It’s every homeowner’s worst nightmare—your HVAC system goes on the fritz on one of the hottest (or coldest) days of the year. Heaven forbid such a disaster strikes right before you’re about to host a holiday dinner or big event. Emergency HVAC repairs can be stressful, costly, and unpleasant. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to prepare for possible issues and streamline the repair process.
What is an Emergency HVAC Situation?
The term HVAC emergency covers any situation in which you need your HVAC system fixed in a matter of hours, not days. And although other HVAC situations can cause extreme discomfort, there’s only one that can be truly considered an emergency: no heat during a hard freeze. This is only a problem in very severe cold weather, and you usually have at least a few hours before you risk pipes freezing.
While no A/C during a heat wave can be physically unpleasant, it’s generally not considered an emergency. If someone in your house is on oxygen or is prone to heat stress, it’s important to have a backup solution like a window unit or a portable A/C unit. In most other cases, you can wait for the next available appointment during regular business hours.
What Goes Into the Cost of Emergency HVAC Repairs?
No HVAC company truly operates 24 hours a day. For someone to be willing to get out of bed and head to your home or business for a 3:00 a.m. repair, they’ll need to be paid for it. And for many commission-based HVAC companies, this means minimum service fees and heavily padded bills. So if you find yourself with an HVAC issue after business hours, it’s important to assess whether it’s worth the additional cost.
At North East Air Conditioning, Heating, & Plumbing, we do things a little differently. We don’t offer typical after-hours service or employ commission-based technicians. Instead, our technicians have limited weekend on-call hours and will take repair calls until their schedule is full with a flat weekend work fee. Not only does this give our technicians better work-life balance, but as we explained above, it helps ensure you’re only charged for the repairs you truly need.
Preparing for HVAC Emergencies
Keeping window units, portable A/C units, and space heaters around can provide peace of mind if your HVAC unit does begin to struggle. These units are inexpensive and don’t require any professional help to install or set up. With these small, unobtrusive appliances, you can quickly transform an emergency into a mere inconvenience.
Additionally,it’s helpful to have one or two preferred HVAC technicians in mind in the event of an emergency. By having an established relationship with one or more HVAC companies, you’ll be able to quickly get on the repair list when problems arise. North East offers maintenance contracts that will get you to the front of the line.
Interested in learning more about our maintenance contracts or think you may have a HVAC emergency on your hands? Connect with us today.
Photo by Elena Rouame on Unsplash
