Honestly, every problem seems to be an emergency when your heater misbehaves in the middle of winter. It is a chilly night, your children are a bundle of shivers, and you are on Google, typing in the words, emergency furnace repair near me, at 2 a.m. 

However, you should not get on the panic button just yet. Knowing what really is a furnace emergency and what can wait till regular business hours is helpful. And to save you some panic, here is a breakdown of how you figure out what is urgent, what is not yet, and what to do next.

When is it a furnace emergency?

Certainly, if you experience any of the following, don’t wait; call for an emergency furnace repair Calgary immediately.

Your furnace stops working during the freezing weather

When it is -15 (or colder) out and your furnace is not kicking out any heat, that is a real emergency. The cold is not only potentially hazardous to your family inside, but you may soon have frozen pipes and permanent damage to your home.

You can detect a gas or rotten egg smell

The so-called rotten egg smell is an indicator of a gas leak. Stop whatever you are doing, evacuate the residents out of your house, and call your gas company urgently. Next, call a 24-hour furnace repair person when it is appropriate.

The carbon monoxide alarm goes off

This is a very big red flag. Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless, and fatal. Get out of your house and dial the emergency line immediately. After the clearance, your furnace will require thorough examination by professionals and probably repair.

Smoke/electrical burning odor/unusual sounds

The smell of burning, buzzing, banging, or screeching may be an indication of serious mechanical or electrical problems. It is hardly life-threatening, but not something that you would want to neglect.

When it may not be an emergency

There are some heating problems that may seem very urgent but do not necessitate after-hours service. The following are some examples:

The furnace works, but your house is cold

This may be either a thermostat problem, a dirty filter, or bad insulation. You may afford to wait until the morning, especially when the furnace is already running, even a little bit. Just add some heaters and warm up with covers.

It turns it on and off

Short cycling (repeated start and stop of the furnace) may be a frustrating situation, but not always an emergency. Nevertheless, it is advisable to organize a repair and prevent the situation from getting out of hand.

The blower will not switch off

This frequently implies that the fan setting is jammed or the limit switch is bad. It is irritating, yet not exactly an emergency unless the system is overheating.

The final take

So, when should you call for an emergency repair? When in doubt, it is acceptable to call up a professional and get a diagnosis. An established furnace repair company will be honest with you on whether it’s an emergency or something you can wait on. You never want to take any chances, especially when you are in a place such as Calgary, where the nights can be brutally cold during the wintertime.