I know, everybody is a little bit crazy right now. I’m doing my best to keep my head out of the viral cloud, and to apply my brain energy to constructive outlets. Otherwise, people are left alone with their news updates and paranoia. It makes folks start to go a bit batty. I don’t want to be one of these sensationalists who is making matters worse, so I’m quietly and reasonably preparing for the future. I’m not running out to the store and stocking up on toilet paper, meats, or canned goods. I haven’t been dousing myself in isopropyl alcohol or buying up all the face masks in our area. In general, I’ve been keeping to myself and trying to keep positive. However, there is one area of life that I have prepared for imminent disaster. In the case of a full heating and cooling system breakdown, right now I would have nowhere to turn. I wouldn’t want to call out a professional heating and cooling technician at this point, not only because it would be wildly expensive for an emergency repair call at this moment, but also because they would bring infectious substances into my house. I don’t believe that a heating, cooling, and ventilation specialist is safe from airborne infection right now. They wander into strangers’ houses, touch all of their dirty air handling equipment, share pens with the homeowner, and report back to the central HVAC dealership at the end of the day. In my opinion, HVAC workers are some of the most at-risk populations right now. That’s why, I went out and purchased a backup furnace and air conditioning system last week. It might seem wasteful and expensive, but if anything happens, I’ll be prepared to safely fix my indoor air quality equipment on my own.
