No heat at all
The technician checks the thermostat, power, gas supply and ignition sequence in order, then tests the part that stopped it.
Gas & electric furnaces
Furnace Repair in Chicago, IL
Green Leaf Heating & Cooling connects Chicago homeowners with local technicians for furnace repair: no heat, short cycling, cold air from the vents or a furnace that won’t light. Call (312) 924-7223, describe the symptoms, and get a free estimate before any work starts.
Find the failed part. Fix it right.
About furnace repair
Furnace Service in Chicago When the Heat Stops
Most furnace breakdowns come down to one part: an igniter, a flame sensor, a pressure switch, a blower motor or a control board. A technician tests the furnace step by step, finds the part that failed and tells you what it takes to fix it.
Age matters too. Furnaces commonly last around 15 to 20 years. If yours is in that range and needs a major part such as a heat exchanger or blower motor, the technician explains both the repair and what a new furnace would involve, so the choice is yours.
Chicago winters keep furnaces running for long stretches from November through March, and that’s when worn parts tend to give out. If the heat quits overnight on a weekday, calls are answered 24 hours a day Monday to Friday.
- ✓ Gas and electric furnaces
- ✓ All makes and models
- ✓ Repair or replace, explained
- ✓ Free estimate before work starts
What’s included
Furnace Repairs in Chicago, Problem by Problem
The furnace problems technicians fix most often in Chicago homes, and what usually causes them.
Igniter and flame sensor
The two most common no-heat parts. A cracked hot-surface igniter won’t glow, and a dirty flame sensor shuts the burners off after a few seconds.
Blower motor and capacitor
If the burners light but little or no air comes out of the vents, the blower motor or its capacitor has usually failed.
Short cycling
A furnace that switches on and off every few minutes: often a clogged filter, an overheating limit switch or a flame sensor problem.
Pilot light won’t stay lit
On older furnaces with a standing pilot, a worn thermocouple is the usual reason the pilot keeps going out.
Inducer motor and pressure switch
The inducer clears exhaust before the burners light. If it or its pressure switch fails, the furnace locks itself out.
Strange noises
Squealing points to a belt or motor bearing, a boom at startup to delayed ignition, and rattling to a loose panel or a failing inducer.
Cracked heat exchanger
A crack can let combustion gases into the airflow. If one is found, the furnace is shut down and you’re told exactly why.
How it works
How a Furnace Repair Visit Works
Tell us what the furnace is doing: no heat, cold air, short cycling, a noise or an error light. Mention its age if you know it.
The technician checks for gas leaks and carbon monoxide and confirms the venting is clear before anything else.
The furnace is tested until the failed part is found. You get the options, with a free estimate for each.
After you approve it, the part is replaced and the furnace is run through a complete heating cycle to confirm it works.
STEP 01Call and describe it
Tell us what the furnace is doing: no heat, cold air, short cycling, a noise or an error light. Mention its age if you know it.
Before you call
Furnace Not Working? Five Checks to Try First
Some no-heat calls turn out to have a simple cause. These checks are safe for any homeowner and take a few minutes:
- Thermostat. Make sure it’s set to Heat and a few degrees above the room temperature. Replace the batteries if the screen is blank.
- Furnace switch. Most furnaces have a light-style switch on the wall or the unit itself. It sometimes gets flipped off by mistake.
- Breaker. Check the furnace breaker in your electrical panel and reset it once if it has tripped. If it trips again, leave it off and call.
- Filter. A filter packed with dust can make the furnace overheat and shut itself down. Swap it if it’s gray and clogged.
- Door panel. Furnaces have a safety switch that keeps them off when the front panel isn’t seated properly.
If the furnace still won’t heat, call (312) 924-7223. For more on the most common symptom, read why a furnace runs but doesn’t blow hot air.
Smell gas or hear a carbon monoxide alarm? Don’t touch light switches or the furnace. Get everyone out of the house, then call Peoples Gas or 911 from outside. Call for a repair only after the utility or fire department says it’s safe.
Furnace repair in older Chicago homes
Many Chicago bungalows and two-flats were converted from coal or boiler heat to forced air decades ago, so ductwork is often long and undersized for the house. In those homes, weak airflow to the far rooms can look like a furnace problem when it’s really a duct problem. A technician can tell the difference by measuring temperature rise and static pressure.
Older furnaces and water heaters in Chicago often vent through a brick chimney. When a high-efficiency furnace replaces an old one and the water heater is left alone in an oversized chimney, the chimney may need a liner. It’s one more reason a technician looks at venting on every call.
Repair or replace?
Replacement usually makes sense when the furnace is near or past 15 to 20 years old, the heat exchanger is cracked, repairs are piling up year after year, or some rooms never get warm. Otherwise, a repair is usually the better value. The technician gives you both options so you can compare. See furnace installation in Chicago for what a new system involves.
Problems we solve
Heating Repair in Chicago: Three Calls We Hear Most
The three furnace complaints that come up most once the weather turns cold.
Ask a proFurnace blowing cold air
Usually the thermostat fan set to On, an ignition failure, an overheating limit switch or a clogged condensate line on a high-efficiency unit.
Furnace runs but the house won’t warm up
A dirty filter, a failing blower, leaky ductwork or a furnace that’s too small for the house. Measurements show which one.
Furnace won’t turn on
Power, thermostat, a tripped safety switch or a failed control board. Start with the five checks above, then call.
Furnace repair FAQ
Furnace Repair Questions From Chicago Homeowners
Short answers to what Chicago homeowners ask most before they call.
(312) 924-7223The common causes are a thermostat fan set to On instead of Auto, a burner that won’t light or stay lit, an overheating furnace that shut its burners off, or a clogged condensate drain on a high-efficiency model. If the fan setting isn’t it, call for a diagnosis.
Most furnaces last around 15 to 20 years with yearly maintenance. Long Chicago heating seasons and skipped tune-ups can shorten that.
Usually it means a safety switch is doing its job, often because of a clogged filter or overheating. Repeated shutdowns should be checked, because the cause can also be a venting problem or a cracked heat exchanger.
Leave the house without touching switches or the thermostat, then call Peoples Gas or 911 from outside. Call for a furnace repair once the gas utility or fire department has made the home safe.
Once a year, ideally in early fall before the first cold snap. A furnace tune-up catches worn igniters, dirty flame sensors and failing motors before they leave you without heat.
Calls are answered 24 hours a day Monday to Friday, plus Saturday 10–4 and Sunday 10–2. Call (312) 924-7223 if the heat goes out. See emergency HVAC for what to do while you wait.
Related services
More Heating Services in Chicago
01Furnace InstallationWhen repair no longer makes sense: new high-efficiency and modulating furnaces, sized to your home.↗02HVAC MaintenanceYearly furnace tune-ups that catch worn parts before the first cold night.↗03Boiler RepairFor homes heated by radiators: steam and hot-water boiler repair.↗04Emergency HVACNo heat in the middle of winter, and what to do until help arrives.↗05Air Duct CleaningWeak airflow and dusty vents: duct cleaning, sealing and repair.↗06Indoor Air QualityDry winter air and thermostats: humidifiers, filters and smart thermostats.↗
Furnace repair across Chicago
Furnace Repair in Your Neighborhood
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