After-Hours Emergency Heat Pump Repair in Seattle-Tacoma
Heat pump quit on a cold night? Our phones are answered after hours for heating and cooling emergencies, with after-hours service across the Puget Sound.
Locally-owned since 1977 • Licensed, bonded and insured in Washington (WA Contractor Reg. #HOMECCA785BD) • NATE-certified technicians • Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer
After-hours emergency heat pump repair
Home Comfort Alliance answers its phones after hours for heating and cooling emergencies and sends NATE-certified technicians for emergency heat pump repair, including nights and weekends, across the Seattle-Tacoma area and the wider Puget Sound region. Call (425) 645-0404. Same-day and after-hours service covers every city we serve, for ducted and ductless heat pumps of all major brands.
Burning smell, smoke or sparks? Turn the heat pump off at the thermostat and at its breakers, and call 911 if there is smoke or flame. On a dual-fuel system with a gas furnace, a rotten egg smell means leave the home and call 911 or your gas utility from outside: PSE at 1-888-225-5773 or Cascade Natural Gas at 888-522-1130.
Is it a heat pump emergency?
A heat pump problem is an emergency when it is a safety risk or when the house will get dangerously cold before a regular appointment. Many heat pumps have backup heat that can carry the home overnight, so check the table before paying an after-hours fee.
| What's happening | What to do now |
|---|---|
| Burning or electrical smell, smoke or sparks from the indoor or outdoor unit | Turn the system off at the thermostat and breakers and call us. If there is smoke or flame, leave and call 911. |
| Gas smell on a dual-fuel system (heat pump with a gas furnace) | Leave the home, then call 911 or your gas utility from outside. Call us after the utility clears the home. |
| No heat at all with temperatures near or below freezing | Switch to emergency heat if your thermostat has it, then call us, especially with infants, older adults or anyone medically vulnerable at home. |
| Outdoor unit encased in ice that won't clear | Don't chip it. Switch to emergency heat if you have it and call us. See heat pump frozen or iced up. |
| Heat pump has stopped, but backup heat is keeping the house warm | This can usually wait. Book the next available visit to avoid the after-hours fee. |
| Loud grinding or screeching from the outdoor unit | Turn the system off at the thermostat so the part doesn't fail further, then call us. |
| Water dripping from an indoor unit or ductless head | Turn the unit off, protect the floor, and book a visit; a blocked drain line is the usual cause. |
For other urgent problems in the home, see our after-hours emergency service page.
Use emergency heat while you wait
Most ducted heat pumps have backup heat: electric heat strips in the indoor air handler, or a gas furnace on a dual-fuel system. If the heat pump stops heating and your thermostat has an EM HEAT or emergency heat setting, switch to it to keep the house warm until a technician arrives. Trane advises using it only in a true emergency, because heat strips use more energy than the heat pump, and calling for service right away. Switch back to HEAT once the repair is done.
Ductless mini-splits usually have no emergency heat setting. If one stops in a cold snap, use the home's other heat, such as wall or baseboard heaters, and call us. For the difference between AUX and EM HEAT on the thermostat, see the heat pump repair FAQ.
Quick checks before an emergency call
If nothing in the table is a safety risk, these checks take a few minutes and can save an after-hours fee:
- Thermostat on HEAT, set above room temperature, with fresh batteries.
- Both breakers on: the outdoor unit and the indoor air handler or furnace each have one. Check the disconnect switch beside the outdoor unit too.
- Filter not clogged; a blocked filter cuts airflow and can trip safety controls.
- Snow and ice cleared from around the outdoor unit and its base so air can flow and defrost water can drain.
- A steaming outdoor unit with the fan stopped is usually a normal defrost cycle. Give it 15 minutes before deciding it has failed.
Don't keep resetting a breaker that trips again, and don't open the outdoor unit's panels. Both point to a fault a technician needs to find.
Keeping your household warm and safe
Pick one room to keep warm, close its door, and hang blankets over drafty windows. Dress everyone in layers and keep infants and older relatives in the warmest spot. A portable electric heater is fine on the floor, well away from beds, drapes and sofas, and never plugged into an extension cord. Don't bring a grill, camp stove or generator indoors or into an attached garage, and don't heat with a gas oven: PSE warns these can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. On the coldest nights, open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls and let a faucet drip (frozen pipe tips).
What does emergency heat pump repair cost?
An after-hours heat pump call with Home Comfort Alliance carries a $330 after-hours dispatch fee (instead of the $119 daytime dispatch fee), and a $72 standard or $130 deeper diagnostic fee, then the repair itself. You approve the repair price before any work starts. Updated October 2026.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| After-hours dispatch fee (replaces the $119) | $330 |
| Dispatch (trip) fee | $119 |
| Standard diagnostic fee | $72 |
| Deeper diagnostic fee | $130 |
| Typical Seattle heat pump repair (Angi regional estimate, May 2026) | $220 to $2,220 |
Home Comfort Alliance prices as of September 2026, listed separately. Repair range from Angi, Seattle HVAC repair cost, which also puts emergency and after-hours HVAC labor in Seattle at $150 to $275 an hour, against $80 to $150 for standard service (May 2026).
For prices by part and ducted vs ductless repairs, see our heat pump repair cost guide.
