No heat tonight?
Check the thermostat, the red emergency switch and the boiler's power and gas supply. If the boiler shows a lockout code, the pressure gauge reads near zero or in the red, or you see water on the floor, stop and call (978) 317-1244. Precision Plumbing Solutions answers 24/7 and a licensed Massachusetts plumber comes out the same night in Lynnfield and the North Shore. Pressing reset repeatedly can damage the ignition system; one try is enough.
Boiler repair and heating service in Lynnfield, MA
Precision Plumbing Solutions is a licensed, insured Massachusetts plumbing company based in Lynnfield that repairs and services hot-water and steam boilers across Essex and Middlesex Counties: Lynnfield, Peabody, Wakefield, Saugus, Reading, North Reading, Stoneham, Woburn and the rest of the North Shore. Boilers are the most common heating system in the houses we work in, and boiler work is the largest part of what we do. The same plumber who diagnoses the problem does the repair, explains what failed and why, and quotes the fix before touching it. If the honest answer is that the boiler is done, we say so and price a replacement alongside the repair.
What boiler problems do we repair?
- No heat, no hot water from an indirect tank, or heat in some zones but not others
- Ignition lockouts, pilot lights that will not stay lit, thermocouples and flame sensors
- Circulator pumps, zone valves and relays that hum, stick or have failed
- Gas valves, aquastats, control boards and thermostat wiring
- Pressure problems: relief valve dripping, auto-fill valves, waterlogged expansion tanks, low-water cutoffs
- Leaks at near-boiler piping, valves, unions and sections
- Banging, kettling, gurgling and whistling, including steam water hammer
- Venting and condensate issues on high-efficiency condensing boilers
- Oil burners: nozzles, filters, electrodes, cad cells, combustion tuning
What do the symptoms usually mean?
| What you notice | Most likely cause | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| Boiler fires but radiators stay cold | Failed circulator or zone valve, air in the system | Replace pump or valve, purge air |
| Short-cycling: fires, stops, fires again | Dirty flame sensor, aquastat set wrong, undersized or oversized boiler | Clean sensor, reset controls, rebalance |
| Banging or kettling | Scale on the heat exchanger, low flow, wet steam | Flush and treat, fix flow; skim a steam boiler |
| Pressure in the red, relief valve dripping | Waterlogged expansion tank or stuck fill valve | Replace tank or fill valve |
| Pressure near zero, no heat | Leak somewhere in the system, failed auto-feed | Find and repair the leak, refill, purge |
| Lockout code on the display | Ignition, flame or venting fault | Diagnose the code; repair the part |
| Yellow flame, soot, CO alarm | Incomplete combustion, blocked flue | Shut it down; clean and tune, fix venting |
For a longer walk-through of each symptom, read Boiler not heating or making noise? What it means.
What does annual boiler service include?
A heating tune-up before the season is the cheapest boiler repair there is, because it is the one that prevents the January call. A Precision Plumbing Solutions boiler service covers:
- Burner and heat exchanger cleaning, flame and ignition check
- Combustion and draft test; venting and flue inspection; carbon monoxide check
- Pressure, expansion tank and relief valve test
- Circulators, zone valves, controls and thermostat operation
- Air purged from the system; low-water cutoff flushed and the boiler skimmed on steam systems
- Oil boilers: nozzle, filter and strainer replaced, electrodes set, efficiency tuned
- A written note of anything that is wearing out so you can plan, not react
Typical tune-up and repair pricing is covered in our boiler service and repair cost guide.
Hot-water and steam boilers
Most houses built after the 1950s in Lynnfield and the North Shore heat with hot-water boilers and baseboard or radiators; many older homes in Wakefield, Melrose, Lynn and the Boston neighborhoods still run steam. They fail differently. Hot-water systems mostly have pump, valve, pressure and air problems. Steam systems need their water level, low-water cutoff, pressuretrol and venting looked after, and the banging that drives people crazy is usually wet steam from a boiler that needs skimming or a return line that has sagged. We service both, and we do not swap a steam boiler for a hot-water one without a conversation about what that really involves.
Repair or replace?
A part failure on a boiler under about 12 to 15 years old is a repair. Past 15 to 20 years, when the repair is more than roughly a third of a new boiler, or when the heat exchanger or cast-iron sections are leaking, replacement wins on cost, reliability and fuel use, and Mass Save rebates can offset a high-efficiency unit. We quote both when it is borderline. See boiler installation and replacement and the boiler replacement cost guide for installed price ranges.
Why call Precision Plumbing Solutions for boiler repair?
- Licensed and insured: Massachusetts Master Plumber License #PL17812-M, Corporation License #9628442. Gas boiler work is licensed work, and we hold the license.
- 24/7, no answering service: the plumber picks up, nights, weekends and holidays.
- Price before work: we diagnose first, then quote the repair in writing, including on emergency calls.
- Second generation: a family plumbing company that has serviced every common boiler brand in the Boston area.
- Honest replace advice: we will not keep selling repairs on a boiler that should be replaced, and we will not sell a boiler that only needs a part.
Boiler repair near me in Lynnfield, MA? Call (978) 317-1244 any hour, or send the form for a same-day callback on a tune-up or a non-urgent repair.
Last updated: October 2026 · Precision Plumbing Solutions, a licensed Massachusetts plumber based in Lynnfield.
