Boiler Repair and No-Heat Service in Des Plaines
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.
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.
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
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
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.