March 9, 2023 - March 12, 2023 - New AC, Golf Cart, New Outlet, Gas Grill

The humidity level in the house has been extremely high. The AC was just not taking it out as it should. It needed to be looked at. I inquired of those in the park and the overwhelming suggestion was Airmasters of Pinellas Park. I called and they sent someone out that day. Upon hooking up his gauges he found that the system was quite low on freon, causing it to ice up the coil. He showed me how corroded everything was inside, advised me that this Goodman brand of AC was installed in 2010, and that they had a poor design, which often led to leaks. He said he could charge it up for about $600.00 but he wouldn't guarantee that it wouldn't leak out again in just a couple of days. The second option was to put in a new coil at a significant cost, and still no guarantee. We opted to get a whole new unit with a ten year warranty so we didn't have to worry about it working this summer while we were at home. Here is a picture of the old unit. 

Two repairmen arrived Friday and withing two hour had the new unit and thermostat installed. These units also contain a 10KW electric element for heat when needed. The new unit is a Comfortmaster by Carrier, much better brand:

At his suggestion I purchased crushed rock and placed it all around the condensation drain to keep any debris out. A very nice company to work with.

On the Golden Gate Buy and Sell Facebook page there was an older golf cart for sale for $1,000.00. They guy charged it up and I took it for a ride to our place and back (less than two blocks). The batteries were so bad that when I was driving it back it totally quit in the middle of the street. He had to push me in. The cart:

The bad:  the seats were quite dirty, the front seats did not match the back seats in color, it needed batteries (about $800.00), the driver-side front fender was bashed in from hitting a wall, and the seat backs were falling off. Here is a picture.

The good: It is a Club Cart, it runs well when the batteries are charged, it has a good charger, there is no play in the steering, the brakes work fine, it has a windshield, a rear-view mirror, front and back lights updated to LEDs, the seats were not torn, and it has a rear seat. The rear seat is a $400 item by itself. I offered him $500.00 and after thinking about it a day, he accepted my offer. I picked it up Saturday and began to work on it.

The seats were really dirty and the seat backs each were being held on by one bolt and wire ties to keep them from spinning.

The seats cleaned up well and I solved the problem of their mounts by drilling and adding a bolt to each one.

Here is a picture after the seat work was completed.

The plastic top is split down each side. This needs to be fixed. I am going to use JB Plastic Weld to hold the pieces together then use E6000 glue all along the cracks on top to seal them. I haven't decided yet whether to take the roof off to make this repair or do it while on the cart.

Several of the battery terminals were quite corroded. This could influence the batteries accepting a charge. 

I took them all off and cleaned everything. After doing this I recharged the batteries. I took her for a ride and was able to circumnavigate the park and drive up and down a couple of streets before the batteries died. It would be good enough for me until next season, but we may buy new batteries now so we can use it all we want. The golf cart needs a name. I put that out to all of you for suggestions. One suggestion last night was "Lisa", in keeping with the Simpsons naming scheme we have used since purchasing Homer. Send me your suggestions.

The only outside outlet on the house for charging the cart is on the front of the house. I didn't like running an extension cord for that across the driveway. With the help of friends, Chris and David, we installed another outlet on the side of the house. A great improvement.

A project I need to get back to is the old gas grill I bought. I took the wheels off the old trash can, bought a threaded rod, a 2x4, and some pipe brackets. I will mount a piece of 2x4 on each side, then mount a pipe on one 2x4 for an axle guide. I will attach the two wheels off the old trash. I can then wheel it around, and in and out of the shed as needed.  IT also needs a little burner repair so I bought something to fix that with. I'll update with pictures. I can't work on it now because rain is coming.

Last night we played "Nickels" with our Michigan friends in Roberts RV Park and had a great visit until 10:00 p.m.