Lennox Premier Dealer Serving Kane County, IL

Communities we serve in Kane County

GSHA’s service-area ZIP list includes these Kane County communities: St. Charles, Geneva (the county seat), Batavia, Elgin, Aurora, Carpentersville, East Dundee and West Dundee, Hampshire, Algonquin, Huntley, Bartlett and the Wasco area near St. Charles.

Several of these towns cross county lines. St. Charles and Batavia extend partly into DuPage County, Elgin into Cook County, and Aurora into DuPage, Kendall and Will counties. Algonquin and Huntley straddle the Kane/McHenry line (Algonquin sits mostly in McHenry County) and also appear on our McHenry County page; Bartlett is mainly a Cook and DuPage village with a small parcel in Kane (see those pages). The Wasco area is unincorporated, so its permits go through Kane County rather than the City of St. Charles.

If you live in South Elgin, North Aurora, Montgomery, Campton Hills, Sugar Grove, Elburn, Gilberts, Pingree Grove or Sleepy Hollow, your address is not on our published ZIP list, so please confirm coverage with GSHA before scheduling. The full ZIP-code list is on our service area page.

Lennox equipment guidance for Kane County homes

Gas furnaces and air conditioners. With about 86 percent of Kane County homes on natural gas and Nicor Gas serving the county’s municipalities and the unincorporated land around them, the usual Lennox replacement is a gas furnace paired with a central air conditioner. The furnace’s AFUE rating (the share of the gas that becomes heat in your home over a season) is the number to watch: Lennox furnaces run from the ML296VK and EL296V (Up to 96% AFUE) through the EL297VK (Up to 97% AFUE) and ML297VK (97% AFUE) to the modulating SLP99VK (Up to 99% AFUE), and Nicor Gas’s 2026 rebate tiers sit at 95% and 97% AFUE. A condensing furnace may need new venting where it replaces a chimney-vented unit; the two-stage EL280EK (Up to 80% AFUE) is the option where new venting is impractical, though it misses the Nicor tiers. For cooling, Lennox air conditioners range from the two-stage ML17KC2 (Up to 18.00 SEER2) to the variable-capacity EL22KCV (Up to 22.50 SEER2, sound rating as low as 60 dB) and SL25KCV (Up to 25.10 SEER2, as low as 58 dB), the quieter choices for a narrow side yard. Ask GSHA about available Lennox offers for your home.

Heat pumps and dual fuel. About 11.5 percent of Kane County’s occupied homes heat with electricity, and that is where a Lennox heat pump does the most good, because it moves heat into the house instead of generating it with resistance elements. The SL22KLV cold climate heat pump is rated Up to 21.10 SEER2, 13.2 EER2, and 10.50 HSPF2; the EL21KLV cold climate heat pump Up to 20.50 SEER2 and 10.00 HSPF2; the EL18KSLV Up to 19.00 SEER2 and 10.00 HSPF2 (HSPF2 is the heating figure, SEER2 the cooling figure, and matched-system ratings depend on the indoor unit). In a gas-heated home, a dual-fuel setup pairs the heat pump with a Lennox furnace listed as dual-fuel capable, so the heat pump carries mild weather and the furnace takes over in deep cold. Propane heat is rare here, so a propane conversion is a site-specific estimate. ComEd customers should ask about heat pump instant discounts through participating contractors; inside Batavia, Geneva or St. Charles the city runs its own electric utility and ComEd’s program does not apply.

Mini-splits and thermostats. Lennox mini-splits Powered by Samsung suit additions, bonus rooms, finished attics and garages where extending ductwork is impractical; the MWLD single-zone mini-split heat pump is rated Up to 25.00 SEER2 and 11.00 HSPF2, and Elgin has its own rules for ductless systems (see the FAQ). Thermostat compatibility comes from Lennox’s specifications: the S40 works with premium Lennox communicating equipment only and automatically alternates between gas and electric operation in a dual-fuel system; the M40 works with multi-stage non-communicating equipment; the E40 is a 24V thermostat listed for 3-heat/2-cool heat pump or 2-heat/2-cool conventional systems.

Indoor air quality. Heated indoor air is dry in a northern Illinois winter and summers are humid, so whole-home humidity control is a practical add-on: Lennox Healthy Climate bypass humidifiers provide up to 17 gallons of moisture per day, the power humidifier up to 18 gallons per day, and whole-home dehumidifiers remove 80, 100 or 130 pints per day. The Healthy Climate Carbon Clean 16 media air cleaner is rated MERV-16 and removes up to 99.99% of particles down to 3 microns and up to 95% down to 0.3 microns in ASHRAE 52.2 lab tests, and a Healthy Climate HRV (up to 6,000 square feet) or ERV (up to 3,800 square feet) brings in outside air while recovering heat.

Permits, utilities and installation considerations

Permits and inspections are the norm for furnace, air conditioner and heat pump replacements in Kane County, and the rules are set town by town. GSHA pulls the permit and schedules the inspection; here is what each municipality publishes.

