Boiler and Radiator Repair in Chicago
Chicago still has a lot of radiator heat — one-pipe steam in two-flats and courtyard buildings, and hot-water systems in greystones and bungalows that were converted decades ago. These systems last a long time when the piping around the boiler is right, and they cause headaches when it isn't.
Our trucks come into the city from our shop at 2093 Rand Road in Des Plaines — we don't keep a Chicago office — and the northwest side is a short run down the Kennedy.
In plain language: we fix the boiler, but we also look at the pipes and radiators, because a cold room or a banging pipe is often a piping problem, not a boiler problem.
Right Away Plumbing and HVAC is based at 2093 Rand Rd, Des Plaines, IL 60016.
Steam in two-flats and courtyard buildings
One-pipe steam depends on air leaving the system and condensate draining back to the boiler. When main vents stick, radiator vents clog or a pipe loses its pitch, steam can't reach the far end of the building and water collects where it shouldn't. That's the knocking you hear in the morning and the third-floor apartment that never warms up while the first floor is too hot.
Courtyard buildings add long horizontal mains and many radiators on one boiler. We check the near-boiler piping, the water line in the sight glass, the low-water cutoff and the pressure control before anyone turns the pressure up. Raising pressure to push heat to cold rooms usually makes the noise and the imbalance worse.
Hot-water boilers and converted systems
Hot-water systems run quieter but have their own failures: circulator pumps that stop, zone valves that stick, air trapped in upstairs radiators, and expansion tanks that have lost their charge so the relief valve drips. When an old gravity system was converted to a pump with smaller piping, the balance between zones can be off from the start.
In plain language: if some radiators are hot and others are cold, the fix might be bleeding air, a pump, a valve, or a piping change — and we'll tell you which before doing the work.
Landlords and owners of multi-unit buildings
If you own a two-flat or a courtyard building, tell us how many units share the boiler, which apartments are cold and when the problem started. Tenants' notes about noise and cold rooms are useful. We give a written explanation of what we found and what we recommend, and we keep repair and replacement as separate decisions.
Replacement boilers are sized to the building and the radiators that are installed, not copied from the old boiler's nameplate. Right Away is a certified Navien installer and also installs and services other boiler brands.
Safe things to check first
On a steam boiler, look at the sight glass with the burner off and note where the water sits. On a hot-water boiler, note the pressure gauge reading. Don't open a hot boiler, add water to a hot steam boiler, or adjust pressure controls. Then call 773-250-6060 — same-day visits when the schedule allows.
What we check
- Water level, sight glass and low-water cutoff
- Pressure control, relief valve and gauge readings
- Main vents, radiator vents and pipe pitch
- Near-boiler piping and condensate return
- Circulators, zone valves and expansion tank
- Burner, ignition and flue venting
See our full boiler repair page, or go back to plumbing and HVAC in Chicago.
Chicago boiler repair questions
Why do my steam pipes bang in the morning?
Banging usually means condensate is trapped where steam is moving — often from a pipe that lost its pitch, a high water line or poor venting. The fix is in the piping and venting, not in turning the boiler up.
Do you work on boilers in courtyard buildings?
Yes. We service steam and hot-water boilers in courtyard buildings, two-flats and small multi-unit properties across Chicago.
Why is one apartment cold when the rest of the building is warm?
In steam, it's often venting or a pipe pitch problem on that run. In hot water, it's often air, a zone valve or a circulator. We check the distribution before blaming the boiler.
Are you a certified Navien installer?
Yes. Right Away is a certified Navien installer, and we also service other boiler makes found in Chicago buildings.
Which number should Chicago buildings call?
Call 773-250-6060 for boiler repair at Chicago addresses.
Request boiler repair in Chicago
Call 773-250-6060 or request service online. Same-day visits when the schedule allows. We are licensed, bonded and insured.