Service
Radiators and boilers
Keep the iron. We tune the system behind it.
A cast-iron radiator system can last for generations when it is balanced and its controls work. We service steam and hot-water systems, and we tell you plainly when the problem is the house and not the boiler.
Signs
When it's time to look at this.
Rooms heat unevenly
One floor is hot and another cold, which is often a balance problem.
Banging or hissing pipes
Steam systems make noises when something is out of adjustment.
The boiler cycles often
Short cycles waste fuel and wear the boiler.
A radiator stays cold
Air trapped in the radiator, or a valve that needs attention.
Old controls
A thermostat or valve from another era.
You're adding cooling
We make sure heat and cooling work together.
The visit
What happens at the survey.
- 01
Step 1: We look at the system
Boiler, piping, valves and radiators, floor by floor.
- 02
Step 2: We test it running
Pressure, vents, controls and each radiator.
- 03
Step 3: We tell you what we found
What needs work now, what can wait, and what is fine.
- 04
Step 4: We write the plan
Each repair as its own line.
- 05
Step 5: You decide
Nothing starts until you say so.
Cost
What drives the cost.
We don't print prices here. These are the things that move the number, and the written plan prices each one.
Boiler type
Steam or hot water, and its size.
Condition of the piping
Accessible runs are quicker to service.
Radiator count and valves
More radiators means more to balance.
Controls
Thermostats, zone valves and vents.
Venting and chimney
Draft and flue condition, checked first.
Access
A cellar with room to work, or a cramped closet.
Questions
Questions about this work.
Do I need a new boiler?
Not until the survey says so. We tell you what the boiler needs and what a replacement would involve.
What if my carbon monoxide alarm sounds?
Leave the house first, then call 911 and your gas utility from outside. Don't call us first.
Can radiators and cooling share a house?
Yes. A hidden-duct or ductless system adds cooling and leaves the radiators in place.
Related
Often planned with it.
Hidden-duct central air
Cooling that leaves your radiators alone.
See hidden ductsDuctless in old rooms
For the room that stays hot.
See ductless