My boyfriend, Andy, works as an HVAC contractor for a local company.
He is really handy to have around and always willing to help out.
He takes care of the regular maintenance of the furnace and air conditioner at my house. When the air conditioner malfunctioned, he checked it out, bought the replacement parts and quickly completed the repair. Before introducing Andy to my parents, I warned him not to let on about what he does for a living. I knew my very large family would take advantage of him. Unfortunately, the first time we had dinner at my mom and dad’s house, the furnace suddenly quit. My mom fiddled with the thermostat but couldn’t get it to start up. My dad is barely capable of changing batteries and was unable to provide any help. Since the outside temperature was down to ten degrees, my parents were in a bit of a panic. It didn’t take Any long to volunteer to get his tools. He proceeded to take the furnace completely apart. He showed my parents the substantial buildup of dust and debris inside the heating unit. After a thorough cleaning and tuning, Andy put the furnace back together. It started right up and ran perfectly. My whole family was extremely impressed. Now, however, someone is always calling and asking Andy for a favor. My sister wanted help installing a ductless system. My brother wanted Andy to troubleshoot his air conditioner. Every weekend, instead of enjoying some free time, Andy is running around doing jobs for my family. I’ve now told my family that they either need to stop asking or start paying him for his service.