HVAC emergency in Chicago? Call Bernie's Heating & A/C Service now! Same-day service available for all heating and cooling emergencies.
Last January, half of Albany Park called us when that polar vortex hit. Furnaces we're dying left and right at 2am. We had techs running all over the northwest side—Irving Park, Portage Park, Jefferson Park—all night long.
Emergency furnace repair (24/7 service) gets your heat back on fast when your system fails during freezing Chicago nights. We don't charge extra for after-hours calls. Same price day or night.
Before you call us or anyone else, try these steps. You might be able to fix it yourself and save the service call. In fact, a lot of times it's something simple.
First, set it to HEAT mode. Then turn it up to 75. Wait 5 minutes. If nothing happend, go to step 2. You'd be surprised—like 15-20% of emergency calls we get are just thermostats set to OFF or in cooling mode.
If you got a programmable thermostat, check if the batteries are dead. This happens a lot in Lincoln Square homes with older Honeywe'll units.
Next, go to your electrical panel. It's usually in the basement. Look for a tripped breaker—the switch will be in the middle or flipped to OFF. Then, flip it all the way OFF, then back ON.
However, if it trips again right away, stop. That's an electrical problem and you should call us.
Most furnaces got a light switch on the side or nearby. Looks just like a regular wall switch. Make sure it's ON. We get atleast 1-2 calls every polar vortex where someone flipped it OFF by accident. Happens a lot in Ravenswood and North Center where the basements are tight.
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 gonna be honest with you about response times. Unfortunately, other companies promise 1 hour and show up in 6. That's why we'd rather tell you the truth upfront.
Our goal: 2-4 hours for real emergencies (no heat when it's below freezing, gas smell, CO alarm going off)
How we prioritize: Outside temp matters. So does whos in the house—elderly folks, babies, people with health issues go first
Polar vortex reality: We put 6-8 trucks out there and still get backed up. When it's -10 and we're getting 200+ calls, expect 4-8 hours. Edgewater to Edison Park, everyones calling at once.
On-call techs: Usually takes 2-3 hours from when we dispatch to when we show up at your door
Upfront pricing: Any diagnostic or after-hours charge is confirmed when you book, before dispatch.
Honest advice: If your situation isn't dangerous, we'll tell you it's safe to wait til morning. You'll get faster service that way anyways.
Why we tell you the truth about wait times: Other companies in Chicagoland promise "1 hour service!" then make you wait 6 hours. That's not right. We'd rather set realistic expectations. If we say 3 hours and get there in 2, your happy. If we say 1 hour and show up in 3, your mad—and you should be.
We don't hide nothing. Instead, here's exactly what emergency service costs vs scheduled. Spoiler alert—it's the same price.
| Service | Scheduled | Emergency |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic Fee | $ | $ (same) |
| Igniter Replacement | $–$$ | $–$$ (same) |
| Blower Capacitor | $ | $ (same) |
| Flame Sensor Cleaning | $ | $ (same) |
| Pressure Switch | $$ | $$ (same) |
We pay our on-call techs extra for nights and weekends, but we don't add a separate surprise emergency surcharge. We confirm your price before work begins.
We disclose diagnostic and after-hours charges before dispatch, so you can approve the visit with no surprise trip charges.
About 70-80% of emergency furnace repair calls get fixed same visit. That's because we stock the parts that fail most often right on the truck. As a result, there's no waiting for parts to ship.
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 don't care about business hours. When a polar vortex hits at midnight, you need help fast. Don't matter if your in Wicker Park or West Ridge—the cold hits everyone the same.
-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. Furnaces couldn't keep up—or just died completely. Pipes froze. Families ended up in hotels. Our phones rang 200+ times per day for three days straight. We had techs running from Andersonville to Bridgeport, Humboldt Park to Hyde Park. That experience taught us why real 24/7 emergency furnace repair matters here. We don't just say we're "available"—we prioritize real emergencies and respond as fast as we can, day or night.
Yes we do. Our after-hours line goes to an on-call tech who answers or calls you back within 15 minutes. During polar vortex events we add extra phone people cause call volume goes crazy.
Call us anyways. We'll ask about the temp outside, whos home, if you got backup heat. We'll help you figure it out. If it's safe to wait til morning, we'll tell you—and get you scheduled first thing.
For sure. We get like 5-10 "second opinion" emergency calls every winter from folks who got quoted $$$ for something that actually costs $$. We see it a lot in Old Town and Lakeview. We'll give you an honest diagnosis—even if the first company was right.
If it's truly unrepairable or unsafe, we'll tell you straight up. But we'll also do everything we can to get you some temporary heat—portable heaters, safe workarounds—while you figure out replacement. We're not gonna leave you freezing. That's not how we do business.
Yep—Carrier, Lennox, Trane, Rheem, Goodman, Bryant, Amana, American Standard, York, Payne, and more. We've been doing emergency furnace repair in Chicago since 1992. Seen pretty much everything the city throws at us. From vintage boilers in Pilsen to brand new high-efficiency units in Lincoln Park.
We respond to emergency calls in Downtown Chicago, the Loop, River North, and Streeterville. Any downtown deposit or parking-related charge is confirmed when booking and documented in your estimate. Providing parking may affect that charge.
Call us 24/7. We'll look at your situation honestly, prioritize the real emergencies, and get you comfortable as fast as we can. No surprise fees—just fast, fair emergency furnace repair when you need it most. We've got Chicago covered from Sauganash to South Shore.