For over 100 years, the friendly HVAC experts at Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning have provided quality furnace services throughout the Chicagoland area. We have over 3,000 5-star reviews backing our quality furnace service and installation. We've worked with countless customers to help them find a new furnace that matches their home's size and their budget. We're so confident in the skills of our technicians that we offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and a Lifetime Workmanship Warranty. Call 847-861-5559 or request service online to schedule furnace installation and replacement anywhere in Chicagoland.
Furnace Installation Services
When you need a new heating system installed, work with the furnace installation professionals at Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning. We have years of experience with all different types and brands of furnaces, gas and electric alike. Getting the size right matters more than almost anything else in the process. A furnace that's too big or too small can cause uneven heating, short-cycling, and in some cases a real carbon monoxide risk from a poorly matched system.
That's why we run a full heat load calculation before we install anything, based on your home's square footage, insulation, and window quality. We don't just swap in "the same size as before." A lot of older Chicagoland homes have ductwork that was sized for a furnace generations old, so checking duct capacity and airflow is part of every installation, not an afterthought once something goes wrong. We also handle any required local permitting, so that's one less thing on your plate.
When to Replace Your Furnace
A furnace doesn't have to be completely broken before replacement makes sense. Here's what usually tips homeowners toward replacing instead of repairing again:
Efficiency. Furnace efficiency is measured by AFUE, or Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency: the percentage of fuel a furnace actually turns into usable heat. New high-efficiency furnaces reach AFUE ratings up to 98.5%, so as little as 1.5% of the fuel they consume goes to waste. Furnaces installed decades ago often sit closer to 60 to 70% AFUE, meaning a third or more of the fuel they burn never heats the house at all. The federal minimum today is 80% AFUE, and the Department of Energy's updated standard pushes that to 95% AFUE for furnaces manufactured after December 2028, worth knowing if you're on the fence about replacing an older unit now versus later.
Consistency. If your furnace isn't heating your home evenly, or it's cycling on and off more than it used to, a correctly sized new system usually fixes both problems at once.
Safety. Newer furnaces come with better built-in protection, including improved flame sensors and heat exchanger monitoring, which cuts down on the carbon monoxide risk that older units carry.
Fewer repairs. If you've been calling us more often lately, that's usually a sign the cost of the next repair, and the one after that, is closing in on the cost of just replacing the thing.
Repair or Replace?
Not every furnace problem means it's time for a new system. Furnaces under 10 years old with a repair bill in the low hundreds are usually worth fixing. Furnaces 15 years or older, especially ones that have needed a few repairs already or just lost a major part like the heat exchanger, are usually better off replaced. Our technicians will lay out the real numbers for your specific system so you're not guessing either way.
Financing Your New Furnace
A furnace replacement is a real investment, and we offer financing options so budget doesn't have to be what's holding you back from an install that pays for itself over time on your heating bill.
Chicagoland Furnace Installation and Replacement Services You Can Trust
Based in Skokie, IL, Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning has served homeowners throughout Chicagoland for over a century. If you're ready to talk through your options, our furnace installation team is here to help. We serve the whole Chicagoland area, not just one town; check our full service area if you're not sure whether we cover your neighborhood. And once your new system is in, our maintenance plans help keep it running at its best for years.
Chicagoland Furnace Installation & Replacement FAQ
How long does a furnace installation take?
A straight swap with existing ductwork in decent shape usually runs 4 to 8 hours, and most homes have heat again by the end of the day. Switching fuel types, upgrading to a high-efficiency model that needs new venting, or the ductwork updates common in Chicagoland's older housing stock can all add time, so we'll give you a real number once we've seen your setup.
Do you offer emergency furnace installation?
We offer 24/7 emergency service, which matters most exactly when a furnace tends to fail: during a hard Chicago cold snap. If we can't get a full installation done same-day, we'll set you up with a portable heater in the meantime so you're not without heat while we schedule the permanent fix.
Do I need a permit for a new furnace?
It depends where you are. Chicago proper generally doesn't require a permit for an in-kind furnace swap in buildings up to four stories, but most surrounding suburbs do. Either way, we handle the paperwork as part of the job so it's not something you have to track down yourself.
Do you install all furnace brands?
We install and service a wide range of manufacturers, including Carrier gas furnaces like the Weathermaker line. If you've got a brand preference or just want the real trade-offs between models, our technicians can walk you through it.
Need Furnace Installation and Replacement Service?
Contact the experts at Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning.
Call us at 847-861-5559!
“Karol D was our heating maintenance technician this morning. He was very polite, efficient, and thorough.”
“Another excellent service visit by Shavitz. Mario was thorough and patient in inspecting and maintaining my furnaces. He explained everything clearly, and answered my questions patiently. He also gave me plenty of notice about when he was going to arrive at my place. Very friendly person, too. Many thanks!”
“I just had a terrible experience calling for my first annual furnace maintenance with this company. The phone representative was rude, wouldn't let me speak by constantly talking over me, had the nerve to call me "rude" when I asked to talk to her manager and then she refused to connect me to anyone from management. She kept talking and would not listen to what I said, a very upsetting and aggravating experience and I ended up having to hang up since she wasn't letting me speak or in anyway trying to be helpful. I then tried calling the other possible options, like Sales, Installation, etc, just so I could ask to speak to someone on the management team and each time was sent to a voicemail box to leave a message.
Unfortunately this isn't my only bad experience with Shavitz. I became a customer about four months ago and during the installation of a new hot water heater they ended up cutting the existing hot water flow by 30%. While they did send a service person out to try to figure out what was wrong, he had no solution and while he admitted he can see that the hot water was 30% less than the cold water pressure, he had no idea what caused it. There installation manager called me and told me I had to hire a plumber, there was nothing they could do about this. So I did hire a plumber and what did they find, a rubber gasket in the hot water line to my kitchen sink and in my bath/shower, the mixing valve blocked with pieces of solder and the pressure-balancing valve was now frozen from the amount of debris and had to be replaced. The plumber cleared the line to my sink and replaced the valve for my bath/shower, and this corrected the water pressure issue that appeared after the installation of my new hot water heater. The plumber's conclusion given the items he found, the gasket and the solder, it was from the hot water heater replacement done by Shavitz. So I had the plumber's bill to pay on top of the installation cost.
So my first two experiences with Shavitz have been less than ideal and costly. I don't if my experience is the typical experience, but all I can say, is find another HVAC company. I completely regret having paid for an annual service contract with them up front, money completely lost.”
“Moishe P was the technician – he was friendly and professional. Explained everything that was done.”
“Shavitz does a great job. On time, good communication, installed efficiently and have had no issues. Had them back a year later to add a bypass humidifier. In a market notorious for delays and poor service, these guys are a gem and reasonably priced.”