Five Things Worth Checking Before You Call Us
We would rather tell you how to check something than charge you to flip a switch. Here is the list we run through on the phone anyway.
August 25, 2026 · 5 min read
A meaningful share of the calls we take have a thirty-second answer. We are happy to come out either way, and it is worth running this list first.
1. Check the breaker
Both the breaker and, for HVAC, the disconnect box beside the outdoor unit. A tripped breaker can look like total failure.
Reset it once. If it trips again immediately, stop — that is a fault and it needs diagnosing rather than repeated resetting.
2. Check the switch
Air handlers and furnaces have a service switch, often in the attic and often looking exactly like a light switch. They get flipped by accident more often than you would think.
Water heaters and disposals have their own switches too.
3. Check the thermostat
- Is it on, and set to the mode you want?
- Is the setpoint actually above or below the current temperature?
- Does the display work at all? Dead display often means dead batteries.
- Has someone changed it, or has a schedule taken over?
- Is it in a hold or a vacation mode?
4. Check the filter
A loaded filter causes a startling range of symptoms — poor cooling, poor heating, a frozen coil, short cycling, high bills. It is the single most common cause of an HVAC complaint and the cheapest thing on this list.
If you cannot remember when it was last changed, change it. Our guide on filter frequency covers how often.
5. Check the drain, if it is an AC problem
A clogged condensate drain triggers a float switch, which shuts the system off deliberately. If your air conditioner shut down unexpectedly and the breaker is fine, this is worth a look — our guide on the overflow switch covers it.
What is worth calling immediately
- Any smell of gas. Leave the house first and call from outside.
- Water actively flowing that you cannot stop.
- No heat when it is genuinely cold, or no cooling in extreme heat, especially with vulnerable people in the house.
- A burning smell from any appliance.
- A carbon monoxide alarm.
- Sewage backing up.
- A breaker that trips repeatedly.
What helps when you do call
- What exactly is happening, and when it started.
- Whether anything changed recently — a storm, a service visit, new equipment.
- The age of the equipment, if you know it.
- Any error code displayed.
- What you have already checked from the list above.
Starting from that makes the visit shorter and the diagnosis faster. (469) 338-5533, any hour.
Frequently asked
What should I check before calling for HVAC service?
The breaker and the outdoor disconnect, the service switch at the air handler, the thermostat settings and batteries, the air filter, and the condensate drain if a float switch may have tripped.
My AC shut off by itself and the breaker is fine — why?
A tripped condensate float switch is a common cause. It shuts the system down deliberately when the drain backs up, to stop the pan overflowing into the ceiling below.
What should I do first in a plumbing emergency?
Stop the water. Use the fixture shutoff if you can reach it, otherwise the main shutoff for the house. Then call. Everyone in the household should know where the main is before it is needed.
What information helps when I call?
What is happening and when it started, whether anything changed recently, the age of the equipment, any error code displayed, and what you have already checked.