Heating, Boiler & Radiator Service
Half of New York is heated by systems designed a century ago. They work well when they're set up right, and they're miserable when they aren't.
A lot of the heating complaints we get in this city aren't broken equipment — they're a steam system that's out of balance. Banging pipes, a radiator that stays cold while the one next door roasts, whistling vents, and windows open in February are classic symptoms of steam distribution problems rather than a failed boiler.
Steam heat has a logic to it. Steam has to get to every radiator, air has to get out of the way for it, and condensate has to drain back. When pipes bang, it's usually water sitting where steam wants to travel. When one radiator stays cold, its vent or valve is usually the reason. These are often inexpensive fixes that get misdiagnosed as needing a new boiler.
We service both steam and hot water systems, boilers and their controls, radiator valves and vents, and the zone components on circulated systems. Where the boiler genuinely is at fault we'll say so — but we'd rather check the cheap causes first, because in a pre-war building they're frequently the real ones.
When this is likely your problem
What's included — and what isn't
Included in the quote
- Diagnosis of steam or hot water distribution problems
- Radiator vent and valve replacement
- Boiler component diagnosis — controls, low water cutoff, pressure and aquastat settings
- Bleeding and balancing on hot water systems
- Pitch correction on radiators where condensate isn't draining
- Verification that heat reaches the affected rooms after the work
Quoted separately
- Boiler replacement and installation, quoted as its own project
- Chimney, flue, and venting repairs
- Asbestos-containing pipe insulation, which requires a licensed abatement contractor
- Oil tank work and fuel system components
- Building-wide steam main and riser work, usually the building's responsibility
- Permits and filings for boiler replacement
What drives the price
We quote after diagnosis, not before. These are the factors that move the number most on this particular service:
- SYSTEMOne-pipe steam, two-pipe steam, or hot water — genuinely different diagnostics.
- SCOPEA single radiator vent versus balancing an entire distribution system.
- ACCESSWhether radiators, mains, and the boiler room are reachable without disruption.
- AGEOriginal valves and vents on century-old radiators sometimes can't be salvaged.
- OWNERSHIPWhether the fault is in your unit or on a building main.
NYC note
If you're in a rental, heat is a legal obligation of the owner during heat season and complaints go through the owner or 311 rather than through a private contractor. We work for owners, boards, and homeowners. If you're a tenant with no heat, raise it with your landlord or 311 first — we mention this because it's genuinely the faster route for you.
Related services
What the visit involves
Identify the system type
One-pipe steam, two-pipe, and hot water fail differently. This determines everything after.
Check the cheap causes first
Vents, valves, and radiator pitch before anyone talks about the boiler.
Balance the distribution
Getting steam to every radiator evenly is usually the actual fix for comfort complaints.
Verify room by room
We check the rooms you complained about, not just that the boiler fires.
Questions about heating, boiler & radiator service
Why do my steam pipes bang?
Almost always because water is sitting somewhere steam is trying to travel. Common causes are a radiator that's lost its pitch back toward the valve, a sagging pipe run, or a failed steam trap on a two-pipe system. It's usually fixable without touching the boiler, and it's worth addressing — the banging is water being thrown against pipe, which is hard on the system.
One radiator is always cold. Is my boiler failing?
Usually not. If other radiators heat fine, the boiler is making steam. A single cold radiator is normally its air vent, its valve, or its pitch. Air has to be able to escape for steam to enter, and a clogged vent stops that. It's one of the cheapest fixes in heating and one of the most commonly misdiagnosed.
Can I control the temperature in a steam-heated apartment?
Somewhat. On one-pipe steam, adjustable vents let you slow how fast a radiator fills, which helps. What you can't do is throttle a one-pipe radiator with its supply valve — it should be fully open or fully closed, because a partly open valve traps condensate and causes banging. That single point of advice solves a lot of complaints.
Should I replace my old boiler?
Not automatically. Old boilers are often less efficient than modern ones, but replacement is a large project and many of the complaints that prompt it — uneven heat, banging, cold rooms — are distribution problems the new boiler won't fix. Get the distribution assessed first, then decide about the boiler on its own merits.
Do you handle asbestos pipe insulation?
No. Older buildings sometimes have asbestos-containing insulation on heating pipes, and that requires a licensed abatement contractor. If we encounter suspect material we stop and tell you rather than disturbing it, which is the correct and safe response.
Ready to get this looked at?
Call and describe what's happening. You'll get an honest read on urgency and cost before anyone comes out.