What qualifies as an HVAC emergency?
No heat in a cold snap (or no cooling in a heat wave), especially with infants, elderly residents, or medical needs at home; a burning or gas smell; a sounding carbon monoxide alarm; a furnace that won’t stay lit; or a business that can’t operate. A gas smell or CO alarm is a 911-first emergency, get everyone out and call 911 and PG&E. We answer the rest fast.
How much does an emergency HVAC service call cost?
A flat $89 diagnostic, waived when you book the repair, with no overtime surcharge on evening or weekend appointments. Most heating repairs then land between $150 and $600 on a written quote you approve before billable work. The rate is the same whenever your heat goes out.
Who do I call if my heat isn’t working?
Call a licensed HVAC contractor, we answer fast at 916-320-4386 and prioritize no-heat emergencies. First check that the thermostat is on HEAT and set above room temperature, the breaker is on, and the filter isn’t clogged. If it still won’t run, call, and if you smell gas or a CO alarm sounds, call 911 first.
How much do HVAC technicians charge per hour for emergency calls?
Hourly rates in the industry commonly run about $75 to $150, and many companies add an overtime surcharge after hours. We use a flat $89 diagnostic that’s waived when you book the repair, plus a written flat-rate quote, at the same price whatever the hour.
Is HVAC failure covered by insurance?
Homeowners insurance usually covers HVAC damage from a covered peril such as fire or lightning, but not normal wear, age, or mechanical breakdown. A separate home warranty or equipment-breakdown policy is what typically covers a failed part. Check your policy, and we’ll provide the documentation you need for a claim.
Do you offer Fast emergency response?
Yes. A real person answers fast, including weekends by appointment, and no-heat and no-cooling calls go to the front of the line. There are no overtime charges for after-hours work, so an emergency at a bad time doesn’t cost you extra.
What counts as a furnace emergency?
No heat in the cold, a furnace that short-cycles or won’t stay lit, a burning or electrical smell, a gas odor, or a sounding CO alarm all count. A gas smell or CO alarm is a 911-first emergency. A cracked heat exchanger is a safety issue we shut the unit down for, which is why we inspect it on every no-heat call.
Is heat not working considered an emergency?
It can be, especially during a cold snap or with vulnerable people, medical needs, or a business that can’t operate cold. Even in Sacramento’s mild winters, overnight lows put households at risk and can threaten pipes. We treat no-heat calls as urgent and answer fast.
How long can I stay in a house with no heat?
For a short outage most healthy adults can manage by layering up, but prolonged cold is genuinely risky for infants, elderly residents, and anyone with health conditions. Indoor temperatures drifting below about 55 degrees also start to put your pipes at risk. If it’s freezing out and the heat is off, treat it as urgent and call.
How cold can a house be before pipes freeze?
Pipes are at risk once the areas around them approach freezing, so the common guidance is to keep the house at least 55 degrees when you have heat, and in a hard freeze to let faucets drip and open cabinet doors under sinks. Uninsulated pipes in exterior walls and unheated spaces freeze first. If heat is out during a freeze, protect the pipes and call right away.
How do I force my furnace to start or manually kick on a furnace?
Set the thermostat to HEAT above room temperature with good batteries, confirm the breaker and the furnace switch are on, and replace a clogged filter, then let the ignition sequence run. You can try one reset at the unit if it has locked out. Don’t bypass any safety, and if it won’t stay lit after that, leave it and call.
What to do while waiting for furnace repair?
Keep safe warmth: layer up, close off unused rooms, and use only safe space heaters, never a stove or oven for heat, since that’s a CO risk. Keep water dripping if pipes could freeze. Don’t keep force-restarting a locked-out furnace, and if you smell gas or a CO alarm sounds, get everyone out and call 911.
Will a furnace reset itself?
Many furnaces automatically retry ignition a few times and then lock out for safety, and some clear after a power cycle. But repeated lockouts mean an underlying fault, not something to keep resetting. One reset is reasonable; a second lockout is your cue to leave it off and call for a diagnosis.
What to do if power goes out with a gas furnace?
Most gas furnaces still need electricity for the blower, ignition, and controls, so without a generator they won’t run during an outage. Turn the thermostat off or down to avoid a hard restart surge when power returns, keep warm safely, and the furnace should resume on its own. If it doesn’t relight after power is back, call us.
Is emergency heat expensive to run, and does it raise your electric bill?
Yes. On a heat pump, emergency or auxiliary heat is electric-resistance backup that’s far less efficient than the heat pump itself, so running it a lot noticeably raises your electric bill. It’s meant as a short-term backup for when the heat pump can’t keep up or has failed, not an everyday setting.
What if I accidentally turn on emergency heat?
It won’t harm anything right away, but it runs the expensive backup element instead of the efficient heat pump, so switch it back to normal HEAT once you notice. If you turned it on because the heat pump wasn’t heating, leave it and call, that points to a service issue we should look at.
At what temperature should I use emergency heat?
Generally only when the heat pump alone can’t maintain temperature, which for standard units means a hard freeze or when the system has failed. In Sacramento’s mild winters that’s rare. Emergency heat is a backup for a problem, not a normal cold-weather setting, the heat pump and its automatic auxiliary heat handle ordinary cold.
When should I put my heat pump on emergency heat?
Only when the heat pump has actually failed or iced up and you need heat now, or when a technician advises it. Cold weather by itself isn’t a reason, the heat pump plus its automatic backup handles that. Switching to manual emergency heat just runs the pricey resistance element continuously.
Will using emergency heat hurt my heat pump?
Using it briefly won’t damage the equipment, but relying on it means the heat pump isn’t doing its job, which usually signals a fault worth diagnosing. It also spikes your electric bill. Switch back to normal heat, and if the pump still isn’t keeping up, call for service.
How long is it okay to run emergency heat?
Only until you can get the heat pump working again, hours, not days, because it’s costly electric-resistance heat. If you’re leaning on emergency heat because the heat pump failed or iced over, call for repair rather than living on backup heat, which gets expensive fast.
What do I do if my heat goes out in freezing weather?
Keep everyone warm and safe, protect your pipes by keeping the house at least 55 degrees if any heat is available and dripping faucets, and call for emergency service, we prioritize no-heat calls right away. If you smell gas or a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, get everyone outside and call 911 before anything else.
Is it cheaper to leave heating on low all day vs turning it off?
For most gas furnaces, a modest setback while you’re away or asleep saves fuel versus holding one temperature all day. For heat pumps it’s different, hold a steadier temperature, because a big setback triggers the expensive backup heat on recovery. Either way, a programmable or smart thermostat manages it most efficiently.
Review on Google · May 2026