Current offer: $50 off HVAC service or repair (special offers). Larger repairs can be financed through Salal Credit Union or Synchrony from $179/month* (financing). Home Comfort Club members get priority scheduling and discounted repair rates (membership plans from $15 a month).
*Financing through Salal Credit Union or Synchrony, subject to credit approval. Rates, terms and monthly payments depend on the amount financed, the plan and your credit. 0% interest options are available to qualifying customers. See lender for full terms.
Get an estimateA comfort advisor will call you to set up your visit.
What happens when you call
- We answer. Our phones are answered after hours for heating and cooling emergencies. Tell us what the heat pump is doing, whether backup heat is working, and whether anyone at home is vulnerable to cold.
- Safety first. If you describe smoke, sparks or a gas smell, we will tell you to shut the system off or leave and call 911 before anything else.
- A technician comes out. A NATE-certified technician diagnoses ducted and ductless heat pumps of all major brands, including the backup heat and defrost controls.
- Upfront price. You approve the price before any repair. If a safe repair isn't possible tonight, we get backup heat running where we can and explain the options, including replacement.
Why homeowners call Home Comfort Alliance after hours
- After-hours emergency service: our phones are answered after hours for heating and cooling emergencies, and after-hours service covers every city we serve.
- Upfront, transparent pricing before any work begins, with every fee published on this page.
- NATE-certified technicians; Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Dealer and Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer, servicing all major brands.
- HVAC, plumbing and electrical under one company; plumbing and electrical can be booked by phone or online for the first business-hours opening.
- Licensed, bonded and insured in Washington; serving the Puget Sound since 1977.
- Best Pick Reports Best Pick 2025 and 2026.
Where we provide emergency heat pump repair
Emergency heat pump repair is available across the Puget Sound region from our Redmond, Everett, Bremerton and Sumner offices, including Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland, Bremerton and Sumner. Local heat pump repair pages: Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Everett, Tacoma, Sumner and Bremerton. See all service areas.
Emergency heat pump repair FAQ
What counts as a heat pump emergency?
Smoke, sparks or a burning smell from the system, a gas smell on a dual-fuel system, or no heat at all in freezing weather, especially with babies, older adults or someone medically vulnerable at home. If backup heat is keeping the house warm, the repair can usually wait for a regular visit.
Should I switch my thermostat to emergency heat?
Yes, if the heat pump has stopped heating and your thermostat has an EM HEAT setting. It turns off the heat pump and runs only the backup heat, which keeps the house warm but uses more energy, so use it until the repair and then switch back to HEAT. Don't use it as an everyday setting.
If I have emergency heat, do I also have a heat pump?
Almost always, yes. An EM HEAT or emergency heat setting on a thermostat is a heat pump feature: it switches off the heat pump and runs the backup heat by itself. If you see the setting but aren't sure what equipment you have, look outside for an outdoor unit that runs in winter, or ask us at your next visit.
Who do I call if my heat pump stops working at night?
For smoke or flame, call 911; for a gas smell, call 911 or your gas utility from outside. For no heat without those signs, call an HVAC company with after-hours emergency service. Home Comfort Alliance answers its phones after hours for heating and cooling emergencies at (425) 645-0404 and provides after-hours service across its Puget Sound service area.
How much does emergency heat pump repair cost?
Home Comfort Alliance charges a $330 after-hours dispatch fee for emergency HVAC calls (instead of the $119 daytime dispatch fee), and a diagnostic fee ($72 standard or $130 deeper), then the repair. Typical Seattle heat pump repairs run $220 to $2,220 (Angi, May 2026). You approve the repair price before work begins.
Why is my heat pump frozen solid?
Thick ice that won't clear usually means the defrost cycle isn't working, from a faulty defrost control or sensor, low refrigerant, a stopped outdoor fan, or water dripping onto the unit from a gutter. A light frost that melts off every so often is normal.
Is it safe to run my heat pump with ice on it?
A light frost is fine. If the outdoor coil is fully encased in ice, switch to emergency heat if you have it so the heat pump stops straining, and call for repair. Don't chip or pour hot water on the ice; Carrier warns chipping can damage the coil.
Will my pipes freeze if the heat pump stops?
They can during a long cold snap, especially pipes on outside walls and in crawl spaces. Run emergency heat if you have it, keep sink cabinet doors open so warm air reaches the pipes, and let a faucet drip on the coldest nights. See our guide to preventing frozen pipes during a heating breakdown.
Sources: Trane (auxiliary and emergency heat), Carrier (heat pump troubleshooting), PSE (gas leak and carbon monoxide guidance), Cascade Natural Gas (emergency guidance), Angi (Seattle HVAC repair cost data, May 2026), all checked October 2026.
Why Choose Home Comfort Alliance for Emergency Heat Pump Repair?
Your Comfort is Our Promise
We promise...
Reliable heating, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical service, all from one trusted company.
To educate and guide you through your options so you’ll find the right solution at the right price.
Knowledgeable and respectful workers who ensure both your own comfort during every visit, and lasting comfort from your home systems.
Outstanding service, communication, and follow-up, so your home is comfortable now and for years to come.
Get your heat back on
Tell us what your heat pump is doing and whether anyone at home is vulnerable to cold. Our phones are answered after hours for heating and cooling emergencies.
Get an estimate
A local comfort advisor will call you to set up your visit.