Written CO report
Before-and-after flue and supply readings
Furnace heat exchanger repair skokie IL you can trust
When your furnace starts blowing cold air, banging, or tripping your CO detector, furnace heat exchanger repair skokie IL homeowners call us first. We test the exchanger with a combustion analyzer and inspection camera, then walk you through repair or heat exchanger replacement in skokie the same day. Serving 60076, 60077, and 60203 from Downtown Skokie to Old Orchard.
- Cracked exchanger
- CO testing
- Same-day repair
- Readings shownYou see every meter number
- Old parts keptWe hand you what we replaced
- Floors coveredDrop cloths before tools come out
- Test cycle runFull heat cycle before we leave
What our heat exchanger service includes
Every furnace heat exchanger repair skokie IL call includes the inspection, the testing, and the documentation. Parts and full replacement are quoted separately once we know what we are dealing with.
- Full exchanger inspectionWe pull the burner assembly and blower panel, then run an inspection camera down each tube. You get photos of anything we find, including heat-stress lines that are not cracks yet but need watching.
- Combustion analyzer testA flue test port gives us CO, oxygen, and stack temperature readings. Normal flue CO on a gas furnace runs under 100 ppm. Anything climbing past that with a confirmed crack means the unit gets shut down.
- CO detector sweepWe test the supply plenum and the room you are standing in with a handheld CO detector. If there is any CO in the supply air, you will see the number on the screen before we say a word.
- Repair or replacement quoteYou get a flat quote with parts and labor broken out. If repair is viable, we quote repair. If the exchanger is too far gone, we quote heat exchanger replacement cost skokie IL with the same breakdown so you can compare apples to apples.
- Written test reportBefore-and-after CO readings, photos of the exchanger, the filter size, and the model and serial number of your furnace. You keep a copy for your records or your home inspector.
Heat exchanger work for homes
We handle cracked exchangers, CO alarms, and no-heat calls for skokie homeowners and renters. Every visit includes a camera inspection and a written CO reading you keep.
- Cracked exchanger welding
- CO detector alarm response
- Furnace banging on startup
- Pilot light and ignition faults
Heat exchanger work for properties
We work with landlords, property managers, and small commercial owners across skokie. We coordinate tenant access directly and provide written readings for your records.
- RentalsTenant access coordinated, readings documented
- Two-flatsShared mechanical rooms, compact camera access
- Small retailOff-hours scheduling to protect business hours
- OfficesZoned systems tested one zone at a time
What furnace heat exchanger repair skokie IL involves
Furnace heat exchanger repair skokie IL is the process of inspecting, cleaning, sealing, or replacing the metal component that separates combustion gases from the air your family breathes. The exchanger is a set of curved steel or aluminized tubes inside the furnace cabinet. When the burners fire, those tubes heat up and the blower pushes household air across them. If a tube cracks or rusts through, carbon monoxide can mix into your supply air. Our techs use an inspection camera, combustion analyzer, and CO detector to find cracks smaller than a hairline before they become a real problem.
Most skokie calls we run start with a furnace blowing cold air, a pilot light that won't stay lit, or a furnace making banging noise on startup. Homes near the Touhy Avenue Corridor and along the Skokie Boulevard Corridor tend to run older Carrier, Trane, and Lennox units that have been cycling for 15 to 20 years. If you need furnace heat exchanger repair in skokie IL near me and you're not sure whether the exchanger is cracked or just dirty, we test first and quote second. No guesswork, no pressure.
We test the exchanger with a camera and a combustion analyzer before we quote a single part.
Our furnace heat exchanger repair process
Five steps, no surprises. Here is exactly what happens from the moment you call until the heat is back on.
Phone triage
We ask three questions: what the furnace is doing, how old it is, and whether anyone in the house has headaches or nausea. If you smell gas or your CO detector is alarming, we tell you to get everyone outside and call 911 first. Otherwise we book you same-day, usually within a 2 to 4 hour window.
Visual and camera inspection
Our tech pulls the burner assembly and blower panel, then runs an inspection camera down each exchanger tube. We look for soot streaks, rust scale, and hairline cracks at the bend. This step takes 30 to 45 minutes on most residential units and tells us whether repair or replacement is the right call.
