HVAC failures can range from inconvenient to dangerous. A system that’s not heating or cooling properly is frustrating. A carbon monoxide situation caused by improper installation is life-threatening. The steps below address both — starting with safety.

“If there’s any concern about carbon monoxide — CO detector activating, family members feeling ill with headaches or nausea, burning smell from the furnace — leave the house immediately and call 911. Don’t wait to call the contractor first. Carbon monoxide is the situation where there is no second chance.”

— Ravi Menon, licensed HVAC technician and gas fitter with 20 years of experience in residential heating, cooling, and heat pump installation in the local area

Step 1: Address Any Safety Emergency First

Spacious and contemporary office space featuring minimalist design and ample natural light.

If your CO detector activates or you smell gas: Leave the house immediately. Don’t turn lights on or off. Call your gas utility’s emergency line from outside (your gas utility: 1-866-763-5427 in many regions) and call 911. Do not re-enter until emergency responders have cleared the building.

If the system isn’t working but there’s no safety concern: Turn it off at the thermostat and at the furnace or air handler power switch. Document what’s happening before calling anyone.

Step 2: Document the Problem

services, ac repair, business, heating services, cooling services, air purification, air conditioning repair, air, conditioning, heating, insulation, brown service, ac repair, ac repair, ac repair, ac repair, ac repair

Before contacting the contractor or anyone else:

  • Note the specific symptoms — system won’t start, doesn’t reach set temperature, makes unusual noises, CO detector activated, etc.
  • Record when the problem started and what preceded it (a recent service visit, a power outage, a storm, etc.)
  • Photograph any visible issues — error codes on the thermostat, visible damage, unusual ice buildup, etc.
  • Gather all documents — the original quote, invoice, any warranty document, and the installation record

Step 3: Contact the Contractor in Writing

Notify the contractor in writing — by email — describing the problem, when you noticed it, and your expectation that it’s covered under the workmanship warranty.

For urgent issues (no heat in winter, potential safety concern), also call directly. But follow up in writing so there’s a record.

What a good answer looks like: A prompt response and a service visit scheduled within 24–48 hours for urgent issues.

Step 4: Contact the the relevant gas-fitting safety authority If Safety Is Involved

If the problem involves gas work — a gas leak, a CO situation, or concerns about how the gas appliance was installed — contact the relevant gas-fitting safety authority directly at 1-877-682-8772. The the relevant gas-fitting safety authority has jurisdiction over gas work safety in many regions and takes reports of unsafe gas installations seriously.

In other regions, contact the equivalent safety authority.

Step 5: File a Complaint with the Licensing Body

If the contractor refuses to remedy defective work or the issue involved unlicensed gas work:

  • The relevant gas-fitting safety authority (your region): File a complaint at tssa.Org
  • HRAI: File a complaint if the contractor is an HRAI member
  • The relevant trade licensing body: If a licensed gas technician was involved
  • Your local consumer protection office: For unfair business practices

Step 6: Home Insurance Claim for Resulting Damage

If the HVAC failure caused property damage — water damage from a frozen pipe when the heat failed in winter, fire or smoke damage — contact your home insurer. Document the connection between the HVAC failure and the property damage.

Step 7: Small Claims Court for Unresolved Financial Disputes

For unresolved disputes within the regional limit (up to $35,000 in many regions), small claims court is an option. You’ll need the original contract, the warranty document, records of all communications, and ideally an independent HVAC technician’s assessment of what went wrong and the cost to fix it.

Prevention Is Better

The HVAC contractors who do dangerous work are almost always the ones who showed warning signs at the quoting stage: no gas technician licence, no permit pulled, cash-only payment, equipment not specified. Asking the right questions before hiring is your most effective protection.

See: Questions to Ask an HVAC Contractor Before You Hire One

Related Questions

Have a question we didn’t cover? Submit it below.

Was this question list helpful?

by WikiQuestions