Carbon monoxide comes first
If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, get everyone outside into fresh air and call 911 or your gas utility from outside. Do not go back in to reset the boiler or open windows. Headache, dizziness, nausea and confusion that ease when you leave the house are warning signs too.
Massachusetts law requires working CO alarms in homes with fuel-burning equipment, on each level and near bedrooms. Test yours, and replace batteries on schedule. A boiler can be repaired later, but a person cannot be.
No heat on a freezing night
In New England a dead boiler during a cold snap can mean frozen pipes within a day or two, especially in exterior walls and unheated crawlspaces. Our boiler repair page is a standard service, not an emergency line, but a no-heat call in deep winter is urgent and we treat it that way when we can.
Before you call, check that the thermostat is on and set above the room temperature, the boiler switch is on, and the water pressure gauge reads in the normal range printed on the unit. If the burner will not light, do not keep resetting it. Repeated attempts can flood the combustion chamber with unburned fuel.
Open cabinet doors on exterior walls so room heat reaches the pipes, and let a faucet drip on the coldest wall. These steps buy time while a plumber is on the way.
Hot-water boilers and steam boilers are different machines
Older Easton houses often have one or the other, and the repair path differs.
Hot-water (hydronic) boiler
- Heats water and pumps it through baseboard, radiators or in-floor loops.
- A closed loop under pressure, with an expansion tank and circulator pumps.
- Common faults are air in the lines, a failed circulator or a stuck zone valve.
- Radiators stay warm to the touch.
Steam boiler
- Boils water into steam that rises to radiators through the pipes.
- Runs at low pressure, with a sight glass showing the water level.
- Common faults are low water, clogged vents, a bad pressuretrol or hammering pipes.
- Radiators get hot and the pipes can bang.
Steam systems are particular. A plumber who knows them will check the water level and vents before touching anything else.
Boiler problems we see most often
Boiler will not start
No power, a tripped switch, a tripped limit, a failed ignition or a dirty flame sensor.
Strange noises
Kettling from mineral scale, gurgling from trapped air, banging from water hammer in steam lines.
Radiators cold at the top
Air trapped in a hot-water radiator. Bleeding the valve usually fixes it, and if not the circulator may be failing.
Leaks around the boiler
Weeping at a valve, a pressure relief valve discharge or a corroded section. Do not ignore a puddle under the unit.
Pressure too high or too low
A failing expansion tank or a leak somewhere in the loop.
Short cycling
The boiler fires and shuts off within minutes. Often a dirty sensor, an oversized unit or a faulty limit control.
Heat out in cold weather
Call the line and tell us the boiler type, the fuel and any codes shown on the display.
Gas work requires a licensed gas fitter
Anything that touches gas piping, burners, valves or venting must be done by a Massachusetts licensed gas fitter, with a permit pulled by a licensed professional. The Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters licenses both trades. You can check a license on the state lookup before anyone starts.
That rule protects you. A gas leak or a bad vent connection can poison a household without any visible sign. If someone offers to swap a gas valve or adjust the burner without a permit, say no and call somebody else.
Oil-fired boilers follow different rules from gas ones. If you are not sure what applies at your address, ask the Easton building department who should inspect the work.
Repair, service or replace?
| Condition | Usual action | Question for the plumber |
|---|---|---|
| One failed part on a boiler in good shape | Repair | What is the part, and what else is near the end of its life? |
| Leaking heat exchanger or cracked section | Replacement usually makes more sense | Can this section be repaired safely? |
| Frequent breakdowns each winter | Evaluate replacement | What is the pattern of failures? |
| Inefficient and noisy but running | Annual service, plan ahead | What will the replacement need in venting and piping? |
| Water heater tied to the boiler | Check both systems | See water heater repair if the tank is separate |
What affects the cost of boiler repair
We give a clear price before work starts. The usual factors are these.
What moves the price
Heating failure from a frozen pipe can lead to a water claim, so photograph any damage and ask your insurer what is covered.
☎ Want your real number? Call (508) 389-4045Boiler repair questions from Easton homeowners
Leave the house, get to fresh air and call 911 or your gas utility from outside. Do not re-enter until emergency responders say it is safe.
Follow the instructions printed on the unit only if you smell no gas. If you smell gas, leave and call your gas utility. Never keep trying if it fails to stay lit.
Yes. We diagnose each type differently, since steam systems depend on water level and vents.
Once a year before the heating season is the usual advice, and your manufacturer's manual says more.
Call. The line is answered 24 hours, and a no-heat call in freezing weather is treated as urgent.