Combustion and CO analysis
We drill a test port in the flue and take a combustion analyzer reading. Normal flue CO on a natural gas furnace runs under 100 ppm. If we see readings climbing or oxygen levels off, that confirms a breach. A handheld CO detector then sweeps the supply plenum and the room you are standing in.
Repair or replacement
If the exchanger is repairable, we weld or seal the crack, replace the thermocouple or igniter if needed, and reassemble. If it is not, we quote heat exchanger replacement skokie IL with parts and labor broken out. Most repairs take 2 to 4 hours. Full replacement runs 4 to 8 hours and we can often finish same day.
Test, document, and walk through
We fire the furnace, let it run through two full cycles, and re-test CO at the flue and supply. You get a written report with before-and-after readings, photos of the exchanger, and a filter size reminder. We do not leave until the numbers are clean and you have seen them.
Tools and methods we use
Combustion analyzer
Measures CO, oxygen, and stack temperature at the flue. This is how we confirm a breach and verify the repair actually worked before we leave.
Inspection camera
Slides down each exchanger tube to find hairline cracks, rust scale, and soot streaks that a visual check from the outside would miss.
CO detector
Handheld unit that sweeps the supply plenum and the living space for carbon monoxide. Every reading gets written into your report.
Manifold gauge set
Checks gas manifold pressure so the burners are firing at the correct rate. Wrong pressure overheats the exchanger and causes cracks.
Multimeter
Tests the control board, flame sensor, and thermocouple for continuity and voltage. Catches electrical faults that mimic exchanger symptoms.
Anemometer
Measures airflow at the supply registers. Low airflow is a leading cause of exchanger overheating, and this confirms it before we blame the exchanger.
Vacuum pump and pipe wrench
Used when we pull the gas valve or inducer motor to access the exchanger. Standard tools, but they have to be on the truck for a one-visit job.
Combustion analysis before and after
We take a baseline flue reading, do the repair, then re-test. If the CO number does not drop to a safe range, the job is not done. This is the single most important step in confirming a heat exchanger repair worked.
When to call for heat exchanger service
Your furnace is 15 to 20 years old and this is the first winter it has acted up in skokie.
We camera-inspect the exchanger and run a combustion test. On older Carrier, Trane, and Lennox units, we often find one or two cracked tubes that can be welded rather than replaced. If the rest of the exchanger is sound, repair is the smarter call. You get heat back the same day for a fraction of replacement cost, plus a written report showing the exchanger condition so you can plan ahead.
You are selling your skokie home and the buyer's inspector flagged the furnace.
We run a full exchanger inspection with photos and CO readings, then provide a written report you can hand to the buyer. If repair or replacement is needed, we quote it upfront so there are no surprises at closing. The buyer gets documentation they trust, and you avoid a last-minute price renegotiation over an unclear furnace condition.
Your CO detector chirped once and you are not sure if it was a real event.
We treat every CO event as real until proven otherwise. Our tech tests the flue, the supply plenum, and the living space with a calibrated detector, then camera-inspects the exchanger for cracks. You get a clear yes-or-no answer with numbers, not a guess. If the exchanger is fine, we tell you and you can stop worrying.
Your landlord or property manager needs heat restored to a rental unit in Niles Center or Old Orchard.
We prioritize no-heat calls for rental properties and can coordinate access directly with the tenant. Same-day heat exchanger replacement skokie IL is often possible when the part is in stock. Your tenant is warm by evening and you get the CO readings and photos in writing for your records.
How heat exchanger repair runs in skokie
Skokie winters hit hard and the housing stock is a mix of post-war ranches, mid-century splits, and newer infill near Old Orchard. That mix means we see a lot of 15- to 25-year-old Carrier, Trane, and Lennox furnaces still running original exchangers. The cold snaps that roll through Cook County in January and February push those units to their limit, and that is when cracks show up. We pull local building permits when a full heat exchanger replacement skokie IL job requires one, and we know the inspection timelines for 60076, 60077, and 60203. If you need furnace heat exchanger repair skokie IL 24/7 during a cold snap, call us and we will get a tech out the same day. Most of our skokie calls come from the Oakton Street Corridor, the Dempster Street Corridor, and the neighborhoods around Niles Center and Devonshire.
