Triage by three factors
HVAC urgency depends on more than the symptom. The same "furnace stopped" is routine in October and an emergency in January. Ask about three things:
- Outside temperature. Below about 40°F for heat, above about 90°F for cooling.
- Who is in the home. Elderly people, infants, anyone sick or on medical equipment.
- Symptom. Completely off vs running poorly; any smell, smoke, water or alarm.
The rules
| Symptom | Conditions | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| No heat | Below 40°F outside | Emergency |
| No heat | Mild weather, healthy household | Next day |
| No AC | Above 90°F and vulnerable person | Emergency |
| No AC | Healthy household | Next day (first slot) |
| CO alarm | Any | Get outside, call 911; then emergency |
| Burning smell, smoke | Any | Emergency (911 if fire) |
| Water leaking into the home | Any | Emergency |
| Running but not keeping up | Any | Next day |
| Noise, short-cycling, thermostat | Any | Next day |
Example call
Our AC stopped blowing cold air.
Is it completely off or just not cooling well? And is anyone elderly, very young or unwell in the home?
It runs but it's warm air. Just me and my husband, we're fine.
Then it can wait until morning. I can get a tech there at 8am. Close the blinds and use fans tonight.
Rule matched: "No AC, healthy household" → Next day · booked 8:00am
Why rules beat judgment at 2am
Half-asleep judgment errs both ways: a tech gets sent for a thermostat battery, or a family with an 80-year-old waits until morning. Written rules, applied the same way every night, fix both. And they make the caller feel heard either way, which matters: 85% of callers who can't reach a business won't call back (BIA/Kelsey).
Once a call is an emergency, the next steps are your after-hours fee and paging the on-call tech.
What Josie does
- 24/7 Emergency Line: Answers every after-hours call and sorts real emergencies from routine jobs with your rules.
- On-Call Paging + Schedules: Calls your on-call tech with the details. Press 1 to accept. No answer? Next person, then you.
- Next-Day Booking: Routine night calls get booked into tomorrow's first slots instead of "call us back".
- For your trade: After-Hours Answering Service and Dispatch for HVAC Companies
Common questions
Is no heat an emergency?
When it is below about 40°F outside, or there are vulnerable people in the home, most HVAC companies treat it as an emergency. In mild weather it can usually wait until morning.
Is no AC an emergency?
In extreme heat for elderly people, infants or anyone with a health condition, yes. For a healthy household it is usually booked for the first slot next morning.
What should happen if a carbon monoxide alarm goes off?
Everyone gets outside and calls 911 first. Then the HVAC company treats it as an emergency.
What does HireJosie cost?
HireJosie is $29/month for 200 AI minutes, starting with a 7-day free trial — cancel before day 7 and you pay nothing. Pro is $79/month for 500 minutes, with $0.25/minute overage after that. Every feature is on every plan, and every plan starts with a 7-day free trial.