What to do when the heat goes out (the next 30 minutes)

It's 9 PM, -14 °C, and your furnace just stopped. Here's what to do — and not do — for the next half hour.

The checklist

1. 1Confirm the thermostat. Battery-powered? Replace it. Display showing setpoint above current temp? Good — keep going.
2. 2Check the breaker. Furnaces have a dedicated breaker; sometimes a heavy load nearby trips it. Reset once. If it trips again, stop.
3. 3Look at the furnace switch. There's usually a light switch on the side of the unit or upstairs at the top of the basement stairs. It looks like a regular wall switch and it's often turned off by accident.
4. 4Check the filter. A black, fully blocked filter can trip the high-limit switch and shut the furnace down. Pull it. Try without it for 30 minutes.
5. 5Look at the front panel for blink codes. Most furnaces flash a code through a small window — write down the pattern (e.g., 3 short, 1 long).

When to call us

Anything you can't fix with the steps above. We answer 24/7 from November to March, prioritize seniors and households with young children, and bill the diagnostic fee against the repair. There's no premium for late-night calls — emergency rates are the same as daytime rates.

If you have a maintenance plan with us, you're at the front of the queue automatically. If you don't, we'll still come — but plan customers move first.

The 30-minute hold

Run the kitchen oven on broil with the door cracked — fastest way to put 8 °C of heat into your main floor while you wait. Light a fire if you have a working fireplace. Close interior doors to the rooms you can give up. We'll usually be there within 90 minutes from the dispatch confirmation.