Most heating, cooling and plumbing problems announce themselves with a symptom: no heat, no hot water, warm air from the AC, water around the unit or weak water pressure. This guide covers what each usually means, the safe checks you can do yourself, and when it's time to book a CASC repair visit.
What should you do first when something stops working?
Stay safe, then check the simple things. Thermostat settings, breakers, filters and shutoff valves cause a surprising share of service calls.
If you smell gas, don't troubleshoot. Leave the home and call your gas utility from outside. For everything else, a few minutes of checking can either solve the problem or give our technician useful information.
Write down what you notice: when the problem started, any sounds or smells, error codes or blinking lights, and anything that changed recently, like a power outage or a new thermostat. Those details help a technician diagnose faster and can save time on the visit.
Know where your shutoffs are before you need them: the main water shutoff, the valve on the water heater's cold supply, the HVAC breaker and the furnace power switch.
Is your heat not working?
Check the thermostat mode and setpoint, the breaker and furnace switch, the filter and the furnace door panel. Heat pumps also have defrost cycles and backup heat that can look like problems.
A lot of no-heat calls start with a thermostat set to the wrong mode, a tripped breaker, a furnace switch bumped off or a clogged filter that made the furnace shut itself down.
Heat pumps add two normal behaviors that can look like trouble: defrost cycles that melt frost off the outdoor coil, and air that feels cooler than furnace air. Our heat troubleshooting guide covers both.
Do you have no hot water, or not enough?
Gas tanks often point to the ignition or pilot; electric tanks to a breaker or element. Not enough hot water can mean sediment, a broken dip tube or an undersized heater.
First decide which one you have. No hot water at all points to the heat source, like a pilot, ignition, breaker or element. Hot water that runs out early points to sediment, a dip tube or tank size.
If only one faucet runs cold, the faucet is the likely cause, not the water heater.
If you see water around the base of the tank, turn off the cold water supply valve to the heater and turn the gas control to Off or switch off the breaker for an electric unit, then book a visit.
Is your AC blowing warm air or leaking water?
Warm air often traces to the thermostat, a dirty filter, a tripped outdoor breaker or a refrigerant or electrical problem. Water around the indoor unit usually means a clogged condensate drain.
Our blog already covers both in detail, so we link to those posts here instead of repeating them. Start with the thermostat, the filter and the outdoor unit's breaker, then look at the condensate drain if you see water.
Is your water pressure low or is the water heater leaking?
Low pressure at one fixture is often a clogged aerator; low pressure everywhere can mean a pressure valve or a hidden leak. Water at the base of a tank needs prompt attention.
Low pressure everywhere, along with a rising water bill, is worth a closer look because it can point to a hidden leak. Water from the T&P discharge pipe or the tank itself needs a call.
When should you call CASC?
Call when the simple checks don't fix it, a breaker trips again, you see water where it shouldn't be or a system shows an error code. We're open Monday through Sunday, 7 AM to 6 PM.
Service calls are $99 on weekdays and $149 on weekends and holidays, for both HVAC and plumbing. Same-day service when availability allows. You get pricing before any repair begins.
Some symptoms mean you should stop using the equipment until it's checked: a breaker that trips again after one reset, water spreading from a water heater or indoor unit, a burning smell from the system, or a T&P valve discharging water. Turn the equipment off and book a visit.
Frequently asked questions
Is the service call fee credited toward the repair?
No. The service call is $99 on weekdays and $149 on weekends and holidays, and it covers the visit and diagnosis.
What if I smell gas?
Don't flip switches or try to find the source. Leave the home and call your gas utility from outside.
Can CASC come out the same day?
Same-day service when availability allows. We're open Monday through Sunday, 7 AM to 6 PM.
Terms on this page
Guides in this collection
- Heat not working? Furnace and heat pump troubleshooting When the heat stops working, start with safe checks: thermostat mode and setpoint, batteries, the breaker and furnace switch, the filter and the furnace door panel. Heat pumps also run normal defrost cycles. If the simple checks don't fix it, or you see an error code, book a CASC heating repair visit.
- No hot water: what's going on and what to check No hot water usually comes down to the heat source: a gas water heater whose pilot or ignition has failed, an electric heater with a tripped breaker or bad element, or a tankless unit showing an error. Not enough hot water often points to sediment, a broken dip tube or a heater too small for the household.
Related guides
- How our pricing works Repairs start with a service call: $99 on weekdays and $149 on weekends and holidays, for HVAC and plumbing. That fee is not waived or credited toward the repair. HVAC replacements, larger plumbing projects and commercial HVAC projects get a free estimate instead. There is no travel fee within our normal 50-mile service area.
- What to expect from a CASC repair visit To book a repair, send the contact form with your preferred day and time or call 501-307-1310. We confirm the actual appointment with you. Repair visits start with a service call: $99 on weekdays and $149 on weekends and holidays. We're open Monday-Sunday, 7:00 AM-6:00 PM, with same-day service when availability allows.
- Is a maintenance plan worth it? For most homes with central air, a heat pump or mini-splits, yes. CASC's Residential HVAC Maintenance Plan is $189 for the first system and $99 for each additional system, plus tax. It includes a spring cooling visit and a fall heating visit, plus 10% off qualifying repairs and service-call fees. It does not auto-renew.