Hey all, I'm Tess, although many of you know me as "socketwench." My disabled housemate and I live in a 120-year-old house in South Minneapolis. We've struggled a lot relying on my income for both of us while trying to keep the house running.

And we need your help. Since moving here 13 years ago, we've relied on our home's AC unit to get through the hot and sticky summers here. It's more than just comfort; it's a matter of survival: my housemate's medical issues make heat extremely dangerous for her. We've had some close calls in previous years. A power outage during a heat wave means a choice between a hotel room or the ER.

During the yearly inspection of our AC, we were told that it's "on its last legs." The motor was rated drawing more than its maximum rating of 0.6 amps. The motor was running so hot it'd likely burn itself out before July was over:

There were other problems too: a damaged contactor, and the capacitor (just replaced last year!) was already failing too. You can see their entire report below.

They gave us repair estimates, but they'd only be an expensive band-aid. In truth, the last two years it's run noticeably poorly, only barely managing to get us through the hottest days of the year. And so, we replaced it:

This is where we need your help.

The new unit came to $11,000 even after the generous discounts we received from our HVAC contractor. With my single income, we can barely handle the additional monthly expense, so anything we can do to pay that off sooner will help!