Four generations of the same family have run Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning since 1904, when the business delivered coal and ice by horse-drawn carriage instead of servicing HVAC equipment. The switch to furnace repair came in 1955, and the decades since show up in how our technicians handle Lincoln Park’s mix of vintage greystones, brick two-flats, DePaul-area conversions, and newer builds near Armitage. Our Carrier-certified team installs, repairs, replaces, and maintains furnaces, air conditioners, boilers, heat pumps, ductless systems, and indoor air quality equipment throughout the neighborhood. Call 847-861-5559 or request service online to schedule service today.

Air Conditioning Repair & Installation

Warm air from the vents, short cycling, unusual noise, or a leak are all reasons to call before assuming a system is done for. Our air conditioner technicians diagnose the actual problem first and repair whatever can be repaired; when a unit is old enough or undersized for the space, we’ll install the right higher-efficiency replacement instead, and a seasonal tune-up keeps whichever system you land on running the way it should.

Cooling needs shift block to block in Lincoln Park. A top-floor condo near the lakefront often struggles with humidity and direct sun exposure, while an older brick two-flat near Oz Park may have airflow problems tied to how the ductwork was routed during a past renovation. We look at the whole comfort picture, not just the condenser outside.

Furnace Repair & Installation

A furnace that won’t start, heats unevenly, or cycles too often usually points to something specific, a failing igniter, a clogged flame sensor, a thermostat that’s simply in the wrong spot, and our technicians track down the actual cause before recommending a fix. When the equipment itself is what’s failing, we handle the replacement and size the new furnace correctly for your home; either way, keeping up with maintenance is what keeps that decision further off.

Chicago winters expose weak furnace performance fast. Vintage homes in the Old Town Triangle and additions near the Armitage corridor often end up with cold rooms even while the furnace is running, usually a sign of duct layout or insulation rather than the equipment itself. Our service accounts for the whole system, not just the unit in the basement.

Boiler Repair & Installation

Boilers heat quietly and evenly, and a lot of Lincoln Park’s older housing stock still runs on them for that reason. Our technicians repair and maintain hydronic systems and radiator heat without treating them like something they’re not, and when a full install or replacement makes more sense than another repair, we’ll explain why before we explain what it costs.

Greystones and older multi-unit buildings near the Old Town Triangle commonly have boiler systems that predate most of the homes’ other mechanicals. Service in these buildings usually means working around original piping, finished basements, and tight mechanical rooms, which is exactly the kind of job our technicians see often in this part of the city.

Heat Pump Installation & Repair

A heat pump can handle both heating and cooling from one system, but whether it’s the right call depends on the home’s insulation and how far winter temperatures actually drop on your block. Our technicians install, repair, and maintain heat pump systems and can tell you honestly whether a standard heat pump gets you through a Chicago January or whether pairing one with backup furnace heat makes more sense.

Homes going through renovations near the Armitage corridor are increasingly landing on heat pumps instead of a separate furnace-and-AC setup, though older insulation and uneven airflow in some of these properties call for a more careful equipment match than a newer build would need.

Geothermal Heat Pump Services

Geothermal systems trade a bigger upfront install for some of the lowest long-term operating costs available, but they only work where the property allows for proper loop placement. Our technicians evaluate lot size, yard access, and existing mechanicals before recommending geothermal installation, repair, or ongoing maintenance, rather than treating it as a fit for every home.

Lincoln Park’s density makes geothermal a realistic option for a smaller number of properties, usually larger lots or homes near green space like Oz Park with enough yard for the loop field. For homeowners evaluating it, we’ll tell you plainly whether your property can support it before you spend money finding out the hard way.

Mini Split & Ductless Systems

Some rooms just don’t justify the cost of extending ductwork to reach them. A ductless system handles a converted third floor, a sunroom, or a single room that’s never as comfortable as the rest of the house, without the cost of extending ductwork that isn’t there to begin with. Our technicians install new systems, repair or replace units that are underperforming, and keep existing ductless equipment maintained so it lasts.

DePaul-area conversions and older Lincoln Park buildings retrofitted into condos are common candidates, since garage apartments, third-floor additions, and other converted spaces frequently have no practical duct access at all.

Indoor Air Quality Services

The right air quality fix depends on what your existing indoor air quality system is already handling, which is where we start before recommending anything new. Sometimes the fix is a repair or a simple filter swap; other times a home needs a new system installed, or an aging one replaced, to deal with what’s circulating through it.

Lakefront humidity, older ductwork, and dust kicked up by the renovation work common near DePaul all show up as air quality complaints in this neighborhood, and the right fix depends on which of those is actually driving the problem in your home.

Zone Control System Installation

If one floor runs hot while another stays cold no matter what the thermostat says, zone control systems are usually the fix rather than a bigger unit. We install dampers and separate thermostats so each part of the house runs at its own setting, repair components that stick or fail, and maintain the system so it keeps performing the way it was designed to.

Multi-story homes near Oz Park and renovated properties along Armitage often have finished basements, additions, or rooms with heavy sun exposure that all want something different from a single thermostat. Zoning solves that without forcing the whole system to work harder than it needs to.

