I was right: the A/C repairman did not come at the scheduled date and time. But in this case, that's because he decided, for whatever reason, to come a day early, interrupting my sleep.
Normally, around 8 a.m., I'm still sound asleep, but today, my eyes popped open around 8, right as my phone vibrated. On my Kakao app was a text message—an automatic reminder sent by LG Appliance Services to confirm that a repairman was scheduled to arrive on August 1st (Thursday, i.e., tomorrow) at 9 a.m. Immediately after that message appeared, my phone began to ring, and I saw it was an "010" number (i.e., a cell phone). I normally don't answer calls from numbers I don't know, but guessing that this was the LG guy, I picked up.
Sure enough, it was the repairman, and he asked me whether he could come by in fifteen minutes. I said, "Sure, come on over," hung up, got dressed, and waited for the dude to appear. Twenty-five minutes later, there was a knock on my door. I let the repairman in; he asked me where the "outside unit" was, and I gestured across the hallway.* He then shuttled back and forth between the outside A/C unit and my in-room, wall-mounted unit before settling in my studio to unclog the drain line.
The unclogging took only a few minutes. The guy told me to watch over the next day or two for whether the in-room A/C unit still leaks. If it does, I need to call LG again and schedule a unit replacement because, as it turns out, my A/C's model dates back to 1997. I knew the thing was old, but I had no idea it was that old. This gave me a new respect for LG's air-conditioner technology. Who knew it was that tough?
The guy left, and I'm now monitoring the A/C for any further leaks. I'm not hearing the tap-tap-tapping sounds of water droplets hitting floor or furniture, so for the moment, it's So Far, So Good. Check back in 48 hours for an update if any drippage does occur.
*I've never understood the relationship between the giant outside unit and my in-room air conditioner. I had always thought you could buy a small, wall-mounted A/C and simply set it up inside your place without having to attach it to a larger, preexisting unit. But in our apartment building, no in-room A/C operates independently: each unit is hooked up to a much larger one that sits across the hallway, hidden under a large metal casing. If you in your erudition, Dear Reader, know why my in-room unit is not allowed to fly on its own and be free, the comments section is yours. Otherwise, I'll research the question myself.
Here's a quick primer on the mini-split vs. window a.c. unit. As someone who has used both as well as central air, I do call B.S. on the so-called "energy efficiency" angle of the split vs. today's highly efficient window units. Personally, I save much more money using window units, but splits are still slightly quieter. Also, I've gotten quite sick at times due to inadequate mini-split evaporation leading to high levels of mold growth (really bad when it gets into the cement walls in South Korea). Google "mini-split ac mold" to see just how bad the problem really is.
ReplyDelete1. Central Air is for big dwellings and costs more to buy, install, upkeep, and energy use.
2. Mini-slpits are quieter and more efficient in smaller places but still rather pricey and need a professional installer.
3. Window units are very efficient and cheap in comparison to the other two (come in both 110v and 220v), but they can be noisy if placed close to your sleeping area. They also use up a window that may block your view.
Great information. I just glanced at it (I'm at work), but I'll comb through it all in detail tonight. Thanks.
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