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In My Opinion
In With the New
by Paul E. LackoMy wife and I got a new air conditioning system at home in June. I had asked our service company many times over about three years to give us a bid on a new electric heat pump system, but they kept putting me off. It wouldn't be cost-effective, they said, to replace the system; all it needed was an occasional shot of coolant and some minor repairs to keep functioning. With periodic tune-ups and occasional replacement of old or worn-out parts, a complex system can keep running for a long time. A new system would cost about the same as five to ten years' worth of maintenance and repairs on the system we have, so why bother?
At long last, to my surprise and delight, a technician who repaired our old system a couple months ago wrote on his report that we should consider replacing the system. And so we did. We relied on experts to recommend a new system, and we hired professionals to install it
The new system doesn't keep the house cooler than the old one did. It probably won't keep the house warmer next winter. However, it does run more quietly than the old system, and it occupies less floor space in the basement. It has a 10-year warranty on parts and labor, so it probably won't break down (or develop a coolant leak that half a dozen technicians could not locate).
We did not have to tear down the entire house in order to replace the air conditioning system; only minor remodeling was necessary. Some basement ductwork was redone, for example, and a nifty, multi-function, digital temperature control unit is on the wall now instead of a thermostat.
The CAS has hired outside experts to evaluate our examination system. The experts might tell us that the current system is good enough for now, and that periodic tune-ups and occasional replacement of old or worn-out parts will suffice. Or the experts might recommend we devise a new system that will run much more efficiently and won't require major repairs every couple years. My hunch is that we're in for a period of creative destruction.
Installing a new exam system is a little more complex than installing a new air conditioning system, because more people are involved. But who designs our new exam system? Wouldn't it be great if we could just pick a new exam system out of a manufacturer's glossy brochure? Too bad—it doesn't work that way. Even the experts we hired can only give us guidance, no off-the-shelf product.
We are the designers—well, maybe not all of us. What we all do is elect a board of directors, and system design is one of the board's responsibilities. What all of us can do before voting in the upcoming election is to become informed voters.
Campaign speeches would be counter-productive. We need thoughtful explanations of the challenges, internal and external, that confront the CAS. We need to understand the trade-offs and the consequences. We need to reflect on what system modifications, if any, the candidates might endorse in light of those challenges.
Candidates, please take advantage of the CAS Web Site to share your thoughts and concerns with us. We can't vote "yes" without your help!