HVAC emergency in Chicago? Call Bernie's Heating & A/C Service now! Same-day service available for all heating and cooling emergencies.
Emergency furnace repair (24/7 service) restores heat quickly when your system fails during freezing Chicago nights. No surprise after-hours fees—same pricing day or night.
Before you call us—or anyone—take these steps to stay safe and possibly fix the problem yourself.
Set it to HEAT mode, bump temp to 75°F. If nothing happens after 5 minutes, move to step 2. (15-20% of "emergency" calls are thermostats set to OFF.)
If you have a programmable thermostat, make sure batteries aren't dead.
Go to your electrical panel. Look for a tripped breaker (switch in middle position or flipped to OFF). Flip it fully OFF, then back ON.
If it trips again immediately, STOP. You have an electrical problem—call us.
Most furnaces have a light switch mounted on the side or nearby that looks like a regular wall switch. Make sure it's ON. (We get 1-2 calls per polar vortex where someone accidentally flipped it OFF.)
Evacuate immediately. Call 911 and Peoples Gas (1-866-556-6003) FIRST. Then call us to inspect your furnace after the gas company clears your home.
Do NOT try to troubleshoot further. Do NOT turn anything on or off. Just leave.
If steps 1-3 didn't work, we'll walk you through a couple more checks on the phone. If it's truly broken, we'll dispatch a tech as fast as we can.
In the meantime: Close off unused rooms, use space heaters safely (never unattended), let faucets drip if temps drop below 20°F to prevent pipe freezing.
We're honest about response times. Here's what to expect based on when you call.
Goal: 2-4 hours for true emergencies (no heat below 32°F, gas smell, CO alarm)
Reality: We prioritize based on outside temp and occupant risk (elderly, infants)
During polar vortex: We dispatch 6-8 trucks and still get backed up. Expect 4-8 hours when it's -10°F and 200+ calls are coming in.
On-call techs: Usually 2-3 hours from dispatch to arrival
Same pricing: No after-hours fee. Same $89 diagnostic as daytime.
Honest triage: If your situation isn't dangerous, we'll tell you it's safe to wait until morning for faster/scheduled service.
Why we're honest about wait times: Other companies promise "1-hour service!" then make you wait 6 hours anyway. We'd rather set realistic expectations. If we say 3 hours and arrive in 2, you're happy. If we say 1 hour and show up in 3, you're angry (rightfully).
We don't hide the ball. Here's exactly what emergency service costs compared to scheduled.
| Service | Scheduled | Emergency |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic Fee | $89 | $89 (same) |
| Igniter Replacement | $225-$275 | $225-$275 (same) |
| Blower Capacitor | $180-$220 | $180-$220 (same) |
| Flame Sensor Cleaning | $150 | $150 (same) |
| Pressure Switch | $275-$350 | $275-$350 (same) |
We pay our on-call techs a premium for nights/weekends. But we don't pass that directly to you as a "$200 emergency fee." Instead, we build sustainable emergency coverage into our business model—because Chicago winters require it.
Other companies charge $89 diagnostic + $150-$200 "after-hours trip charge" = $239-$289 before they even touch your furnace. We think that's predatory.
About 70-80% of emergency furnace calls get fixed same-visit because we stock the most common failure parts.
What if you need a part we don't stock? For rare parts or specialized boards, we'll make the diagnosis, give you an honest price quote, and return the next day to install it. You'll stay on our priority list—we don't make you reschedule from scratch.
Not every HVAC problem needs a midnight service call. Here's how we help you decide—and we're always honest about it on the phone.
When outdoor temps drop below 32°F, pipe freezing and health risks make this urgent. Call us immediately.
Leave immediately, call 911 first, then call us to inspect your system after the fire department clears your home.
Evacuate, call Peoples Gas (1-866-556-6003), then call us for furnace inspection once cleared.
AC failure during 95°F+ heat waves is urgent for elderly, infants, or those with heart/respiratory conditions.
If some heat/cooling is working, bundling up or using a portable heater/fan overnight is usually fine.
New sounds should be checked, but usually aren't dangerous overnight. Turn system OFF if the noise is loud/grinding.
Can often be worked around temporarily (manual fan mode, battery replacement) until we arrive.
When it's 50°F outside, a broken furnace is inconvenient but not dangerous. Schedule morning service for faster response.
Honest triage over the phone: When you call, we'll ask about outdoor temperature, whether you have kids/elderly at home, and whether you have backup heat sources. We'll tell you truthfully if your situation is safe to wait until morning—because you'll get faster service during business hours anyway.
Chicago weather doesn't care about business hours. When a polar vortex hits at midnight, you need help fast.
-52°F
2019 Wind Chill Record
36 Days
Below 0°F Wind Chill/Year
103°F
Summer Heat Wave Highs
24/7
Our Availability
During the 2019 polar vortex, hundreds of Chicago homeowners woke up to frozen homes when their furnaces couldn't keep up—or failed entirely. Pipes froze. Families bundled up in hotels. Our phones rang 200+ times per day for three straight days. That experience taught us why true 24/7 emergency service matters in Chicago. We're not just "available"—we prioritize genuine emergencies and respond as fast as humanly possible, day or night.
Yes. Our after-hours line routes to an on-call tech who will answer (or call you back within 15 minutes). During polar vortex events, we add extra phone coverage because call volume spikes dramatically.
Call us anyway. We'll ask questions about outdoor temp, occupants, backup heat sources, and help you decide. If it's safe to wait, we'll tell you honestly—and schedule you first thing in the morning.
Absolutely. We get 5-10 "second opinion" emergency calls per winter from people who were quoted $3,500 for a repair that actually costs $400. We'll give you an honest diagnosis—even if it means admitting the first company was right.
If it's truly unrepairable or unsafe, we'll tell you. But we'll also do everything we can to get you temporary heat (portable heaters, safe operation workarounds) while you arrange a replacement. We're not going to leave you freezing.
Yes—Carrier, Lennox, Trane, Rheem, Goodman, Bryant, Amana, American Standard, York, Payne, and more. We've been in business since 2008 and have seen pretty much everything Chicago throws at us.
Call us 24/7. We'll assess your situation honestly, prioritize true emergencies, and get you comfortable as fast as possible. No surprise fees—just fast, fair service when you need it most.