Boiler Repair in Chicago and Des Plaines
Right Away provides boiler repair in Chicago and Des Plaines for steam, hot-water and radiant systems. Boilers behave nothing like a furnace, and they are misdiagnosed constantly. A cold radiator, a pressure gauge that keeps dropping or a pipe that bangs on every cycle each point at a specific fault in the boiler, the controls or the distribution system.
Tell us what the system is doing when you call — that decides which truck and which parts head to your address.
Boiler repair for Chicago and Des Plaines properties
Chicago two-flats, greystones and other radiator-heated buildings often depend on older steam piping, main vents and low-water controls that need to be evaluated as a complete system. In Des Plaines, we service those systems along with hot-water baseboard, zoned hydronic and radiant heating in homes and small commercial properties near our Rand Rd location.
The same symptom can have different causes in each system. We identify whether the problem starts at the boiler, a zone control, circulator, vent, valve or distribution piping before recommending a repair. Chicago customers can call 773-250-6060; Des Plaines and suburban customers can call 847-550-3322.
Cold or uneven radiators
One cold radiator while the rest of the house heats is almost never the boiler. On a hot-water system it is usually air trapped in the loop, a closed or seized valve, or a failed zone valve or circulator serving that branch. On a steam system it is typically a plugged radiator vent, a radiator pitched the wrong way so condensate cannot drain, or main vents that are no longer letting air out of the piping.
A whole floor that stays cold points instead at balancing, circulation or a zone control problem. We test the zone valves, circulators, thermostat wiring and controls in order, then purge and balance the loops. Replacing a serviceable boiler is rarely the first answer we give.
Pressure loss, leaks and low water
A hot-water boiler that will not hold pressure is losing water somewhere: a weeping relief valve, a failed expansion tank, a leaking circulator flange or fitting, or a pinhole in the distribution piping. Repeatedly refilling the system is not a fix — fresh water carries oxygen and minerals that corrode and scale the boiler from the inside.
On steam systems a low-water condition trips the low-water cutoff and stops the boiler entirely. We check the cutoff, the sight glass, the auto-feeder and the return piping, because a system that keeps running low is losing condensate that should be coming back.
Banging, gurgling and whistling
Loud banging on a steam system — water hammer — is condensate trapped in the mains or in a radiator that is not pitched to drain. It is fixable, and it is worth fixing: hammer damages piping and fittings over time. Kettling or rumbling from inside a hot-water boiler usually means scale on the heat exchanger surfaces.
Gurgling in the pipes generally means air in a hot-water loop and is resolved by purging and correcting whatever is letting air in. Whistling frequently comes from a partially closed valve or a circulator pushing too fast for the pipe size.
Ignition, controls and no-heat calls
No heat from a boiler is checked in the same disciplined order as any other heating call: thermostat and zone demand, power and safeties, low-water cutoff, gas valve and ignition, flame proving, circulator operation, and finally the distribution system. Aquastats, pressure controls, relays and zone boards fail quietly and cause symptoms that look like a dead boiler.
We work on gas-fired steam boilers, hot-water boilers and radiant floor systems in single-family homes, two-flats and small commercial buildings across Des Plaines, Park Ridge, Northbrook and Chicago. For Chicago buildings with radiator heat, call 773-250-6060.
Fall startup and seasonal boiler maintenance
A boiler that sat idle all summer is the one most likely to disappoint you on the first cold night. Steam systems lose water and collect sediment, low-water cutoffs stick if they have never been blown down, radiator and main vents clog, and hot-water loops pick up air that shows up as a cold upstairs radiator the first time the system runs.
A seasonal visit is where that gets sorted: firing and flame check, combustion and venting, pressure and expansion-tank condition, relief valve inspection, low-water cutoff test and flush on steam, circulator and zone operation, and a look at the radiators or loops that were cold last winter. If your system is showing the symptoms described above, boiler repair and a seasonal check are usually the same visit.
If the pressure gauge keeps climbing or the relief valve drips, read why boiler pressure rises and the relief valve drips before assuming the boiler itself has failed.
If the boiler is old enough that replacement keeps coming up, our guide to what AFUE means for your gas bill compares an older 80% unit with a modern condensing boiler.
Where we do this work
We work from 2093 Rand Rd, Des Plaines, IL 60016 and cover Cook and DuPage county communities plus Chicago. Every community is listed on our service areas page, or start with one of these:
Questions we are asked about this service
When should a boiler be serviced for the heating season?
Early fall, before the first sustained cold. A pre-season visit tests the burner and controls, checks pressure and venting, exercises the low-water cutoff on a steam system, and lets us purge and balance loops while a cold radiator is an inconvenience rather than an emergency.
Why does my boiler pilot light keep going out?
Older boilers may lose their pilot because of a weak or dirty pilot flame, thermocouple problem, draft, gas-pressure issue, venting condition or failing gas control. If the flame is yellow, irregular or repeatedly goes out, leave the boiler off and request professional diagnosis. If you smell gas, leave the area and contact the gas utility from a safe location.
Why is my boiler running while the circulator pump is not moving heat?
The problem may involve a failed circulator, seized motor, trapped air, zone control, relay, wiring or restricted system flow. The boiler and complete circulation sequence should be tested before replacing the pump.
Why does my boiler pressure rise and the relief valve drip during heating?
A failed or waterlogged expansion tank, incorrect tank pressure, an undersized tank, a fill-valve problem or excessive system temperature may cause pressure to rise. The relief valve must never be capped or plugged; the complete pressure-control system should be tested.
Why is one radiator cold while the rest are hot?
On hot-water systems it is usually trapped air, a closed valve, or a failed zone valve or circulator for that branch. On steam it is normally a plugged radiator vent or a radiator that is not pitched to let condensate drain back.
My boiler keeps losing pressure. Is that serious?
Yes, worth addressing. The system is losing water through a relief valve, a failed expansion tank, or a leak in the piping. Continually adding fresh water introduces oxygen and minerals that corrode and scale the boiler.
What causes banging pipes on a steam system?
Water hammer — condensate caught in the mains or in a radiator that cannot drain. The usual causes are pitch, failed vents or a sagging main, and correcting them stops the noise and protects the piping.
Do you service steam boilers as well as hot-water boilers?
Yes. We service low-pressure steam, hot-water and radiant systems, including low-water cutoffs, sight glasses, expansion tanks, circulators, zone valves and radiator venting.
Related services
Guides worth reading
- Boiler running but radiators cold? What to check
- Boiler repair and maintenance before winter
- Why hard water scales gas-fired equipment
- 80% AFUE vs. a high-efficiency boiler
- Why boiler pressure rises and the relief valve drips
Every article is on our plumbing and HVAC guides page.
Schedule this service
Call 847-550-3322 for Des Plaines and the suburbs, or 773-250-6060 in Chicago. You can also request service online.