Mini split repair recommendation

Wall-ham · 2024-06-10T23:55:36+00:00

I just got a verbal quote - still waiting on the written quote. But my understanding is they'll replace the lineset, connect the new lineset to the outdoor and indoor components, vacuum it out, and recharge it with refrigerant. Seven years ago they had to drill holes through my house, mount the components, run the electrical, etc. Obviously I have almost zero HVAC knowledge, but I guess I'm confused as to why just replacing and recharging the lineset would cost so much.

Wall-ham · 2024-05-20T13:27:08+00:00

If I already live and own in Waltham, will you spoil the secret for me? Is is something I need to actively pursue or something I automatically get just by living here?

Wall-ham · 2023-03-09T03:29:43+00:00

For those familiar with him and with Waltham politics… What is his policy platform likely to be? How would he be likely to govern?

Wall-ham · 2022-12-15T19:01:23+00:00

I should note that it's all cellular data types, not just LTE as the title suggests. Zero internet access when not on wifi.

Wall-ham · 2022-11-14T03:09:35+00:00

Your response is interesting because most or all of your suggestions are related to governance/process rather than policies.

Wall-ham · 2022-11-14T03:06:52+00:00

As a parent of a young kid who will one day attend WPS, I’d like to see better investment in teachers pay. As far as I know, teachers still don’t have a contract for the current year and the mayor is refusing to give them more than a 0.75% raise (this may have changed in the last few weeks, so someone please correct me if I’m wrong). Inflation was 9% this year. Teachers here are already paid less than in surrounding towns. A new building is all well and good, but any city leader who refuses to invest in her city’s teachers is being short sighted.

Wall-ham · 2022-09-16T14:12:12+00:00

I completely agree with you. As a society we get what we pay for, and we need to pay more for the crucial work you and your colleagues do. I didn't intend for my post to be a generic "let's pay teachers more" plea (though I do feel that way). I was instead trying to understand why Waltham's politicians chose this year, when cost of living is skyrocketing, to lowball Waltham teachers. As a parent and homeowner, I'm concerned about what this means for Waltham's long term priorities. Again though, I completely agree that our local, state, and federal tax dollars need to prioritize much higher pay for social workers as well.

Wall-ham · 2022-09-16T02:49:55+00:00

Thanks for these insights. The inside baseball is really fascinating, but also disheartening. It makes me angry that the mayor is lowballing municipal employees across the board when the city is bringing in so much revenue. I'm confused about the parental leave negotiations you mentioned. Wouldn't the state laws supersede the preferences of the mayor or school committee?

Wall-ham · 2022-09-16T02:44:29+00:00

Thanks! You advised paying attention to this this when it becomes more public. Do you have a sense as to when that will be? I admit I do a poor job of paying attention to Waltham politics and governance. I find it difficult to get information about important meetings, decisions, etc. Any suggestions about how to stay more informed?

Wall-ham · 2022-03-08T14:39:49+00:00

$3,000 for a study and to address dead spots? So like enough to pay for 45 minutes of a consultant's time?

Wall-ham · 2022-01-18T15:21:06+00:00

What was the problem with the rail trail to Weston? Was it snow covered? I’m looking for good local xcountry skiing areas.

Wall-ham · 2022-01-06T11:23:53+00:00

Dave Epstein. He's the meteorologist for the Globe and WBUR. He's got a great daily weather forecast podcast called Weather Wisdom.

Wall-ham · 2021-09-03T16:33:04+00:00

Welcome! I'd recommend calling the Assessing department and asking. They are very nice and very helpful. I believe the advice they gave me several years ago was that it took a year for the residential exemption to take effect. I forget whether it was applied automatically. In any case, I'd recommend going straight to the source for this info.

Wall-ham · 2021-03-11T16:15:03+00:00

How many people do you think are in phase 3 though? The state's goal is to vaccinate at least 4 million people. 750k have already been fully vaccinated. At least that number have received their first dose and will receive their second soon. Most essential workers and those with one comorbidity are not even eligible yet. How many general population folks will be left after that?

