First, Make Sure It's Safe
An after-hours failure feels stressful, but safety still comes before troubleshooting.
If the breakdown comes with a gas smell or a carbon-monoxide alarm, do not try to fix anything in the dark. Get everyone out of the home and call FortisBC's 24-hour emergency line at 1-800-663-9911 or call 911 from outside. These lines operate around the clock precisely for moments like this. Only once the gas hazard is cleared should you call us at 604-359-1081 to repair the appliance.
If there is no gas smell, you are dealing with a comfort or water problem, and you can work through it calmly.
What You Can Safely Check Overnight
A few checks resolve many late-night calls and are perfectly safe to do yourself.
Confirm the thermostat is on heat and the batteries are good. Check whether the furnace or boiler breaker has tripped, and that the unit's power switch is on. On a combi or tankless unit, note any error code on the display. Verify the gas is on if your stove or other gas appliances still work.
For a boiler, check the pressure gauge — very low pressure can stop it firing. These quick steps cost nothing and sometimes restore service. If they do not, note what you found so you can describe it when you call.
Protecting Your Home Until Morning
If you cannot restore heat overnight, focus on keeping warm and preventing secondary damage, especially during a Lower Mainland cold snap.
Close off unused rooms to concentrate heat, layer up, and use safe supplemental heat such as an electric space heater with a tip-over shut-off — never an oven or a barbecue indoors. To guard against frozen pipes, open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls and let a faucet trickle.
If an appliance is leaking, shut off its water and power so the leak does not worsen overnight. A little preparation keeps a no-heat night from turning into a burst-pipe morning.
When to Call Now vs. Wait Until Morning
Deciding whether to call immediately comes down to safety and severity.
Call right away for any gas or CO concern, a fast water leak, water near electrical components, or a total loss of heat during freezing weather with vulnerable occupants such as infants or elderly family members. These cannot safely wait.
A single slow drip you have contained, or a minor issue in mild weather, can often wait for the first appointment of the day, which also avoids after-hours rates. When you are unsure, call 604-359-1081 and describe the situation — we will help you decide whether it needs attention tonight or first thing tomorrow.
How GasBoilers.ca Supports After-Hours Calls
When you call 604-359-1081, tell us the appliance, the symptom, what you checked, and whether there is any leak or smell. That helps us judge urgency and bring the right parts.
Our parent company, CanroHeat, services boilers, furnaces, heat pumps, and tank and tankless water heaters throughout Greater Vancouver, so you reach one team no matter which system failed. Availability depends on the time and current demand, and we will always be straight with you about when help can arrive.
Keep a leaking or unsafe appliance shut off until we get there, and we will guide you through staying safe in the meantime.