No longer on the run from the IRS

After an hour on hold I finally got in touch with an IRS agent, who briefly looked over my taxes back to 2007 and said that no, they didn't see any reason they would've transferred me an extra $1,800, and in fact, as far as they were concerned, they hadn't. The guy was quite nice, but said they couldn't trace it from their end -- after all, they don't know who it was intended for -- and I should call my credit union, who could refuse the transaction, bumping it back to the IRS and sending up an alert on their end so that a check could be written to the proper recipient.

He also said I was doing the right thing... and added something slightly more sinister about how they would've noticed eventually, bwahahaha.

So I called the credit union.

The credit union lady looked at the transaction in question, said it didn't even have my account number on it (!) and she had NO IDEA HOW IT GOT THERE. She's talking to their accounting dept and going to call me back.

I know it's generally bad form to point out how good one is being, but can I just say that the karmic system owes me for this? I just spent an hour and a half trying to find the rightful owner of almost $2,000 that dropped in my lap, and I'm not done yet. The people who use "What if you found a wallet with $100 in it?" as an ethical dilemma really need to up their game. :P

Heating systems

Today my lunchtime reading is, once again, on heating systems.

My house is currently heated with a gas fireplace in the living room (which comfortably heats the dining room and hallway as well if you turn the fan on) and electric baseboards everywhere else.

My new studio plan currently calls for electric radiant heating under tile, at a cost of about $1,100.

Coworker Nancy asked why I don't go with another electric baseboard -- a large electric baseboard heater only costs about $100. The upside is price and ease of installation. The downside is that they're ugly and they heat from one small area, so heat dispersal takes awhile.

The current big energy efficient thing is the ductless heat pump/mini split, which are a pretty awesome idea energy-wise. Downsides: the in-house part looks ugly. They cost $1,500 or more (depending on whether you install it or someone else does). On the other hand, because they're the current energy efficient thing, PSE offers a nice big rebate for 'em, and if you get one it's like bonus air conditioning... for the one or two weeks of the year when we need it.

It's all frustratingly hard to research. The only people really writing in depth about the energy efficiency comparisons are green builders, who are generally writing about houses that are far, far better insulated than mine -- even after I finish my project. I can hit R-21 in the north wall because I'm furring it out, but everywhere else is R-15 at maximum, and I suspect far less.

Okay, technically I could insulate the studio to R-25, but it'd cost a fortune in polyisocyanurate.

(Big words. I can has them.)

Most comparisons are also between hydronic radiant and mini splits or electrical resistance baseboards. I want a comparison between electric resistance radiant and electric baseboards (it's not common to do a room as big as I'm planning with electric radiant, perhaps just because of cost, but it's totally doable, and still far less of a pain than hydronic).

The other thing that doesn't map at all to anyone else's experience is the reynauds. Lots of the green building forums suggest 'just wrap up' if it gets a few degrees too chilly, but when it gets a few degrees too chilly, my fingers stop working. This is supposed to be my workspace, so heating it to MY comfort level is a Big Freaking Deal. Problem being, I can't tell from reviews online which heat source/distribution method will best meet my comfort level.

Graaaaaaaah.

EDIT: the electric radiant flooring option went down in price from when I last checked, so maybe $900 not including shipping.