United States guidance50 states + DC context

Loss of home heat

What should you do when the furnace is not heating?

Leave for fresh air and call emergency help for a sounding carbon-monoxide alarm or suspected CO symptoms. If you suspect a gas leak, leave without operating switches or creating an ignition source and contact the gas emergency authority from a safe location. Smoke, flame, burning odor, sparks, shock or repeated breaker trips also stop checks. During dangerous cold, protect occupants and use only safe, approved temporary-warmth guidance.

After those gates are clear, identify whether the system is gas, oil, electric or a heat pump; record thermostat display/mode/setpoint, whether equipment starts, filter condition, open vents and any exact owner-manual code. Do not relight a pilot, manipulate fuel valves, bypass a safety switch, repeatedly reset power or open panels based on generic instructions. The same no-heat symptom can require different model-aware diagnosis.

Put safety before diagnosisCO, suspected fuel gas, fire, electrical warning and dangerous cold come before any attempt to restore heat.

Need HVAC help?Confirm request and continue to call

Location changes the boundary, not the evidence

Where is the property?

Choose a state and optionally add a city and ZIP. This does not create a separate location page; it makes the limits of the answer visible.

State or District of ColumbiaCity or community

Choose a suggestion to fill the state, or keep typing any U.S. community.

Property ZIP code

U.S. national guidance

What changes after you choose a location?

Choose a state to make the geographic boundary explicit.

A ZIP helps identify possible HVAC service areas and utility territories, but it does not prove jurisdiction, address-level coverage or an available qualified HVAC technician.

Applies nationallyThe safety and observation sequence on this page is general U.S. guidance.

Must be confirmed locallyEmergency resources, adopted mechanical and electrical codes, permits, contractor licensing, climate loads, utility programs, prices and provider availability require current evidence for the exact property.

Separate life safety, system behavior and comfort symptoms

Which situation best matches the home?

No equipment response

Thermostat, power, controls and safety states remain different possibilities.

Notice next: Record display and model-manual indicators without opening equipment.

Air moves but is not warm

Fuel/system type, operating stage and equipment state matter; airflow alone does not identify the cause.

Notice next: Note timing, mode and whether the system shuts down or repeats.

System starts and stops or shows a code

A repeated shutdown may be protective and should not be defeated.

Notice next: Copy the exact code and stop repeated resets.

Safe observation

What should you record before the call?

A short, factual description helps the next professional choose the right first inspection without treating a symptom as proof.

Basic observations do not diagnose ignition, fuel, heat exchanger, electrical, control, blower or heat-pump faults and do not authorize internal work.

What to record

System type, fuel/energy source, brand/model and safely visible code.
Thermostat display, mode, setpoint and call indication.
Equipment start, fan operation, filter and open vent observations.
CO alarm/symptoms, gas odor, smoke, flame, electrical warning and repeated trips.
Indoor temperature trend and people at risk from cold.

Stop and get appropriate help

A CO alarm sounds, people have possible CO symptoms or fuel gas is suspected.
There is smoke, flame, burning odor, sparks, shock or repeated breaker trip.
Indoor cold creates an urgent risk or safe temporary heat is unavailable.

Move from information to action

Who is the useful next contact?

Emergency services, fire department or gas emergency authority

Use first for CO, suspected gas, fire or immediate danger.

Medical or local cold-safety help

Use for symptoms or dangerous cold exposure; do not wait for equipment repair.

Qualified HVAC technician

Use for persistent no-heat, repeated shutdown or internal combustion/equipment diagnosis.

Qualified electrician

Use for electrical burning, sparks, shock, damaged wiring or recurring breaker trips.

Check local call availability

Want an HVAC professional to inspect the heating or cooling concern?

This guide can help organize the symptoms, but it cannot inspect the property or confirm the repair. Confirm the request details to prepare a call that checks whether a participating provider can accept a new new residential HVAC or AC service request.

Describe what is happening, where you notice it, and when it began.
Share only normal-control and visible observations; do not open panels or keep unsafe equipment running.
Ask what the visit includes before authorizing work.

Confirm the request, then continue to call

HVAC-service availability and job acceptance are confirmed on the call.

Call Home Help is not the service contractor. If a connection becomes available, calling connects you with a participating third-party provider and we may receive compensation. Availability and job acceptance are confirmed on the call.

Short answers

Questions people ask before the call

Should I relight the pilot myself?

This national guide does not give a universal relight procedure; fuel controls and model instructions differ, and any gas concern is a leave-and-call boundary.

Can I use the oven to heat the home?

No. Use only temporary-heating methods approved for the space and follow fire and CO safety guidance.

Does cold air prove the furnace burner failed?

No. The system type, timing, controls and equipment state need proper evaluation.

Sources and boundaries

What supports this guide?

National Fire Protection Association — NFPA Educational Messages 2026 Edition Desk Reference for the Fire Service and Fire and Life Safety EducatorsStandards-owner consumer messages for CO alarm response, fresh-air and 911 escalation, annual fuel-burning-equipment inspection and fuel-gas emergency actions. Scope: national. Confirm address-specific requirements with the relevant local authority or qualified professional.
National Fire Protection Association — Heating SafetyStandards-owner heating-safety boundary to leave immediately and call the fire department or gas company when gas is smelled at a gas heater. Scope: national. Confirm address-specific requirements with the relevant local authority or qualified professional.
NOAA National Weather Service — During Extremely Cold WeatherNational cold-exposure, frostbite, hypothermia and safe power-outage warmth guidance when home heat is unavailable. Scope: national. Confirm address-specific requirements with the relevant local authority or qualified professional.
U.S. Fire Administration — Heating Fire SafetyFire-safety boundaries for heating equipment and temporary heat without authorizing repair steps. Scope: national. Confirm address-specific requirements with the relevant local authority or qualified professional.
U.S. Department of Energy — Consumer Guide to Home Heating and CoolingNational system-type, maintenance, filter, duct, thermostat and owner-manual context without fault diagnosis. Scope: national. Confirm address-specific requirements with the relevant local authority or qualified professional.

Educational information only: this page cannot inspect the property, diagnose hidden work, provide legal advice, quote a repair or promise service availability.

Sources support the general guidance shown here. Address-specific rules, responsibility, price and availability still require current local confirmation.

If conditions are unsafe or rapidly worsening, stop troubleshooting and contact the appropriate emergency service or qualified local professional.