Andre Rayes is saving people money and helping the environment at the same time. After years of repairing boilers, Rayes invented and patented his own boiler, which runs on about half the fuel of traditional models.

Summer is no time to think of steam heat and hot water, not so however with Andre Rayes. He is the owner of a boiler repair business in Skokie and the inventor of a new kind of boiler that operates on 40 to 50 percent less fuel.

"This is the easiest boiler to work on, it's so easy you look at it, the way the door swings, and I came up with it," said Rayes, boiler inventor. "It's a steel boiler and it's repairable for 50 years."

Rayes started manufacturing his boiler two years ago, and thus far, 12 have been purchased and installed in various locations thru out the area. An Assyrian, Rayes was born in Lebanon and raised in France. In 1972, he settled in the Chicago area and took a job as a welder before opening his own business in 1989.

Rayes spent three years working on his concept of a new kind of boiler and the work paid off. On May 20, 2003 he issued a patent for its design.

One of Rayes boilers has been installed at Lifeway Foods in Morton Grove. The unit is nearly hidden by a large traditional boiler which it replaces. The company reports the Rayes boiler uses nearly 75 percent less fuel. Val Nikolenko is operations VP.

"This new boiler saves us a lot of space because its much smaller than our previous boiler," said Nikolenko.

The Rayes boiler has also been found to produce less pollution because of more complete combustion.

"I swear to God I've been so happy making the people saving the gas, I love to see my customers smiling with it," said Rayes.

Andre Rayes, inventor of a new kind of boiler, and someone you should know. And to learn more about it, long on to Rayes's web site.

By Harry Porterfield
www.abc7chicago.com