Last night I got home and it was 55 degrees in my house. The heat would not come on. My furnace is 21 years old. It was old when we moved in and could not afford a new one. Now we have the money but we don't want to spend it on a furnace unless we have to. We were ready to face the fact that she died. I called the repairman. He came after two hours. In those two hours, we bundled up. Thankfully we had an electric blanket and some items that go in the microwave to heat up. It was not too bad.
He showed up and came right back with an issue. There was a large mouse nest in the furnace. OMG Really?? I was so embarrassed. He said he had never seen one in a furnace but he sees them all the time in the ac units. It was very large. I am glad that it did not catch on fire considering it was made of tons of dried grass clippings from the lawn mower parked next to it. It was near the flame so I guess he was cozy. A few months back we did an extreme clean up of the garage. We took everything out and cleaned. We found a few nests in old boxes of paper that have not been touched in years. We got rid of all the old boxes and got more shelves etc to get things off the ground to to discourage them from staying. I guess the mice decided to upgrade to that deluxe apt in the sky.
We cleaned out the nest and then he found out that there was no gas coming in. He then tells me that he is all done and I have to call the gas company. I pay him 50 dollars and call the gas company. I found their emergency hot line and they picked up on the first ring. He says they will be there soon, but so did the repairman. The guy arrived 30 min later. I was so happy bc at this point it was around 8 at night. He confirms that there is no gas. Then he goes outside and bangs around and comes back. It seems that the meter died so it shut off the gas. He replaced the meter and then the furnace came back to life. YEAH so I only had to pay 50. I was relieved. The gas guy said I could call the company and get my 50 reimbursed since it was the gas companies faulty meter. YEAH so now it is free.
I told my DH that I was really freaked out about a mouse nest in my furnace so it was really good timing that the meter broke. I have been here for 8 years and I get that furnace cleaned out every year so this is a new thing. I am sure it is just bc I got rid of their other hiding spots. Now I have to find a way to keep them out. He said to put moth balls in there but that did not sound too safe. I may just sprinkle some around the base to keep them out.
Oh my gosh .... A mouse nest?!?!? That's not at all what I would expect. I'm SOOO glad you found the problem to be the gas meter and can get your money refunded!!! And that you got your heat back on! Of course this would happen during a cold snap. :-)
ReplyDeleteGet a cat :). We've had a mouse issue in the past, but they only went to the parts of our house (garage, basement) where our cats didn't go. And cats are pretty self-sufficient...a bowl of food and water and (if they are indoor only) a litter box.
ReplyDeleteBut yay! for a free fix and having an electric blanket to keep you warm while you waiting.
How scary! I've never heard of mice building nests in furnaces, but they'd probably get cooked up if they tried that up here.
ReplyDeleteSo glad that everything worked out!
I had a mouse in my furnace !! It was our brand new furnace.. they had to cut it open to get him out.. :(
ReplyDeleteA mouse? That’s horrible! Good thing you were able to sort that out quickly! It’s also a good thing that that was the only problem with your furnace, but just in case, maybe it’s time to replace it with a newer model? Maybe the same problem would be avoided with a more modern make of furnace, the kind no critter can crawl into! If you know where to look, there are some new furnaces that are inexpensive. I do, however, suggest considering the quality as well, because sometimes, it’s the more pricey models that are better. Then again, the better a unit, the less maintenance it will require, so it will still be a good investment at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteThis is the very first time I've heard that a mouse has ever lived inside the furnace. Well, the trash boxes on the garage gave the mouse a place to stay, I guess, but I'm glad that it is over now, and your furnace was fixed. I agree with Naoki, why don't you buy a new furnace? It might be a much better idea especially if your furnace is getting too old.
ReplyDeleteGeorgia Fuller