So I got a call from a lady who wanted me to come out and see why her air conditioning system wasn’t working well. That’s a pretty typical call, especially this time of year. The first thing I noticed when I took a look at her HVAC system was that there was an incredible amount of suction and that very little cool air was getting out at all. This usually indicates some sort of blockage in the intake vent. I started walking around the house looking for the intake vent and was having a lot of trouble finding it. I went back into the utilities closet and tried to trace the ductwork back. Where the intake vent should be, there was a picture hanging. I pushed the picture aside gently and noticed that, sure enough, there was the intake vent behind the picture. I moved the picture off of the wall and the air conditioner started working immediately. I then went back inside and explained to the homeowner that she cannot hang a picture in front of the intake vent. She told me that the vent was ugly and she wanted to cover it up. I tried to explain to her that there was no way her air conditioner would work if it was covered by a frame like that. I told her to use something much thinner like a small tapestry, if she mush. I explained that she will destroy your air conditioning system if she insists on hanging something this thick over intake vent. I kid you not, she was hanging the picture back over the vent while I close the door behind me. I made sure to document everything we discussed in detail because I know we’ll be back to replace her entire HVAC system soon.