- Downtown SkokieOlder two-flats and small apartment buildings with shared mechanical rooms. Exchanger access can be tight, so we bring a compact inspection camera and plan for a longer pull.
- Old OrchardNewer and renovated homes with high-efficiency furnaces. These units run cooler but are more sensitive to airflow, so a clogged air filter is often the first thing we check.
- DevonshirePost-war ranches with original 1980s and 1990s furnaces. We see a high rate of single-tube cracks here, and many are repairable rather than a full replacement.
- Niles CenterMix of rentals and owner-occupied homes. We coordinate access directly with tenants and provide written CO readings for landlords who need documentation.
- Skokie ValleyLarger homes with zoned systems. When one zone runs hot, the exchanger in that unit takes more stress, so we test each zone separately during the inspection.
- Sustained January cold snaps below 10 degreesFurnaces run near-continuous for days, which is when heat-stress cracks open up. We staff extra emergency calls during these stretches and prioritize no-heat and CO events.
From problem to finished result.
Cracked Carrier exchanger welded, not replaced
BeforeA Devonshire homeowner had a 19-year-old Carrier furnace banging on every startup and blowing lukewarm air. A previous company quoted a full replacement at $3,200 without pulling the burner assembly or running a combustion test.
AfterWe camera-inspected the exchanger, found one cracked tube at the bend, and welded it. Flue CO dropped from 180 ppm to 42 ppm after the repair. Total cost was $780, and the furnace has run clean through two winters since.
We set them up with a MERV 8 filter and a yearly tune-up. The annual combustion test gives them a baseline reading so any future drift shows up early.
Same-day replacement after CO detector alarm
BeforeA family in Downtown Skokie called at 11 p.m. after their CO detector went off. The furnace was a 22-year-old Trane with a rusted-through exchanger. The unit was shut down and the family stayed warm with space heaters overnight.
AfterWe arrived at 8 a.m. with a matched Trane exchanger on the truck. The replacement took 6 hours, and post-install CO readings came back at 18 ppm in the flue and 0 ppm in the supply air. Heat was back on by 4 p.m.
We scheduled a 6-month follow-up combustion test and swapped the air filter. They now run a CO detector on each floor and test it monthly.
Rental unit heat restored in one visit
BeforeA landlord in Niles Center had a tenant without heat for two days in January. The furnace was short-cycling and the pilot light would not stay lit. The tenant had already missed two days of work waiting on another company.
AfterWe replaced the thermocouple and flame sensor, then camera-inspected the exchanger and found heat-stress lines but no cracks. Total repair was $340, and the furnace has run without short-cycling since. The tenant was warm by dinner.
We set the landlord up on an annual maintenance plan for all three units so the flame sensor and filter get checked before each heating season.
Problems we solve with heat exchanger repair
Most exchanger calls come in with one of these five symptoms. If any of them sound familiar, do not wait for the next cold snap.
Furnace blowing cold air with the burners running
We test the exchanger with a camera and combustion analyzer, confirm whether the crack is the cause, and repair or replace it. If a dirty flame sensor or clogged air filter is also in play, we fix that in the same visit. A cracked exchanger can let combustion gases cool the supply air and trip the high-limit switch, so the blower runs but you get no heat. Ignoring it risks CO exposure and a bigger repair bill.
Furnace making banging noise on startup
We diagnose the noise at the source, camera-inspect the exchanger, and weld or replace the affected tube. Most banging calls we run in skokie turn out to be a single cracked tube, not a full replacement. Banging usually means the exchanger is expanding against a crack or a loose tube. Left alone, the crack grows and the noise gets worse until the furnace fails mid-winter.
CO detector going off or headaches in the house
We run emergency furnace heat exchanger repair skokie Illinois calls for CO events, test the flue and supply plenum, and shut the unit down if there is a breach. You get readings in writing before we restart anything. Carbon monoxide leak is a life-safety issue. If your detector has gone off, the furnace should stay off until a tech confirms the flue and supply air are clean.
