Emergency No-Heat Service for Boilers and Furnaces
Get Ready for Winter
Test the heating system before sustained freezing weather whenever possible. If the furnace or boiler is already producing no heat, call and describe the equipment, visible fault code and affected rooms. Do not bypass a safety control or repeatedly reset equipment that continues to lock out.
Arrange furnace, boiler or heating-mode heat pump checks before daily heating begins. Address airflow restrictions, control faults and unusual noises now; cooling-only equipment needs appropriate shutdown care, not furnace procedures. A well-maintained system may use less gas or electricity and last longer, but condition, usage and weather determine results.
Winter No-Heat Help
Check the thermostat's heat setting and batteries, observe the breaker and service switch, and check an accessible furnace filter; on a boiler, note the pressure gauge and pilot status if visible without opening a cover, but do not relight it or repeatedly reset equipment. If heat stays off, equipment locks out or water is leaking, see our emergency no-heat help and furnace repair guidance, then call for Chicago at 773-250-6060 or the northwest suburbs at 847-550-3322.
For a gas smell or carbon monoxide alarm, leave immediately and call the gas utility or 911 from outside.
Winter Maintenance Questions
When should I call for emergency no-heat service?
Call when the furnace or boiler will not start, repeatedly locks out, leaks water or allows the building temperature to fall during freezing weather. For a gas odor or carbon-monoxide alarm, leave immediately and call the utility or 911 from outside.
Can planned maintenance reduce winter costs for emergency no heat?
For emergency no heat in Des Plaines and the nearby suburbs, finding an accessible maintenance problem early can help avoid a breakdown and the disruption of emergency work. It may improve energy use and support equipment life, but repair scope, parts, system condition and energy prices determine actual costs. No specific savings or longer lifespan is guaranteed.
What carbon monoxide warning requires immediate action during emergency no heat?
A carbon monoxide alarm, or headache, dizziness, nausea or confusion while fuel-burning equipment operates in Des Plaines and the nearby suburbs, requires everyone to leave for fresh air and call 911 from outside. Do not wait for emergency no heat or re-enter until responders say it is safe. Carbon monoxide has no smell; suspected gas leaks also require leaving and calling the utility from outside.
Losing heat in a Chicagoland winter is more than uncomfortable. Pipes in exterior walls can freeze within hours in a hard cold snap, and older buildings lose heat fast. Right Away treats no-heat calls as priority work for boilers and furnaces in Chicago, Des Plaines and nearby suburbs, with same-day appointments available when the schedule allows.
In plain language: if your heat is out, call us and tell us what the boiler or furnace is doing. A few safe checks first can save time, and the details you give decide what parts we bring.
Tell us what the system is doing when you call — that decides which truck and which parts head to your address.
Safe checks before you call
These checks are safe for any homeowner and solve a surprising number of no-heat calls. Do not open burner compartments, bypass safeties or reset a control more than once.
- Thermostat: set to Heat, set above room temperature, fresh batteries if it uses them
- Power: check the breaker and the service switch near the boiler or furnace (often looks like a light switch)
- Furnace filter: a badly clogged filter can trip a furnace safety
- Boiler: check the pressure gauge on hot-water systems or the sight glass on steam systems
- Furnace: make sure the blower door is fully closed and the outdoor vent is not blocked by snow
Carbon monoxide and gas warning
If you smell gas, leave the building immediately and call the gas utility or 911 from outside. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, or anyone feels headache, dizziness or nausea that improves outside, get everyone out and call 911. Do not use an oven or gas range to heat the home. Every home with gas appliances should have working CO alarms on each level and near sleeping areas.
Emergency boiler repair
On a boiler no-heat call we check thermostat and zone demand, power and safeties, the low-water cutoff, ignition and flame proving, circulators and zone valves on hot-water systems, and water level and pressure controls on steam. Many no-heat boilers are stopped by a single safety doing exactly what it should, and the real repair is the reason that safety tripped.
Steam buildings should also see our steam boiler repair page.
Emergency furnace repair
A furnace that will not heat is checked in order: thermostat call, power, filter and airflow, inducer and pressure switch, igniter, flame sensor, gas valve, limit and rollout switches, and the condensate drain on high-efficiency models. A furnace that starts and shuts down within a minute is usually a flame-sensing, pressure-switch or condensate problem.
Our furnace repair page explains what can cause a furnace to stop working page.
Protect the pipes while you wait
Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls, let a faucet drip on the coldest lines, and keep interior doors open so whatever heat remains can move. If a pipe has already frozen, do not use an open flame to thaw it.
If a line freezes or bursts, see frozen pipe repair.
What to tell us when you call
Tell us whether it is a boiler or furnace, whether it tries to start, any error code or blinking light, whether every room is cold or only some, and whether the building is a house, condo or multi-unit property. Chicago customers can call 773-250-6060; Des Plaines and suburban customers can call 847-550-3322.
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
Do you offer emergency no-heat service?
Yes. No-heat calls for boilers and furnaces are treated as priority work, and same-day appointments are available when the schedule allows. Call 773-250-6060 in Chicago or 847-550-3322 in the suburbs.
What should I check first when the heat goes out?
Check the thermostat setting and batteries, the breaker and service switch, the furnace filter, the boiler pressure gauge or sight glass, and whether a furnace vent outside is blocked by snow.
Is it safe to keep resetting my furnace or boiler?
No. One reset is reasonable. Repeated resets can mask a safety problem and, on some systems, flood the combustion chamber with fuel. Call for service instead.
My boiler is not heating but it is running. Why?
On hot-water systems this is often a failed circulator, a stuck zone valve or air in the lines. On steam systems, check the sight glass and listen for vents. A technician should confirm the cause.
What if my carbon monoxide alarm goes off?
Get everyone outside and call 911. Do not go back in until the fire department or utility says it is safe. Then have the heating equipment and venting inspected before using it again.
Related services
Guides worth reading
- No heat in a Chicago winter? What to check first
- Thermostat says heat is on but there is no heat
- Furnace igniter glows but no flame
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.