No heat: start here (10 minutes)
A furnace not working spike hits every January in Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Ottawa when outdoor design temps approach -25°C to -30°C. Before assuming equipment is dead, confirm power and control: thermostat on HEAT, setpoint above room temp, fresh batteries, and that the schedule did not override manual settings. Check the breaker labeled furnace or HVAC—one tripped breaker mimics total failure.
Replace or wash the filter if it has been more than 60–90 days. Restricted airflow trips high limits and causes short cycling that feels like no heat. Locate the wall switch near the furnace (often red) and verify ON. On high-efficiency units, inspect white PVC intake and exhaust on exterior walls—snow, ice, or nests block combustion air and lock the furnace out.
Stop immediately if you smell rotten eggs (mercaptan), hear repeated booming, see scorch marks, or a CO alarm sounds. Leave the home and call your gas utility emergency line or 911. Do not repeatedly reset lockouts—that masks combustion faults.
- Note LED flash codes on the furnace door
- Photo model/serial label for parts lookup
- Check if only some rooms are cold (duct vs furnace)
Causes by symptom
Blower runs but air is cold: failed hot-surface ignitor, dirty flame sensor, gas valve, or inducer faults on mid-efficiency furnaces. On heat pumps, stuck reversing valves or exhausted backup heat can feel like a cold furnace.
Tries to start then stops: blocked flue, pressure switch tubing, or condensate backup in high-efficiency drains. In Montreal, shoulder-season humidity freezes poorly trapped outdoor condensate.
Nothing runs: transformer, control board, door switch, or condensate float. After Toronto condo power outages, surge-damaged boards are common—breaker resets will not help.
Intermittent heat only on the coldest week? Undersized equipment, low gas pressure, or duct leakage in older ON and AB stock. See our emergency HVAC checklist for dispatcher-ready language.
Climate: coast, prairie, Quebec
BC Lower Mainland designs around milder winters but long damp periods—heat pumps in defrost can briefly feel cold at registers. Alberta sees long -20°C stretches; cold-climate heat pumps need honest auxiliary planning. Quebec hydro rates favor electrification, but Montreal row housing has tricky retrofit ducts.
Atlantic salt air corrodes outdoor cabinets faster than prairie dust. Humidity matters: dry winter air causes static; basement summer loads in Ontario can overwhelm aging AC if blower settings are wrong year-round.
Coastal Vancouver rarely hits prairie design cold, yet extended rain drives latent loads—comfort complaints may be dehumidification, not furnace BTU. Winnipeg and Saskatoon homeowners should plan filter stock before holiday cold snaps when supply houses slow deliveries.
Gas, CO, and provincial regulators
Gas furnace work is provincial. Ontario TSSA oversees gas appliance installs and modifications—homeowners must not relocate vents or gas lines. Technical Safety BC applies in BC; Alberta Municipal Affairs gas codes through accredited contractors; RBQ Quebec licenses contractors and permits many alterations.
CO risk rises with cracked heat exchangers, improper venting, or blocked flues. Test alarms on every level. Condos: check strata maintenance logs—insurers notice documented service.
Federal Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OTHPA) and provincial stacks vary by income. National Canada Greener Homes Grant ended—verify live program pages. Details: HVAC rebates in Canada.
2026 repair costs (CAD)
Winter emergency pricing should still be disclosed up front. Diagnostics are often credited toward repair with the same company.
| Item | Typical range (CAD, 2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| After-hours dispatch (metro) | $180 – $400 | Polar vortex weeks |
| Diagnostic visit | $129 – $249 | Often ~1 hour |
| Ignitor + flame sensor | $280 – $650 | Brand age affects parts |
| Inducer motor | $650 – $1,400 | Legacy units may be NLA |
| Heat exchanger concern | $2,500 – $6,500+ | Often replace talk |
| Full replacement | $4,800 – $9,500 | Vent/liner changes extra |
Labor runs higher in Vancouver and Toronto; Calgary and Edmonton spike when fleets are booked. Compare scopes—not verbal “about $800.” For replacements see furnace replacement cost Canada.
When to call an HVAC pro
Call licensed HVAC/gas techs for repeated lockouts, gas odor, furnace water leaks, burning electrical smell, or resets that fail within 24 hours. Combustion and refrigerant diagnostics need pro tools.
Same-day service vanishes during regional cold snaps—use safe room electric heat and protect plumbing on exterior walls. Ottawa and Winnipeg landlords: pre-book fall tune-ups to skip January queues.
Demand written parts/labor warranty. Selection help: choose an HVAC contractor and quote red flags.
Written quotes without panic pricing
Even in emergencies request written diagnostic fees, repair ranges, and replacement options if heat exchangers are suspect. Two opinions are fair when same-day replacement is pushed on a 10-year-old system with available parts.
