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 were 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 dont 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, alot of times its 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 alot in Lincoln Square homes with older Honeywell units.
Next, go to your electrical panel. Its 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. Thats 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 its ON. We get atleast 1-2 calls every polar vortex where someone flipped it OFF by accident. Happens alot 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.
Were gonna be honest with you about response times. Unfortunately, other companys promise 1 hour and show up in 6. Thats why we'd rather tell you the truth upfront.
Our goal: 2-4 hours for real emergencys (no heat when its 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 its -10 and were 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
Same price: No after-hours fee. $89 diagnostic same as daytime. We dont think you should pay extra just cause your furnace picked a bad time to die.
Honest advice: If your situation isnt dangerous, well tell you its safe to wait til morning. You'll get faster service that way anyways.
Why we tell you the truth about wait times: Other companys in Chicagoland promise "1 hour service!" then make you wait 6 hours. Thats 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 dont hide nothing. Instead, heres exactly what emergency service costs vs scheduled. Spoiler alert—its the same price.
| 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 extra for nights and weekends. But we dont pass that to you as some "$200 emergency fee." We build emergency coverage into how we run the business—cause Chicago winters dont care about business hours.
Other companys charge $89 diagnostic + $150-200 "after-hours trip charge" = $239-289 before they even touch your furnace. Weve seen folks in Rogers Park and Uptown get hit with these fees when theres already ice on the windows. Thats just wrong.
About 70-80% of emergency furnace repair calls get fixed same visit. Thats because we stock the parts that fail most often right on the truck. As a result, theres 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 dont care about business hours. When a polar vortex hits at midnight, you need help fast. Dont 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 couldnt keep up—or just died completely. Pipes froze. Familys 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 dont just say were "available"—we prioritize real emergencys 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. Well ask about the temp outside, whos home, if you got backup heat. Well help you figure it out. If its safe to wait til morning, well 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 $3,500 for something that actually costs $400. We see it alot in Old Town and Lakeview. Well give you an honest diagnosis—even if the first company was right.
If its truely unrepairable or unsafe, well tell you straight up. But well also do everything we can to get you some temporary heat—portable heaters, safe workarounds—while you figure out replacement. Were not gonna leave you freezing. Thats not how we do buisness.
Yep—Carrier, Lennox, Trane, Rheem, Goodman, Bryant, Amana, American Standard, York, Payne, and more. Weve been doing emergency furnace repair in Chicago since 2008. Seen pretty much everything the city throws at us. From vintage boilers in Pilsen to brand new high-efficency units in Lincoln Park.
We respond to emergency calls in Downtown Chicago, the Loop, River North, and Streeterville. Due to parking costs, we require a $100 deposit for downtown emergency calls. Fee waived if you provide parking. Deposit applied to your service total.
Call us 24/7. Well look at your situation honestly, prioritize the real emergencys, and get you comfortable as fast as we can. No suprise fees—just fast, fair emergency furnace repair when you need it most. Weve got Chicago covered from Sauganash to South Shore.