Frequently Asked Questions

A free phone line, run by Dominion Digital Group, that connects Austin-area callers with independent, locally owned HVAC companies. It is not an HVAC company and never does the work itself. See about.

An automated assistant answers (737) 378-9016 at any hour, asks whether it is cooling or heating, takes your name, callback number, city or ZIP and what the system is doing, then transfers you to a local company that hears a short summary first. See how it works.

Yes. The line never charges callers. The HVAC company sets its own diagnostic fee and prices and tells you directly. The line may receive a referral fee from that company.

Every company the line connects callers with holds an active Texas air conditioning and refrigeration contractor license from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Ask for the number and look it up at tdlr.texas.gov. The line itself holds no license.

Not from the line, which never quotes. Most companies will tell you their diagnostic or trip fee on the phone, but a fair repair price needs someone to look at the system. Ask for it in writing before work starts.

You can fill out the short form on the contact page with your name, phone number, city or ZIP code and what you need, and a local HVAC company calls you back. There is no email address. Calling is still the fastest way, because the automated assistant can put you through to a company right away.

Not necessarily. On a 100-degree afternoon a correctly sized system may run nonstop and sit a degree or two above the setting. Check the filter and thermostat. If the vent air is barely cool or the outdoor fan is not spinning, turn it off and call. See AC repair.

The U.S. Department of Energy and Austin Energy both suggest 78 degrees when you are home and need cooling, and higher when you are away. Big setbacks on very hot days mostly make the system work harder later.

Heat pump air feels cooler than furnace air even when it is working correctly, and on very cold days the system may switch to backup electric heat or run a defrost cycle. If the thermostat shows emergency or auxiliary heat running for long periods, or the house will not warm, call. See heating repair.

Do not switch anything on or off. Leave the house, then call Texas Gas Service or your gas provider, or 911, from outside. Do not go back in until you are told it is safe. A heating company comes after the gas leak is dealt with.

No. R-410A systems can still be repaired and recharged, and the EPA removed the January 1, 2026 installation deadline for older R-410A equipment in a 2026 final rule. Read the free refrigerant guide.

No. The 25C credit ended for equipment installed after December 31, 2025. Austin Energy customers may still qualify for utility rebates. See Austin Energy rebates.

Yes. In the City of Austin, replacing a heating or cooling system requires a mechanical permit and inspection, and suburban cities have similar rules through their own building departments. The installing contractor normally pulls it; ask whether it is included in the quote.

If the home is in Austin city limits, served by Austin Energy and 10 or more years old, the City's ECAD ordinance requires an energy audit disclosed to buyers, unless an exemption applies. See HVAC inspection.

Twice a year works well in Austin: cooling in spring before the heat, heating in fall before the first freeze. Change filters more often during cedar and oak pollen seasons. See maintenance.

Austin and the surrounding area in Travis, Williamson and Hays counties. See the service areas page.