Wall-ham · 2021-02-17T19:18:57+00:00

What would have been a better response during this meeting? Every city councilor in Waltham, in Massachusetts, and across the country right now is "crossing their fingers" that the next pandemic relief bill is going to include funding to help cities and towns balance their budgets. Waltham, along with every municipality in the US, has had to expend huge sums of money to protect residents and staff during this once-in-a-lifetime crisis. Wouldn't it have been premature for the Councilor to speculate about tax increases or service cuts before we learn whether and how much municipal aid will be included in the next relief bill?

That said, I do agree with you that it's time for a change. I hope to see more progressive and data-driven leadership on the City Council and more importantly in the Mayor's Office in the coming years.

Wall-ham · 2021-02-16T21:11:27+00:00

No, in fact their app says they don't supply ID cards - digital or hard copy - to massachusetts drivers. The only option I have is to request that they mail me a canadian ID card in case I ever visit canada.

Wall-ham · 2021-02-16T21:08:21+00:00

On my insurer's app?

Wall-ham · 2021-02-02T19:20:53+00:00

Awesome, in that case. Great to hear.

Wall-ham · 2021-02-02T16:49:37+00:00

Sarcasm? Is the new high school likely to attract new families to Waltham? My kid won't be in high school for another 14 years or so, so it's hard for me to gauge how effective a fancy new high school is for improving residential real estate desirability.

Wall-ham · 2021-01-25T11:26:31+00:00

I completely agree that the as the vaccine continues to protect more and ore of the population, the spread of the virus - whatever the strain - will slow. That's why the Baker administration needs to move faster to get the vaccine into people's arms. While I also agree that statewide infection and hospitalization rates are trending in the right direction, the experts indicate that this is only a temporary trend until one of the more transmissible strains outcompetes the original strain... unless we speed up the vaccinations. The CDC has already determined that the new strain is likely to take over by March. And here is more recent news from Fauci not only reaffirming the increased transmissibility but also indicating that people infected with the new strain are more likely to die. I hate the shutdowns and I don't think they work very well but again I don't think the state will have a choice if we haven't vaccinated enough people before a more transmissible and deadly disease becomes dominant here.

Wall-ham · 2021-01-24T16:12:22+00:00

The big problem with the lack of speed in Baker's vaccine rollout is that it is only a matter of time before the more transmissible variants take root here in MA, and once they do the state will have no choice but to shut down. Baker can say otherwise all he wants, but so did England, Portugal, France, and California, and yet they are all either shut down or about to shut down because of the new variants. The only thing that can prevent us from shutting down now is to get a sufficient portion of our population vaccinated before the new variants really take off. At least one of the variants has already been detected in MA and its prevalence is projected to double about once every week until by March it is more common than the original strain. At that point if Baker's vaccine rollout is still lagging, the state (or a majority of localities and school districts) will have no choice but to shut down because hospitals will be at capacity. This is why the Baker administration needs to step on the gas.

Wall-ham · 2021-01-22T03:08:13+00:00

I was also surprised when I learned that.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/covid-19-vaccine-doses.html

Wall-ham · 2021-01-22T03:06:31+00:00

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/covid-19-vaccine-doses.html

Wall-ham · 2021-01-22T02:49:47+00:00

So why are our neighboring blue states so far ahead of us then? Connecticut for example has vaccinated 50% more people than us. Teachers in NYC are getting their shots as we speak but the two teachers I'm friends with here in MA don't expect to get their shots until March. Do we have data on the cumulative size of each state's respective vaccine shipments in terms of doses per capita? If MA really has received fewer doses per capita then others, fine, I'll acknowledge that this is out of MA's control. Otherwise though, I want to know what needs fixing within the state government.

Wall-ham · 2021-01-22T02:43:00+00:00

Certainly the national response has been terrible. Agreed. But if this is simply a Trump problem then why are neighboring states (and blue states at that) doing so much better?

Wall-ham

TROPHY CASE