Basements, boilers, and the Chicago weather
5Star Plumbing Cooling works on water and air across Chicago — sump pumps, flood control, frozen pipes, lead service lines, central AC, furnaces, and zoning. We find the cause first, then quote the fix.
328 S Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60605 · Call to check current availability
Water and air, handled properly
We split everything we do into two sides. Most jobs sit clearly in one; the expensive mistakes happen with the ones that sit between them.
Water side
Everything that keeps water out of your basement and moving through the house — including the two problems Chicago specialises in, flooding and freezing.
- Sump pumps and battery backup systems
- Flood control: backwater valves and overhead sewers
- Frozen and burst pipe repair
- Lead service line identification and replacement
Air side
Forced-air heating and cooling — the systems that carry a Chicago house through a four-month winter and a short, brutal summer.
- Central AC diagnosis, repair, and correct sizing
- Gas furnace repair and safety checks
- Seasonal maintenance timed to the shoulder seasons
- Thermostats, zoning, and uneven-temperature fixes
The overlap is where money gets wasted
The two trades overlap constantly in a Chicago house, and that overlap is where money gets wasted. Water on a basement floor can be a sump pump, a sewer surcharge, a foundation issue, or a condensate line off the furnace. A cold second floor can be an equipment problem or a distribution problem, and only one of those needs new equipment.
When a plumbing company diagnoses those, the answer tends to be plumbing. When an HVAC company does, the answer tends to be HVAC. We do both, so we can test for what it actually is — including reaching the conclusion that it's a waterproofing or insulation problem that isn't ours at all, and telling you so.
How we workWhat you can expect
- A price quoted after diagnosis, not from a phone description
- Both trades under one roof, so no finger-pointing between them
- A written summary of what we found, whatever the answer is
- Work we don't do named plainly, with a referral where we have one
Eight services, two trades
We run plumbing and HVAC under one roof, which matters more than it sounds — a lot of Chicago complaints sit right on the boundary between them.
Plumbing Plumbing
Sump Pump & Battery Backup Systems
The one piece of equipment standing between a Chicago basement and a very bad afternoon.
Read more →Sewer Backup & Flood Control Systems
Backwater valves, overhead sewer conversions, and honest talk about which one your house actually needs.
Read more →Frozen & Burst Pipe Repair
Repair when it's already split, thawing when it hasn't yet, and insulation so next January is quieter.
Read more →Lead Service Line Replacement
Chicago has more lead service lines than any city in the country. Here's how to find out if yours is one.
Read more →Heating & Cooling Heating & Cooling
Central Air Conditioning Repair & Installation
Diagnosis before replacement, correct sizing, and a straight answer on refrigerant.
Read more →Furnace & Heating Repair
No-heat calls, short cycling, and the safety checks that matter on a gas furnace in a Chicago winter.
Read more →Seasonal HVAC Maintenance & Tune-Ups
The spring and fall visits that catch the part that would otherwise fail on the coldest night of the year.
Read more →Thermostats, Zoning & Controls
When one floor is freezing and another is roasting, the equipment usually isn't the problem.
Read more →How a job runs
Describe the symptom
Water, heat, or air. What's happening, since when, and whether anything is actively leaking.
We diagnose on site
Pressure test, camera, or full HVAC diagnostic, depending on what the symptom points to.
One price, agreed first
A firm number for a scope you've seen, plus alternatives where they genuinely exist.
Fix, test, document
We complete the work, verify it, and give you a written summary for your building if you need one.
What to do before you call us
| Situation | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Water rising in the basement | Stay out of standing water near outlets, then call | Electrical hazard first, water damage second |
| Sump pump silent during a storm | Check the breaker and the float, then call | A tripped breaker or stuck float is a free fix you can do now |
| No heat below freezing | Check filter and thermostat, then call. Keep taps trickling | A furnace failure in deep cold becomes a frozen-pipe risk within hours |
| Pipe already burst | Shut the main off, open a low tap, then call | With the water off you have already prevented most of the damage |
| Carbon monoxide alarm sounding | Leave the building. Call 911 or the gas utility from outside | This is an emergency response, not a service appointment |
| Furnace short cycling | Look at the filter before calling anyone | A clogged filter causes this more often than any failed part |
| AC out in a heat wave | Check the filter and breaker, then call | Same reason, and it saves you a diagnostic fee if that is all it is |
General guidance, not a substitute for 911 or your gas utility where there is a safety risk.
Photographs from real jobs
Every image here is from work our own crew carried out. No stock photography.
These are plumbing jobs from our own work. We're building a photo record of our HVAC installations and will publish those here rather than using stock images of equipment we didn't install.
What people usually call about
Plumbing Water side
Heating & Cooling Air side
What customers say
“Basement took water twice. They camera'd the sewer, explained why a backwater valve wasn't enough for us, and priced the overhead conversion honestly. No pressure either way.”
“Furnace was short cycling. Turned out to be the filter. He told me that, charged the diagnostic, and left. That's why I called them back for the AC in June.”
“Told me to check the city's lead service line inventory myself before paying anyone for an assessment. Not many contractors start by pointing you to a free resource.”
Comments shared by customers about their service visits.
Where we work
We're at 328 S Dearborn Street in the South Loop and work across Chicago — the North, Northwest, West, and South Sides, plus the downtown neighbourhoods — with regular service into nearby suburbs.
Travel, parking, and building access all affect scheduling more in this city than distance does. If you're at the edge of that range, call and ask before booking and we'll give you a straight answer.
Call (773) 424-2763Frequently asked questions
Do you handle both plumbing and HVAC, or do you subcontract one of them?
Both, in house. That matters more than it sounds here, because a lot of Chicago complaints sit on the boundary — water on a basement floor that turns out to be the furnace condensate line rather than the sump, or a cold upstairs that's a duct and damper problem rather than a failing furnace. One company diagnosing both means fewer visits and no finger-pointing between trades.
Is there a charge for the diagnostic visit?
For most repair calls, yes, and we tell you the amount when you book rather than after. Quotes that come from a walkthrough rather than diagnostics — a mini-split installation or a fixture replacement, for example — are typically free to assess. We'll be specific about which applies to your job on the phone.
Are you licensed for plumbing work in Chicago?
Yes. Chicago licenses plumbing separately and enforces its own plumbing code, and we work to it. If you're getting quotes, it's entirely reasonable to ask any contractor for their license details before booking — including us.
Which neighbourhoods do you cover?
We're on South Dearborn Street in the South Loop and work across Chicago — North, Northwest, West, and South Sides plus the downtown neighbourhoods — with regular service into nearby suburbs. If you're outside that, call and ask before booking rather than after.
Do you work with tenants, owners, or landlords?
All three, though the authorisation differs. Homeowners and landlords can book directly. If you're renting and you have no heat, Chicago's heat ordinance places that obligation on the owner during heat season, and contacting your landlord or 311 is usually the faster route than hiring a contractor yourself. We'll say so rather than taking a booking that isn't yours to make.
What if the problem turns out to be something you don't handle?
We'll tell you, document what we found, and stop. Basement water is the classic case — plenty of it is a waterproofing or grading problem rather than plumbing. Diagnosing that clearly is genuinely useful, and we'd rather charge a diagnostic that saves you a wrong repair than sell you one.
Do you offer emergency service?
We prioritise active leaks, no-heat calls in cold weather, and no-hot-water situations. Availability depends on the day and what's already scheduled, so call and we'll give you a realistic window rather than a promise we might miss.
Tell us what's happening and we'll tell you what it means
Describe the symptom — water, heat, or air. You'll get an honest read on urgency, what diagnosis involves, and what it costs before anyone comes out.