• St. Charles. The city’s Building Permits FAQs say a permit and final inspection are required when a furnace or air conditioner is replaced (630-377-4406, permits@stcharlesil.gov). The Wasco area is unincorporated and permits through Kane County.
• Geneva. The Building Division’s Furnace/Air Conditioner/HVAC Replacement handout (revised November 2025) requires a building permit before replacing a furnace or air conditioner, covers both units under one permit, lists a $50 permit fee paid at over-the-counter issuance (as published in September 2026) and asks 24 hours’ notice for inspections. Its checklist covers venting, chimney draft, a gas shut-off valve within 6 feet of each appliance with union and sediment trap, combustion air, fireblocking, a level condenser pad and breaker sizing (630-262-0280, pdf@geneva.il.us). The handout notes that the Mill Creek subdivision is outside Geneva’s jurisdiction and permits through Kane County.
• Batavia. The Building Permit Applications page lists heating, air conditioning and mechanical equipment among projects that need a permit, filed through its online One Stop Permit Portal; the fee schedule prices replace-only permits at $30 for an A/C condenser and $45 for a furnace or furnace-and-A/C combination (as published in September 2026; 630-454-2700).
• Elgin. The Miscellaneous HVAC Quick Guide uses a Quick Permit for HVAC work, requires a final inspection, and says a permit is needed for a new outside air conditioner but not to replace an existing one; Ordinance G15-25 states that a permit is required to install or alter any HVAC equipment and is issued only to licensed warm-air heating contractors or the owner-occupant; GSHA confirms which applies to your job. The city’s Permits page puts responsibility for scheduling every required inspection on the builder, whether homeowner or contractor, which GSHA handles when it pulls the permit (3-1-1 in Elgin or 847-931-6001, permits@ElginIL.gov).
• Unincorporated Kane County. The Kane County Building & Zoning Division permits unincorporated properties (including Mill Creek, Wasco and the villages of Virgil, Kaneville and Big Rock) through the county web portal and asks 48-72 hours’ notice for inspections (inspections 630-232-5867; permits 630-232-3485, buildingpermits@kanecountyil.gov).
• Aurora and other municipalities. For Aurora and other municipalities not listed above, GSHA confirms the permit path for your address before work starts.

Where the outdoor unit can go. St. Charles (Table 17.22-3) permits ground-mounted heating and cooling equipment in interior side and rear yards at least 5 feet from the lot line, not in front yards, unless the Building Commissioner approves a screened alternative. Elgin (19.12.600) lets HVAC equipment encroach no more than 3 feet into the required setback from an interior lot line. Geneva (11-3-3) permits air conditioning equipment in side and rear yards only. Batavia (Section 2.104.B) requires a 5-foot side clear area free of mechanical equipment on single-family lots. The St. Charles noise chapter, as amended in April 2026 (Chapter 9.24), sets a general standard against unreasonably loud noise; the amendment we read contains no air-conditioner decibel limit. We did not review noise ordinances for Geneva, Batavia or Elgin. GSHA settles placement at the site visit.

Utilities and rebates. Nicor Gas is the gas utility across Kane County; its ICC tariff names the county’s municipalities and the unincorporated territory around them, and its ZIP lookup confirms an address. Nicor’s 2026 residential rebate program covers furnaces at the 95% and 97% AFUE tiers and ENERGY STAR smart thermostats for equipment installed January 1 through December 31, 2026, with applications due within 90 days of installation or by January 31, 2027; per its rebate FAQ, only contractors enrolled in Nicor’s Contractor Circle can offer the rebate as an instant discount, so ask whether that applies to your installation; otherwise the homeowner applies. Check current eligibility with Nicor Gas. ComEd’s Home Heating & Cooling Discounts page offers instant discounts on ducted and ductless heat pumps through participating contractors plus a smart thermostat rebate, subject to change or cancellation due to funding limits; check current eligibility with ComEd. Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles run city electric utilities outside ComEd’s program, and the Geneva and St. Charles utility pages list no HVAC rebate; Nicor’s gas rebates still apply there. Unincorporated pockets next to those cities, such as the Mill Creek subdivision outside Geneva, are ComEd customers according to the City of Geneva.

Gas, venting and electrical. With a 1985 median build year, most replacements involve older gas piping, venting and wiring; Geneva’s checklist above applies, and Elgin’s ordinance requires interior gas piping to be schedule 40 black iron from the meter to the appliance connector, with limited exceptions. GSHA’s estimate includes a venting, gas-line, condensate and duct evaluation; our own licensed electricians handle circuit and breaker work; and GSHA carries the job from load calculation through installation, start-up, the homeowner walkthrough and Lennox warranty registration.

Recent GSHA work in Kane County

GSHA crews have recently worked in Aurora, Elgin and West Dundee, and in Huntley and Algonquin, which straddle the Kane/McHenry line.

More Lennox pages

Lennox Premier Dealer in Northern Illinois (main page) · Lennox furnaces · Lennox air conditioners · Lennox heat pumps · Lennox mini-splits · Lennox thermostats

Other counties

• McHenry County, ILWoodstock office
• Lake County, ILLake Bluff office
• DuPage County, ILserved from Woodstock and Lake Bluff
• Cook County, ILserved from Woodstock and Lake Bluff
• Will County, ILserved from Woodstock and Lake Bluff