Emergency Heating Checklist: What to Do While You Wait for Repair

## Emergency Heating Checklist: What to Do While You Wait for Repair Your furnace just quit during a Massachusetts cold snap. Outside it's 15°F and dropping. You've called East Coast Air and help is on the way, but it might be an hour or two. What do you do while waiting? This emergency heating checklist helps South Shore homeowners stay safe and warm until our technicians arrive. ### Step 1: Safety First - Check for Gas Leaks If you smell gas or rotten eggs, this is a life-threatening emergency. **Immediately:** Evacuate everyone from the house including pets. DO NOT turn on lights, use phones inside, or create any spark. Call the gas company and 911 from outside. Do not re-enter until authorities clear the home. If there's no gas smell, proceed to step 2. ### Step 2: Check Your Circuit Breakers Many furnace "failures" are simply tripped breakers. Locate your electrical panel and check breakers labeled for your furnace or HVAC system. If a breaker is tripped (switch in middle position), reset it by pushing fully off then back on. If it immediately trips again, don't reset it repeatedly. This indicates a short circuit requiring professional repair. ### Step 3: Verify Thermostat Settings Sounds basic, but we've arrived at "emergencies" where someone accidentally switched the thermostat to cool or set it to 60°F. Check that your thermostat is set to HEAT mode and the temperature is above current room temperature. Replace batteries if your thermostat uses them - dead batteries cause many "emergencies." ### Step 4: Check Your Furnace Filter A completely clogged filter can cause safety shutoffs. Locate your filter (usually in the return air vent or at the furnace itself). If it's dark gray or black and you can't see through it, replace it immediately. Even if you don't have a spare, removing the dirty filter is better than running with a completely clogged one. ### Step 5: Ensure Vents Aren't Blocked by Snow This is critical for homes in Quincy, Weymouth, and throughout South Shore Massachusetts after snowstorms. Furnace exhaust vents and air intake vents must remain clear. Check the exterior of your home for white PVC pipes protruding from the wall. These are your furnace vents. Clear away any snow drifts completely covering them. Blocked vents cause safety shutoffs or dangerous carbon monoxide buildup inside your home. ### Step 6: Look for Obvious Problems Check your furnace for standing water underneath (indicates drainage issues), unusual smells like burning plastic, or visible flame if you have a pilot light (should be blue, not yellow or orange). Don't attempt repairs yourself, but noticing these issues helps technicians diagnose problems faster. ### Staying Warm While Waiting Once you've checked safety issues, focus on staying warm: **Close Off Unused Rooms:** Gather family in one or two rooms. Close doors to other areas. This concentrates body heat and makes space heaters more effective. **Layer Clothing:** Multiple thin layers trap air and insulate better than one thick layer. Wear hats indoors - you lose significant heat through your head. **Use Space Heaters Safely:** If you have electric space heaters, use them only in occupied rooms with someone awake. Never use space heaters while sleeping. Keep flammable items at least three feet away. Plug heaters directly into wall outlets, never extension cords. **Kitchen Warmth:** If you have a gas stove (DO NOT use with no gas smell), you can use it briefly for warmth. NEVER use your oven to heat the home - this produces dangerous carbon monoxide. **Protect Your Pipes:** Even if you're cold, your pipes are colder. Open cabinet doors under sinks to allow warm air circulation. Let faucets drip slightly if temperatures will drop below 20°F. ### What NOT to Do **Never use:** - Charcoal grills indoors (carbon monoxide poisoning) - Propane heaters indoors without proper ventilation - Generators indoors (carbon monoxide poisoning) - Open flames to heat rooms These cause more emergency calls to hospitals than frozen houses. ### When East Coast Air Arrives Our technicians work efficiently to diagnose and repair your heating. To help us work faster: **Clear access:** Make sure we can reach your furnace easily **Secure pets:** Keep dogs and cats in a separate room **Describe symptoms:** What you noticed before the furnace quit helps diagnosis **Gather information:** Know your system's age and recent service history if possible ### After-Hours Emergency Service East Coast Air provides 24/7 emergency heating repair throughout South Shore Massachusetts. We serve Quincy, Weymouth, Bridgewater, Carver, Abington, Pembroke, Norwell, Hingham, Cohasset, Marshfield, Duxbury, Scituate, and Plymouth. During winter emergencies, we prioritize calls based on severity. Homes with elderly residents, young children, or complete heating loss get fastest response. ### Preventing Future Emergencies Most heating failures happen during the coldest nights because that's when systems work hardest. Prevent emergencies with annual fall maintenance catching problems before they cause failures. **Call East Coast Air for 24/7 emergency heating repair. We'll get your South Shore home warm again fast.**