not particularly forceful. Weak, even.

So when I got home on Monday night and turned on the AC, I remembered that, and opened the utility closet to see if there was anything wrong. After some checking around, I located the air filter for the system. The air filter I didn't know was there (it's in a weird spot) and so hadn't changed in over 2 years. Good thing I'm pretty stingy with the heat and AC! The thing was GROSS, so I took it out and planned to shower (being just back from the gym) then go buy a new one.

I also discovered there was water on the floor. Awesome. I put down a towel and took a shower. When I finished, I heard someone tapping at the security door on the back porch. Being fresh from the shower, I didn't answer, but did get dressed .... and there was knocking on my front door. I went and answered. It was my downstairs neighbor checking to see if I was dead in the shower / tub since there was water coming out of the light fixture in her closet. That is under my utility closet. Better and better.

Although the water had stopped (Possibly due to the towel), I told her to definitely call the landlord since that's never good (also because, though I didn't mention it, that apartment had a mold problem with a previous tenant), and went to Target to buy a filter. After failing to get any service at customer service, I eventually found someone stocking shelves who refused to make eye contact or even orient his body toward me, but was at least willing to direct me to the correct aisle. No filters of the proper size. Awesome. 

Since I was also out of gas, I bought gas, then went to Home Depot. They at least had some filters that looked approximately right, so I bought a 12x20 filter and headed home. When I got there, I called Inge, my landlady, back (I'd left the phone at home). It turns out that not only does she not have a key to my apartment, she also doesn't have a key to the new security door, so I couldn't hide a key on the back porch the way I normally do. I don't think she's even seen the new doors, since she didn't understand there is literally no way to leave it unlocked for someone to come in, and I couldn't just leave it slightly ajar with any certainty it wouldn't either blow closed or be closed by a helpful neighbor. Eventually I asked why the repair guy couldn't just come in the front door, and said I'd leave my front door unlocked. Not ideal, but at least it's a solution. 

Then I tried to put in the filter I'd bought. Apparently I need a 12x18 - which Home Depot didn't have, or I'd have bought it. Fantastic. As it was already after 9:30, I sort of wedged it in there & let the air pressure suck it tight to the edges & called it good for the night, and had some dinner. Finally. I swapped out the soaked towel for a dry one, put down another  a level up, to soak up another puddle, watched some TV and went to bed.

Oh. And throughout all this, from the time I got home on Monday, my refrigerator was groaning. Loudly. From somewhere in the back. Not squealing ... groaning. Weird.

In the morning I talked to Inge again, reconfirming how the guy was to get in, and asked if he or someone could also look at the fridge since, though it wasn't / isn't dead, it sure sounded wounded. At lunchtime I went to Lowe's, to get another filter. STILL no luck, so I turned to the internet. Apparently there are no filters of the appropriate size available within 50 miles of here, so I'll need to order it online. And pay for shipping. Fantastic.

When I got home last night around 8:15, the AC was off, the towel was SOAKED ... but at least the fridge was quiet. I swapped out the towel, keeping my fingers crossed that maybe it was old water, and went about my evening. This morning, the new towel was soaked through, so, nope, not the issue. 

Inge called me this morning around 8:30 to let me know I need to have the AC replaced. That'll happen tomorrow. In the meantime, to keep from flooding the downstairs apartment, I have to keep putting down towels if I want to run the system. Personally, I still suspect it's an ice issue and that the guy looked, saw water and just went for the easier / more lucrative solution.  

Clearly this can't all be a coincidence. It's sabotage, I tell you! In fact, it may be more widespread than even this! The first time my parents visited me in this apartment I had kitchen sink troubles and then electrical problems resulting in no power in the bathroom, dining room or kitchen and, later, no hot water! This is clearly learned behavior passed from parents to children! A multi-generational conspiracy!!

All of a sudden I'm really glad to be moving out in less than 3 months. 

86 days of employment remaining.