Most HVAC problems can wait until normal business hours. A handful cannot. This list is what we tell customers when they call our 24/7 line and ask "is this an emergency?"
The six situations that warrant a same-night call
1. Burning, electrical, or chemical smell
Burning insulation, hot wiring, or refrigerant leaking from a broken line all carry distinct smells. The smell does not always mean fire is imminent, but it is always above the "can wait" line. Cut power at the breaker (not just the thermostat) and call from outside the room.
2. No cooling during a heat wave with vulnerable household
Infants, elderly residents, or anyone with respiratory or cardiac conditions are at real risk in a Houston-area home above 85°F indoors. Same for pets. If your AC is out and the house is climbing, that is an emergency call. While waiting: close all blinds, run fans, take cool showers, hydrate, get to a public AC space if possible.
3. No heat during a hard freeze
Houston gets a few hard freezes per year. With temps below 25°F, a house without heat starts losing pipes inside a few hours. Drip indoor faucets, open cabinet doors under sinks, run a single space heater (not multiple, not in unattended rooms), and call us.
4. Ice on the indoor coil or refrigerant lines
Ice means low refrigerant, low airflow, or both. The fix is not "let it run." Set the system to "off" and the fan to "on" to thaw the coil. Look for the obvious causes (filter loaded, return blocked, coil dirty) while it thaws. If those are fine and ice comes back, call us. Running a frozen system damages the compressor.
5. Active water leak you cannot stop
Drain pan overflow, primary drain line clog backing up into the house, or refrigerant line condensate dripping from a ceiling. Cut power, towel the area, place a bucket, and call. We can usually clear a primary clog the same visit.
6. Loud mechanical noise (grinding, screeching, banging)
New, loud, persistent noise points to bearings, blower wheel, or compressor failing. Each one gets worse fast. Cut power and call rather than letting it grind itself apart.
What is not actually an emergency
- System running but not cooling as much as usual on a 100°F day. Set the target higher and book a daytime service call.
- Higher-than-expected electric bill. Service call.
- Slight increase in noise from the outdoor unit. Service call.
- Thermostat blank screen. Try fresh batteries first; if still blank in the morning, service call.
- One room too warm or too cold. Real problem, not an emergency.
What to do while waiting on the tech
- If anything smells electrical or burnt, cut power at the breaker.
- Move pets and people away from the affected area.
- If water is leaking, towel and bucket; do not touch electrical components in standing water.
- If it is hot inside: close blinds, run fans, hydrate, get to AC space if available.
- If it is cold inside: drip faucets, open cabinets, single space heater for one room, layer up.
- Take photos of anything visibly wrong before we get there. Helps the tech diagnose faster.
How our emergency dispatch works
We answer 24/7 at 281-992-7866. Members and most regular customers pay the same diagnostic fee at 9 PM as 9 AM; we do not stack a separate emergency surcharge on top. We typically have a tech at your door within 2 hours during business hours and 4 hours overnight, depending on weather and call volume. We text you when the tech is en route with their name, photo, and arrival window.
Real emergency? We answer 24/7. 281-992-7866