When a boiler fails in January, a house can drop below comfortable temperatures within hours, and pipes can start to freeze. Our 24/7 line answers day and night, and a plumber can often come the same day. If you smell gas, leave the building and call the gas utility or 911 before calling us. If the boiler is leaking, switch it off and shut the feed valve.
Boiler repair covers hot-water and steam boilers: lockouts, ignition faults, pump and zone valve failures, pressure problems, leaks and noisy operation. Boilers often share a space and a chimney with the water heater, so water heater repair sometimes comes along with the same visit.
First checks.
No heat: what to check first.
- Thermostat set to heat and above room temperature.
- The boiler's service switch is on and the breaker is not tripped.
- The pressure gauge reads in the normal range, often around 12 to 15 psi cold. Check your manual.
- Fuel supply is available. For oil, check the tank gauge. For gas, check the valve and other gas appliances.
Boiler locks out.
Safety controls shut the burner off after a failed ignition. Resetting once is fine, repeated resets are not.
Pressure too low or too high.
Low pressure can mean a leak. High pressure can mean a failed expansion tank or a bad feed valve.
Radiators cold at the top.
Air in the system. Bleeding the radiators may help, or the circulator may be failing.
Banging or kettling noises.
Scale or sludge on the heat exchanger or low water flow.
No heat and the house is cooling?.
Call the 24/7 line.
Local conditions.
Boilers in Salem houses.
Many older Salem houses heat with a hot-water or steam boiler that may be decades old, sometimes converted from coal to oil to gas. Cast iron boilers can last for many years, but their controls, circulators and valves wear out. The Great Salem Fire of 1914 and the rebuild that followed left a lot of houses from the 1910s and 1920s with their original radiator systems.
In a cold snap, boilers work hardest and failures cluster. Having the system serviced before winter reduces the chance of a midnight call. A plumber checks combustion, controls, expansion tank and pressure relief valve, and looks for leaks around the boiler and at radiator valves.
Repair options.
Common boiler faults.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Typical repair |
|---|---|---|
| No heat, boiler off. | Failed control board, thermostat or flame sensor. | Replace the failed part. |
| Boiler runs, rooms cold. | Failed circulator or zone valve, air in lines. | Replace pump or valve, purge air. |
| Water on the floor. | Leaking relief valve, fitting or boiler body. | Replace the valve or fitting, a body leak needs boiler replacement. |
| Gurgling and banging. | Air, scale or low water. | Purge, flush or treat the system. |
A boiler with a leaking body or a cracked heat exchanger is past repair. That is a replacement decision, and it helps to compare options before you are cold. We will say honestly if repair is no longer sensible. For hot water supply, see water heater installation if you are adding a separate unit.
Standards.
Code, permits and safety for boiler repair.
Fuel-burning and electric water heaters fall under the Massachusetts plumbing and gas codes, and a permit is often required for a replacement. Ask Salem Inspectional Services at 978-619-5641 what applies to your address.
What to do before we arrive.
- Turn off the power or gas supply to the unit if it is safe to reach it.
- Close the cold water valve above the heater if water is leaking.
- If you smell gas, leave the building and call 911 or the gas utility, not a plumber first.
Pricing.
What boiler repair costs.
Boiler repair prices depend on the fault. These factors set the number.
Homeowner insurance seldom pays for a worn-out boiler and may pay for freeze damage if the house was kept heated. You get a clear price before work starts. For your real number, call (339) 216-9771.
FAQs.
Boiler repair questions from Salem homeowners.
Yes. The 24/7 line is answered every day, and no-heat calls get priority in winter. If you smell gas, leave the building first.
A leak, a failed expansion tank or a relief valve that is weeping. A plumber can find which.
Tell the dispatcher the fuel when you call. Gas and plumbing work are covered. For oil burner service, ask when you call whether we can help or can refer.
Yes. A yearly check catches failing parts before a cold snap.
All of Salem, including Downtown, Salem Neck, North and South Salem, Salem Willows and the Highland Avenue area, in ZIP codes 01970 and 01971, plus nearby Beverly.