Water Heater Repair & Replacement

A water heater that’s struggling usually shows it before it fails outright, longer recovery times, inconsistent temperature, unusual noise. We repair what’s fixable, and when replacement makes more sense, we’ll explain whether a like-for-like install or a switch to tankless solves the problem for your household.

Condos and multi-bath homes near DePaul routinely push a standard tank system to its limit, which is usually when a tankless upgrade starts to pay for itself instead of just replacing the same equipment again.

Commercial HVAC Services

Lost business hours during a system failure cost more than the repair itself, so getting equipment back online fast is the priority for our commercial services team, which stocks the parts that fail most often during peak season. We also handle new installs, full equipment replacements, and the maintenance contracts that keep a building from needing an emergency call in the first place.

The retail spaces, restaurants, and offices along the Armitage corridor and near DePaul depend on reliable heating and cooling to keep customers, students, and employees comfortable through every season, and older rooftop units in this part of the neighborhood often need more hands-on attention than newer equipment elsewhere.

HVAC Maintenance Plans

A filter change is only part of what a maintenance visit actually covers. Our technicians check electrical connections, verify refrigerant charge and airflow, and catch the small wear that turns into a bigger repair, or an early replacement, if it’s left alone for another season. Shavitz maintenance plans include two visits a year along with discounts and priority scheduling.

Spring cooling checks matter most for lakefront condos dealing with humidity, while fall furnace and boiler maintenance is what catches issues in Lincoln Park’s older homes before the first hard freeze. Either visit is also when we flag anything that’s likely to need a fuller install down the road, before it becomes urgent.

Why Lincoln Park Homeowners Choose Shavitz

Bronson Shavitz is the fourth generation of his family to run this company, a business that’s been part of the Chicagoland community since 1904. In a neighborhood where a service call might mean an original boiler system in one building and a renovated high-efficiency setup next door, that kind of experience is what tells our technicians which questions to ask before they touch anything.

Those decades come with credentials to match: Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer status, N.A.T.E. certified technicians on every crew, the Carrier President’s Award, and a Contractor of the Year honor from the Greater Chicago Refrigeration Service Engineers Society. Nearly 2,900 Google reviews averaging 4.9 stars suggest that reputation holds up call after call.

Frequently Asked Lincoln Park HVAC Questions

Is it worth repairing a furnace or AC that’s over 10 years old, or should I just replace it?

Age alone isn’t the deciding factor, repair cost relative to replacement cost is. If a repair runs less than half the price of a new system and the equipment hasn’t failed repeatedly, it’s usually worth fixing. Past that threshold, or with equipment already in its second decade, replacement typically saves money over the next few years. Our technicians walk you through the actual numbers for your specific system rather than defaulting to either answer.

How fast can I get a same-day furnace or AC repair in Lincoln Park?

Same-day service is common for no-heat and no-cool calls, and we prioritize those over routine maintenance visits when the schedule allows. Call 847-861-5559 or request service online and we’ll get a technician out as soon as we can, especially during a cold snap or heat wave when demand spikes across the city.

What should I look for in an HVAC company for an older Lincoln Park building versus a newer condo?

Look for a company with real experience on both ends, boiler and radiator systems in vintage greystones, and high-efficiency forced air or ductless equipment in renovated buildings. A technician who only knows one side of that will either overcomplicate a simple job or miss what makes an older system different.

Do I need a permit to replace or install HVAC equipment in Chicago?

In most cases, yes, mechanical permits are typically required through the City of Chicago for equipment replacement and new installation work. We handle that paperwork as part of installation jobs so it’s one less thing on your plate.

Is an HVAC maintenance plan worth it, or should I just call when something breaks?

A maintenance plan usually costs less over a year than a single emergency repair, and it catches the wear that leads to no-heat and no-cool calls in the first place. For older Lincoln Park homes with boilers or original ductwork, staying ahead of small issues matters even more, since those systems tend to fail at the worst possible moment, the coldest night or the hottest week.

Can a ductless mini split go into an older Lincoln Park building without major construction?

Yes. Ductless systems mount with a small conduit line instead of full ductwork, which is exactly why they work well in greystones, third-floor conversions, and DePaul-area buildings that were never built to run ducts through. Installation is typically a one-to-two day job rather than a full renovation.

What makes Shavitz different from another Chicago HVAC company?

Most HVAC companies in Chicago haven’t been around for a century, let alone stayed in the same family that whole time. That kind of continuity, backed by Carrier’s top dealer recognition and a 4.9-star average across nearly 2,900 reviews, is hard for a newer company to match no matter how good their marketing is.

Schedule HVAC Service in Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL

An original boiler in the Old Town Triangle, a new ductless system in a DePaul-area conversion, commercial HVAC along Armitage, Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning handles all of it. We serve homeowners and businesses throughout Lincoln Park and nearby Chicago neighborhoods with heating, cooling, indoor air quality, and commercial HVAC services.

From emergency repairs to full replacements, the goal doesn’t change: honest advice and work done right. Call 847-861-5559 or request service online to schedule your appointment today.