Emergency AC repair, the moment you call
Same-day and 24/7 emergency services are subject to provider participation, location, technician availability, and demand. Availability is not guaranteed and may vary by market and appointment capacity.
AC down in dangerous heat is a safety event before it's a repair. Check on older adults, infants, anyone on medication, and top-floor rooms. If the house is too hot, move to a cooling center — dial 211 to find one — then arrange service.
When no cooling is a true emergency
- No cooling during dangerous heat, with older adults, infants, or medical needs in the home
- A burning or electrical smell — shut the system off, then call
- Water pooling near the indoor unit or electrical parts — kill that breaker
- The breaker trips again the moment you reset it — stop resetting
- Loud grinding from the outdoor unit — a failing compressor; switch it off
- Weak airflow that still cools the house down by evening
- One warm room while the rest of the home is comfortable
- A mild day and healthy adults — morning saves the after-hours premium
Not sure what you're seeing? Start with AC not cooling or AC won't turn on.
Stay cool until the tech arrives
Cool the people, not the house
Point fans directly at people, hydrate constantly, and gather everyone into one shaded room on the lower floor.
Block the heat
Close blinds and curtains on the sunny side. Keep doors to unused, hot rooms shut.
Don't run a frozen unit
If the coil iced up, switch to fan-only and let it thaw — running it frozen only prolongs the outage.
Full survival steps — including the signs of heat illness — are in the no-cooling guide.
Emergency pricing, stated plainly
The call to reach a contractor is free. An after-hours diagnostic is typically $150–$400, quoted before any work and usually credited toward the repair, and the repair runs 1.5–2× the daytime rate on nights and weekends. The full breakdown is on service-call cost.
Coverage across the United States
State and city pages are rolling out. Until yours is live, one call to (888) 810-2291 connects you to a licensed local contractor anywhere in the U.S.
Questions in a heat wave
Is no AC really an emergency?
It becomes one when the heat is dangerous and someone in the home is vulnerable — infants, older adults, or anyone with a medical condition. In those cases it's a health event first: check on them, move to the coolest room or a cooling center (dial 211), then arrange the repair.
How fast can someone come during a heat wave?
Honestly, it depends on demand — heat waves are exactly when every system fails at once. We route your call to a local contractor offering the soonest available slot; overnight and same-day availability is subject to provider participation and capacity in your market.
How much does emergency AC repair cost?
The after-hours diagnostic fee is often $150–$400, quoted before work and usually credited toward the repair. The repair itself runs 1.5–2× the daytime rate on nights and weekends. Some contractors advertise no surcharge — we'll connect you to whoever is available and let them quote you directly.
My AC is frozen — should I call for emergency service?
Not yet. A frozen coil has to thaw before anyone can even diagnose it, so an emergency dispatch on a frozen unit is usually a wasted trip. Turn the system to fan-only, let the ice melt fully, replace a dirty filter, then try cooling again.
Why do air conditioners die during heat waves?
Extreme heat pushes the system to run non-stop at maximum load, so a marginal capacitor, low refrigerant charge, or tired compressor that coped in mild weather finally fails. That's also why demand — and wait times — peak exactly when it's hottest.