Furnace and Heating Questions in Park Ridge, IL

If you smell gas, leave right away and don't use phones, switches or anything that could spark. Once you're outside and a safe distance away, call Nicor Gas at 888-642-6748 or 911. Don't try to find or stop the leak yourself. In Edison Park or Norwood Park, leave and call Peoples Gas at 866-556-6002 or 911 from a safe place. Don't relight anything or ask for quotes until the utility says it is safe.

If a CO alarm sounds or anyone feels sick, get everyone outside and call 911. Don't go back in to look for the cause. Once responders say the home is safe, have a heating company inspect the furnace, boiler, water heater and venting before you run them again. See heat exchanger and CO safety.

Check that the thermostat is set to Heat with fresh batteries, the furnace breaker isn't tripped, the furnace power switch (it looks like a light switch) is on, and the filter isn't clogged. After heavy snow, check that outdoor furnace vent pipes aren't blocked. Leave gas parts, burners and wiring to a technician.

They can, especially pipes on outside walls or in unheated spaces during a deep cold spell. While you wait, open cabinet doors under sinks, let a faucet drip, and keep doors to cold rooms open. Never heat the home with a gas oven or an outdoor heater. More on no heat right now.

Weigh the repair price against the furnace's age, its efficiency (AFUE) and its condition. A small repair on a sound furnace is often worth it. A big repair, such as a cracked heat exchanger, on an older furnace often isn't. Ask for both options in writing. See furnace replacement.

A 97% furnace turns slightly more of its gas into heat, so it uses a little less, but it costs more up front. Nicor Gas's 2026 program lists $150 for a 95% AFUE furnace and $225 for 97%. Ask each company to quote both and to estimate the difference in yearly gas use for your home.

It is usually replaced, not patched. Published figures put heat exchanger replacement at $1,250 to $3,000 (Angi/HomeAdvisor, 2025), and on an older furnace many owners replace the whole unit instead. Ask whether the part is under warranty and get a second opinion. If a CO alarm sounds or anyone feels sick, get everyone outside and call 911.

Cold-climate heat pumps are built to keep heating in deep cold, and many local homes pair a heat pump with a gas furnace in a dual-fuel setup that switches to gas on the coldest nights. Ask each company how the system handles nights near zero. See heat pump repair.

Often, but not always. Many smart thermostats need a common wire (C-wire) for steady power, and some boiler, heat pump and older systems need adapters or a different model. A company can check the wiring. Nicor Gas's 2026 program lists a $25 smart thermostat rebate. See smart thermostats.

Illinois doesn't issue a statewide HVAC license; towns set their own rules. In Park Ridge, contractors register with the City each year and must carry required insurance. In Chicago, most permitted building work needs a City general contractor license. Ask for proof of registration and insurance. If a job includes electrical or plumbing work, those trade rules also apply.

Park Ridge's permit fee schedule lists a permit for furnace and boiler replacement. Your contractor confirms and pulls it with the City (847-318-5291). In other suburbs, check with the village's building department. Chicago allows Express Permits for replacing heating equipment with equipment that does the same job. That applies in Edison Park and Norwood Park.

In Illinois, a home repair contractor must give you a written contract before starting work over $1,000, plus the state pamphlet "Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights." Questions or problems: Illinois Attorney General, 1-800-386-5438. The contract should list the total cost and the parts. Small repairs under $500 may be outside the Act, but a written estimate is still worth asking for.