An HVAC emergency in Novato, San Rafael, San Anselmo, Larkspur or Sausalito is anything that puts people or the house at risk: a gas smell, a carbon monoxide alarm, a burning electrical smell, water pouring into a ceiling, or no heat or cooling when someone at home is vulnerable. For those, the first steps happen before any technician arrives. Our phone line at (650) 567-5385 is answered by a real person 24/7, and that person helps you take those steps and books the earliest visit.
What to do first
| Situation | Do this right now |
|---|---|
| Gas smell | Leave the house. Do not switch anything on or off. Call 911 or the gas utility from outside. |
| Carbon monoxide alarm | Get everyone and pets outside into fresh air. Call 911. Do not go back in until it is cleared. |
| Burning electrical smell, sparks, smoke | Turn the system off at the thermostat and the breaker. If there is smoke or fire, leave and call 911. |
| Water pouring from the AC or furnace area | Turn the system off. Catch the water, and switch off the breaker if water is near wiring. |
| Loud banging, grinding or screeching | Turn the system off at the thermostat to prevent further damage. |
| No heat on a cold night | Check the thermostat, filter and breaker. Use safe electric space heaters, never an oven or a grill. |
| No cooling during a heat wave | Turn it off if it is iced or humming. Keep blinds closed, use fans and move to the coolest room. |
| Complete system failure | Check the breakers and the switch near the furnace, which can look like a light switch. Then call. |
Never run a gas oven or a charcoal grill indoors for heat; both produce carbon monoxide.
Is it an emergency, or can it wait?
Call now if there is a gas smell or CO alarm (after you are outside), a burning smell, sparks, water near electrical parts, or no heat or cooling with a baby, an older adult or someone with a medical condition at home.
It can usually wait for a morning appointment if the system simply stopped and everyone is safe and reasonably comfortable, if the AC is out on a mild day, or if a noise is new but the system is switched off.
When you are not sure, call. Deciding how urgent it is together is part of what the phone line is for.
How an emergency call works
- You call and describe what is happening. The person on the phone asks about smells, noises, alarms and who is at home.
- Troubleshooting by phone. Some no-heat and no-cooling calls turn out to be a tripped breaker, a thermostat setting or a clogged filter, and you are back up without a visit.
- Scheduling. If a visit is needed, urgent calls get priority. Appointments run 8 AM to 8 PM every day, and same-day service is usually possible when you call before noon.
- Emergency diagnosis on site. The technician checks safety first - gas, carbon monoxide, electrical - then finds the fault.
- Immediate repair if possible. Common parts such as igniters, flame sensors, capacitors and contactors can often be replaced on the spot. You see the itemized price first.
- Temporary measures if needed. When a part has to be ordered, we make the system safe and, where possible, get partial heat or cooling running.
- Follow-up scheduled before the technician leaves, so the final repair has a date.
Why emergencies happen when they do
Many breakdowns happen on the first cold nights of fall and the first hot afternoons inland, when equipment that sat idle starts running for hours. A furnace that had a weakening igniter or a dirty flame sensor fails when it is needed most; an AC with a tired capacitor quits on the hottest afternoon. A yearly maintenance visit catches most of those parts before they strand you, and plan members get priority scheduling.
For the specific failures, see heating repair, furnace repair and AC repair, or our guides to furnace not heating and strange HVAC noises. Town pages: emergency HVAC in Novato and in San Rafael.