Comfort, Handled.

A few signs point to replacement rather than another repair: the furnace is more than 15 years old, your heating bills keep climbing, some rooms never get warm, the burner flame is yellow instead of blue, or it needs a major part like a heat exchanger or control board. A cracked heat exchanger in particular is a safety issue — it can leak carbon monoxide — and usually means replacement. When we install a new furnace we pair it with a matched evaporator coil and size the whole system with a Manual J load calculation so it heats evenly and efficiently instead of short-cycling. We will always give you an honest repair-or-replace comparison in writing.

The most common causes are a dirty or clogged filter choking airflow, low refrigerant from a slow leak, a failed capacitor or contactor, a frozen evaporator coil, or a thermostat set to “on” instead of “auto.” Start by checking the filter and the breaker. If the system still will not cool, shut it off — running a unit that is low on refrigerant or iced over can destroy the compressor, which is the single most expensive part. Our technicians test electrical readings, refrigerant pressures, and airflow to find the real fault and fix it the first time, instead of just topping off refrigerant and sending you a bill that comes back next month.

Yes. Modern cold-climate systems like Mitsubishi Hyper-Heat (H2i) are engineered to keep producing efficient heat well below zero, so they are a true year-round solution on the North Shore rather than a mild-weather option. A mini split uses an inverter-driven heat pump that ramps smoothly up and down instead of cycling on and off, which is why it is so quiet and efficient. They are ideal for additions, finished attics and basements, sunrooms, and older homes without ductwork. As a Mitsubishi Diamond Contractor we size the system to the space, install it cleanly, and register it for the extended warranty — and many heat-pump projects qualify for utility rebates and federal tax credits.

Uneven temperatures almost always trace back to the ductwork, not the furnace or AC. Undersized ducts, long crushed flex runs, leaky joints, and missing return air all starve certain rooms of airflow while others get too much. Even a brand-new high-efficiency system will struggle if it is bolted onto bad ducts. We fabricate and install custom sheet-metal ductwork, seal and repair existing runs, add returns where airflow is short, and design zoning so different parts of the house can hold different temperatures. Correct airflow is what turns a good furnace into an even, comfortable, efficient home, so we evaluate the duct system as part of every installation.

Not necessarily. Uneven radiator or baseboard heat is often a circulator, zone-valve, or air-bleed issue rather than a failed boiler, and trapped air or an unbalanced system can usually be corrected. That said, if your boiler is decades old, leaking, or badly oversized, a modern high-efficiency boiler with proper zoning will be quieter, cheaper to run, and far more comfortable. Hydronic (hot-water) heating is a craft that is becoming rare, and the near-boiler copper piping has to be done correctly for the system to work right. We install, repair, and maintain gas boilers, circulators, zone controls, and expansion tanks, and we keep the work clean and clearly labeled.

For garages, workshops, warehouses, and other large open spaces, a gas-fired unit heater is usually the most cost-effective answer. These hang from the ceiling, deliver a lot of heat quickly, and free up wall and floor space. The keys to a good installation are correct sizing for the square footage and ceiling height, proper gas piping, safe venting or combustion-air supply, and clean electrical. We install and service Reznor and other unit heaters for residential and commercial spaces across the area, and we make sure the venting and gas work pass inspection so the space stays both warm and safe.

The air inside a tightly built modern home can be several times more polluted than outdoor air, and during Chicago’s long heating season families breathe it for months. The biggest improvements come from whole-home media or HEPA-grade filtration that captures far more than a basic one-inch filter, UV germicidal lamps that limit mold and bacteria on the coil, and a whole-home humidifier to fight the dry winter air that cracks woodwork and irritates sinuses. Better ventilation brings in fresh air without wasting energy. Because these upgrades integrate with your existing heating and cooling equipment, cleaner, healthier, better-balanced air reaches every room the system already serves.

Warning signs include a 100-amp panel or an old fuse box, breakers that trip often, flickering lights, scorched or warm outlets, or plans to add an EV charger, heat pump, induction range, or hot tub. Many older Glenview and North Shore homes simply were not wired for today’s electrical load, and a service upgrade to 200 amps removes that bottleneck and adds safe capacity for the future. Because AMW is both an HVAC and electrical contractor, the same insured crew that installs your heat pump or mini split also runs the dedicated circuit and disconnect it needs — to code, permitted, and neatly labeled — with no second contractor to coordinate.

A conventional tank water heater typically lasts 8–12 years. Signs it is near the end include rusty or discolored hot water, popping or rumbling from sediment, water pooling around the base, or simply running out of hot water faster than it used to. Once a tank starts leaking it cannot be repaired and should be replaced promptly to avoid water damage. As a full mechanical contractor we install and service water heaters along with the copper and gas piping that feeds them, doing the job to code with clean, properly supported piping and the safety checks that protect your home — so you are not chasing a separate plumber to finish an HVAC job.

Yes — it is the cheapest insurance you can buy for your comfort system. A seasonal tune-up (the AC in spring, the furnace in fall) catches the weak capacitor, the dirty flame sensor, the low refrigerant charge, and the loose connection before they leave you without heat or cooling on the worst day of the year. Maintenance keeps efficiency high so you are not overpaying on energy, extends the life of expensive equipment, and is usually required to keep the manufacturer’s warranty valid. Our maintenance agreements bundle those visits with priority scheduling, so members go to the front of the line when the weather turns and the phones light up.

Yes. Beyond homes, we install and service commercial and industrial systems across the region — rooftop units (RTUs) for offices and retail, gas-fired unit heaters for warehouses and shops, make-up air, and the controls that keep them running. For a business, downtime is lost revenue, so we prioritize getting critical systems back online quickly and offer preventive maintenance agreements that catch small failures before they become emergencies. We are fully insured and pull the proper permits, and because we handle electrical in-house as well, we can manage the power and controls side of a commercial project without bringing in a separate contractor.

Yes. We install and service walk-in coolers and freezers, reach-in units, ice machines, and other refrigeration equipment for restaurants and food-service businesses. Refrigeration failures threaten inventory and can shut a kitchen down, so fast, accurate diagnosis matters — whether it is a refrigerant leak, a failed compressor or condenser fan, an iced-up evaporator, a defrost-control problem, or a door-seal and temperature issue. We get the temperature back into the safe zone quickly and can set up routine maintenance to keep your refrigeration reliable, because in a commercial kitchen a cooler that holds temperature is the difference between a normal night and a very expensive one.

Yes — wine needs a tighter, more stable environment than a normal room. Proper wine storage holds a steady temperature around the mid-50s with controlled humidity, away from vibration and temperature swings that age wine prematurely. A standard air conditioner cannot hold those conditions, so a dedicated wine-cellar cooling system is the right tool, along with proper insulation and a vapor barrier so the space holds its conditions efficiently. We design and install wine-cellar cooling for residential collections, sizing the equipment to the room so your investment is protected and your bottles age the way they are supposed to.

High-velocity systems such as SpacePak and Unico are built exactly for this problem. Instead of large rectangular ducts, they use small, flexible mini-ducts — roughly two inches across — that snake through existing walls, ceilings, and floor cavities with minimal demolition, ending in small round outlets that blend into the room. This makes them ideal for historic and older North Shore homes where running conventional ductwork would mean tearing into plaster and losing closet space. The high-velocity airflow also does an excellent job removing humidity, so the home feels comfortable and even. We design and install these systems so you get modern central comfort without sacrificing the character of an older house.