When I have an emergency with my HVAC system, I want to be sure that I can have the problem fixed as soon as possible.
If the heat pump breaks down in the middle of that night on thanksgiving, I want to be able to call my regular HVAC service provider for help.
If there is a foot of snow on the ground and the roads are treacherous, I need a company that will still be able to provide service to my furnace. My HVAC provider has same day Services guaranteed and that includes overnight. There is an additional fee for after hours calls, but there are still service providers available to work at 4:00 in the morning. I had a problem with my furnace last year and my wife and I woke up in the middle of the night to a cold bedroom. The rest of the house was even worse, because we were behind a door. When I realized that the furnace was not working, I immediately contacted the company that I prefer. The answering service took the call on the very first ring and she had a qualified and licensed HVAC technician contact me about 15 minutes later. It was an hour or less before the technician arrived to get the furnace up and running. The guy did great work and he looked very awake and alert considering the fact that it was the middle of the night. They must have some technicians that work on the third shift and provide these heating company services in the middle of the night.