Your HVAC system consists of your AC and furnace. When something goes wrong with either part of the system, an emergency 24/7 repair service can quickly fix it. It's important to know what exactly constitutes an emergency, since after-hours emergency repairs may come with additional charges for the convenience of prompt service.  

Furnace Emergencies

A furnace repair is an emergency when it affects safety or poses a major threat to your quality of life. Minor repairs, such as poor heating during mild weather, can often be postponed until normal business hours.

Safety Concerns

Your and your family's safety is most important. If there are any concerns that low temperatures may pose a risk, then emergency repair is warranted. If you must depend upon space heaters to stay warm enough, then consider the broken furnace an emergency since space heaters can be dangerous to operate unattended or when you are sleeping.

Freeze Danger 

Your broken furnace may still be an emergency even if you aren't concerned with staying warm. Frozen pipes can lead to major damage to plumbing pipes, and the resulting water damage can be expensive to clean up. It's much more cost-effective to schedule an emergency repair than it is to deal with the fallout from frozen and broken pipes.

Long Weekend

Long weekends and holidays are no time to go without heat. Being without heat is an inconvenience and may not warrant an emergency repair, but having to wait more than 24 hours in the cold should be considered an emergency.

AC Emergencies

Unlike heat, which can be necessary for survival, AC is more often associated with comfort. Of course, this is only true when temperatures are warm but not dangerously hot. 

Heat Wave 

Being a bit warm may be uncomfortable, but extreme heat is deadly. What qualifies as extreme heat varies by the individual, their age, and their health, so err on the side of caution. If you feel it is too hot, call for emergency repairs. 

AC Leaks

An air conditioning unit contains a chemical refrigerant, which should be safely encased within the sealed system. A leak in the system means your unit won't cool and the refrigerant is leaking out in or near your home. Call for repairs so you don't have to worry about any exposure to the refrigerant.

Burning Odors

Burning odors from an AC unit may mean that a belt or other component is broken or suffering friction damage, which aren't concerns if you shut off the unit until it can be fixed. In some cases, though, these odors can be the result of an electrical short, which is can be a danger that should result in a prompt call for emergency repair. 

Contact a local HVAC service to learn more about 24-hour emergency furnace repairs.