Yes, we have heat again in the condo. So far the new heat pump seems to be working fine. The new digital thermostat, which allows us to program four set points for each day of the week separately, is an awesome change over the previous model, though its thermometer appears to be miscalibrated; Jeff and I both felt that the temperature seemed cooler than the thermostat was suggesting and two different mercury thermometers we brought into the room agree in showing an ambient temperature about four degrees lower than what the digital thermostat reads. When the contractors come back out to work on the humidifier and install a replacement drain hose I’ll ask them about it. In the meantime, we’re just setting the desired temperature a few degrees higher to compensate for the seeming inaccuracy.

The new unit is a little smaller and certainly is much quieter than the old one, which would rumble, rattle and shake. It’s so nice to have heat again, though it was also nice to see that my electric bill had been only $35 in October (with no heating at all) and $45 in November (while running a high-wattage space heater in the bedroom at night).

So, the refinance is complete, the heat pump is installed, I have my iPod and the accessories I ordered with it, and the various items I’ve shopped for online all have arrived; things actually have been starting to go well (almost too well, the voices caution me). Wouldn’t it be the icing on the cake if the Prius were to arrive before next Tuesday?