Pilot light won't stay lit or ignition failure
We replace the thermocouple or flame sensor, then re-test the exchanger to make sure the short cycling did not already cause damage. If it did, we quote repair or replacement on the spot. A dirty flame sensor or bad thermocouple can cause short cycling that overheats the exchanger. Over time, that heat stress cracks the metal.
Clean combustion readings, heat back on, and documentation you keep.
Same-day CO testing
Every heat exchanger call includes a combustion analyzer reading and a CO detector sweep of the supply plenum and living space. If we find carbon monoxide leak levels above 9 ppm in the flue or any reading in the supply air, we shut the unit down and explain your options on the spot.
Repair before replace
Not every cracked exchanger means a new furnace. If the crack is isolated and the tubes are otherwise sound, we can often weld or seal it. That saves you thousands compared to heat exchanger replacement skokie IL, and we tell you honestly when repair is the smarter call.
Brand-matched parts
We stock and source exchangers for Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, Bryant, American Standard, and York. When a thermocouple, igniter, or flame sensor fails alongside the exchanger, we replace both in one visit so you are not paying two trip charges.
11 years in Cook County
We have been working on skokie furnaces since 2015. That means we know which neighborhoods have which building stock, which brands fail first in cold snaps, and how to get a permit pulled fast when a full heat exchanger replacement skokie IL job needs one.
What you receive
Clear records you can keep and share.
Exchanger photos
Camera images of any crack or heat stress
Flat quote
Parts and labor broken out upfront
What to know before you approve exchanger work
A cracked exchanger is a safety call, not a comfort call. The right first step is always testing, not a quote for a new furnace.
Test before quote
A camera inspection and combustion test tell you whether the exchanger is actually cracked. Without those two steps, any quote is a guess.
Repair can be enough
One cracked tube on an otherwise sound exchanger can often be welded. Multiple cracks or heavy rust mean replacement is the safer call.
CO readings matter
Normal flue CO on a gas furnace runs under 100 ppm. Any reading in the supply air means the unit stays off until the breach is fixed.
Covering every Skokie neighborhood
- Downtown Skokie
- Old Orchard
- West Skokie
- East Skokie
- North Skokie
- South Skokie
- Devonshire
- Lorel Park
- Timber Ridge
- Niles Center
- Skokie Boulevard Corridor
- Oakton Street Corridor
- Touhy Avenue Corridor
- Dempster Street Corridor
Outside these areas? Call and ask, we may still reach you. 847 238 8439
What skokie customers say
Most repairs run $450 to $1,200 in 2026, and full heat exchanger replacement cost skokie IL typically lands between $1,800 and $3,500 depending on brand and furnace size. The inspection itself is $89 and gets credited toward the work if you approve it. Carrier and Trane exchangers cost more than Goodman or York because the parts are pricier, not because the labor changes.
Yes. A cracked exchanger can push carbon monoxide into your supply air, and CO is odorless, so you will not notice it until you have headaches, nausea, or worse. Any CO detector reading above 9 ppm in the flue or any reading in the supply plenum means shut the furnace down. We test with a combustion analyzer on every call and will not restart a unit with a confirmed breach.
A full heat exchanger replacement skokie IL same day job usually takes 4 to 8 hours for a residential furnace. If we have to pull the inducer motor, control board, or blower to get the exchanger out, it can stretch to a full day. We schedule morning starts so you are back to heat by evening in most cases.
No. Exchanger repair requires pulling the burner assembly, welding or sealing the crack, and re-testing combustion with a calibrated analyzer. Without that testing you cannot confirm the repair worked, and a bad weld can leak CO worse than the original crack. This is one job where the tools and the testing matter more than the repair itself.
Get furnace heat exchanger repair skokie IL today
If your CO detector has gone off, your furnace is banging, or you have not had heat since last night, call us now. We test first, quote upfront, and carry the parts to finish most jobs in one visit. Same-day service across skokie and Cook County.
Call Skokie FurnaceRepair
Reach us at 847 238 8439 for furnace repair, maintenance or a safety inspection anywhere in Skokie. We answer calls during business hours and run emergency no-heat service around the clock. Tell us what the furnace is doing and your neighborhood, and we will set a window that works.