Find out whether you can safely stay
Note the current indoor temperature and whether it is falling. Tell the service company how long you were away and whether anyone needs extra help staying warm. Ask for an actual visit or update time.
If the home cannot stay suitable before heat is restored, arrange another warm place. Ask a qualified professional about property protection if freezing is a concern, rather than assuming the thermostat setting protected all pipes.
Portable electric heat needs limits: three feet from combustible items, a direct wall outlet, and off for sleep. Never leave it running unattended. CPSC winter heating guidance and CPSC portable-heater instructions. It is not a whole-home or pipe-protection guarantee.
Keep the fault history useful
Look at the normal thermostat display for heating mode, its target, battery or power alerts, and the hold status. Record any visible error without resetting it. Carrier lists thermostat power and heating settings among its initial checks. Carrier furnace troubleshooting.
Report any known outage, prior heating trouble, recent service, or notification received while away. Note whether the furnace is silent, begins then stops, or runs air without useful heat. Do not remove doors to collect more information or repeatedly reset the unit.
We recommend a model-specific diagnostic visit, not simply lowering and raising the thermostat until heat returns. Ask where the sequence stopped, what caused it, and what was verified afterward.
Improve the next away plan
Once the cause is resolved, choose an away plan with a real backup owner. A connected thermostat can be one part of that plan, but you need to understand its alert features, power and network needs, and who acts if it reports trouble or stops communicating.
Ask someone you trust to check the home as appropriate and agree on what triggers action. Leave contact information, equipment details, and authority to arrange service if needed. An alert nobody can respond to does not protect the household.
Discuss suitable temperature and property-protection arrangements for the actual home with the right professional. Do not copy a vacation setting as a universal Colorado rule.
Your next action is to confirm the household's warmth plan and request diagnosis with the thermostat and away history. After repair, give the next trip a backup person and response plan rather than relying on a hold alone.