When we moved into our new house it was clear that there were improvements to be made. There were nooks and crannies that needed attention, and plenty of yard work to be done. We needed to repaint and recarpet a few spaces, but it seemed like a manageable set of projects. What we didn’t foresee, however, was needing to replace our HVAC unit with some level of immediacy in order to survive the horrid summer. Right when we moved in we realized that the air conditioner was going to be a bit of a hurdle. We were still unpacking boxes when it became apparent that the indoor air temperature was not reaching the temperatures we hoped, and continually interrupted our work by getting up to check on the thermostat. No matter what settings we employed, the AC seemed to have a mind of its own, and did not want to cool our home to a low enough temperature. In total frustration, covered in sweat and dirt, we went outside to look at the central cooling unit and fidget around with whatever components we could get our hands on. When this still didn’t work, we ultimately got so mad that a few kicks were thrown at the troublesome air conditioner. To our amazement, this made the equipment immediately start humming a familiar tune. Now every time we can’t get the temperature low enough from the thermostat, we have to go outside and beat on the AC before it will operate appropriately. This is impractical and unsustainable, and my hands and feet hurt.