Contractors using structured quoting respond faster—try PolarDraft, contact, or explore home and demo.
Local depth: Ottawa and cross-Canada practice
For readers researching furnace not heating causes fixes when to call an, local context in Ottawa changes both urgency and price. Contractors serving the GTA, Lower Mainland, Calgary corridor, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, and Winnipeg all report the same pattern: the coldest or hottest week of the year produces the longest dispatch lists and the highest after-hours fees. That is not a reason to skip written quotes—it is a reason to prepare filters, CO alarms, and equipment photos before you call.
In Ontario, TSSA gas oversight means homeowners should not relocate furnace vents or gas lines during DIY renovations. British Columbia work falls under Technical Safety BC; Alberta gas installations route through Alberta Municipal Affairs accredited contractors; Quebec jobs require RBQ licence numbers on proposals. Across provinces, carbon monoxide safety is non-negotiable: test alarms, keep intake and exhaust paths clear on high-efficiency equipment, and treat any gas odor as an evacuation event.
Humidity on the coast changes cooling behavior: an air conditioner that is oversized short-cycles, leaves latent moisture, and can ice the evaporator coil during damp shoulder weeks. Prairie winters stress heating at design temperatures near -20°C to -30°C, where heat pumps need a documented backup strategy. Montreal row housing and Toronto semis often have partial duct upgrades; comfort complaints may be distribution problems rather than equipment BTU.
Planning costs without surprise invoices
When budgeting in 2026, treat published CAD tables as planning bands, not firm quotes. After-hours fees spike during polar vortex and July heat-wave weeks; shoulder-season work (April–May, September–October) usually offers calmer scheduling. Ask each contractor the same questions: exact model numbers, labor hours assumed, permit fees, haul-away, warranty length, payment schedule, and expiry date. Compare scope—not a single bottom-line number.
Rebate literacy matters: the federal Canada Greener Homes Grant ended, while OTHPA, Ontario Home Renovation Savings, CleanBC, and Hydro-Québec offers continue with eligibility rules that change. Contractors should document rebate steps in writing; homeowners should not mentally subtract rebates before confirming income caps and equipment lists on live government pages.
Contractor tip: Itemize rebate lines as conditional credits with program name and filing responsibility—this prevents disputes when rules change mid-project.
Pair this article with related guides in our library: furnace and heat pump cost articles, rebate program overview, emergency checklist, and quote comparison red flags. Internal links are intentional—HVAC decisions are connected systems, not isolated repairs.
Prevention, documentation, and next steps
Preventive maintenance remains the cheapest insurance: filters during long heating seasons, annual gas safety checks, spring AC startup before July peaks, and heat pump coil cleaning before fall heating mode. Landlords in Ottawa and property managers in Vancouver should keep service invoices for insurance and tenant disputes. If equipment is past economic life, read replacement cost guides before approving panic pricing on the worst weather night of the season.
Documentation speeds up service: photograph nameplates, thermostat settings, breaker labels, and any error codes. Note which rooms are affected and when symptoms started. For condos, include strata rules about exterior work and crane access before approving balcony equipment projects.
Homeowners can contact PolarDraft for help finding organized local pros. Trade businesses can start a free trial, review product flow, or book a demo to send line-item PDFs and structured follow-up—especially valuable when quoting heat pumps with electrical sub-trades and rebate paperwork in the same envelope.
Climate notes: coast, prairie, and Quebec
Coastal BC homeowners should think about dehumidification and defrost cycles as comfort issues, not “AC failure.” Prairie homeowners should think about design temperature and backup heat for heat pumps. Quebec homeowners should weigh hydro rates and hydronic history before forcing ducted solutions into row housing. Alberta homeowners should weigh gas affordability against long-term electrification and solar pairing. Toronto and Vancouver labor markets remain the highest; rural travel fees apply outside city rings.
If your home is on oil, explore OTHPA eligibility before buying equipment. If your home is on propane, verify tank location and gas line sizing before tankless or furnace upgrades. If your home has a heat pump already, verify aux heat staging every fall—dual-fuel balance points should be commissioning outcomes, not guesses.
Wildfire smoke seasons and extended heat warnings are now part of HVAC planning in Western Canada: filtration upgrades must respect furnace static pressure limits, and cooling capacity should be evaluated at realistic indoor temperature targets, not brochure defaults.
Hiring and comparing trades fairly
Get two or three written scopes before major work. Ask who pulls permits, who registers warranties, and who handles rebate paperwork. Confirm WSIB and liability insurance for crews working in your home. For condos, confirm strata approval timelines in writing so crane or balcony work does not stall mid-project.
Read how to choose a contractor, quote red flags, and quote turnaround before you sign. These guides are written for Canadian homeowners comparing trades under provincial licensing rules—not generic US advice.