A vast majority of residential HVAC service contractors have a service department that offers 24-hour emergency service. However, not every heating or cooling issue is considered an emergency. Many HVAC contractors consider conditions that threaten either life or property to be an emergency.
In many cases, especially during dramatic seasonal changes such as the first really hot day of the summer or very cold winter days, the contractor will need to prioritize emergency service calls in the same way an emergency room prioritizes patients. That being said, the HVAC contractor is committed to resolving the issue as soon as possible.
A home with no heat is considered and emergency when the temperature is at or below freezing by most HVAC contractors. Obviously the occupants could be in danger due to the cold and the property is in danger if the pipes freeze. In homes with two furnaces, if one is still functioning, it is not considered an emergency, as the occupants of the home can easily relocate into the heated part of the home until the HVAC contractor can get there.
A home with no air conditioning is not considered an emergency. The only exception for most HVAC contractors would be if one or more of the occupants was sick or elderly and could not be easily moved to a cooler place. Obviously, this could be life threatening if they could not be relocated to a cooler place.
In many cases the consumer can benefit from developing a relationship with a residential HVAC contractor before an emergency occurs. One way to develop this relationship is to consider a semi annual maintenance plan where the HVAC contractor performs an inspection of the HVAC system and performs preventative maintenance before the heating and cooling seasons.
