A boiler that goes down on a cold night is an emergency in Dedham, MA, and 24/7 dispatch is open for it. While you wait, keep everyone in one warm room, close doors to unused spaces, and open cabinet doors on exterior walls so room air reaches the pipes.
Boiler repair means a licensed plumber finds out why a hydronic system stopped heating, whether it is a lockout, low pressure, a failed pump, a leak or a dead control, and restores heat or tells you plainly that the boiler needs replacement.
No heat in January: why the clock matters.
The Boston-area normal low in January is 23.1 F, per NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for Boston Logan, and February runs 24.6 F. A house without heat at those temperatures cools steadily, and pipes in exterior walls, garages and crawlspaces are the first to freeze. That is why a no-heat call is treated as urgent rather than routine.
If the house drops toward freezing, let faucets drip on exterior walls and keep interior doors open. If a pipe does freeze or split, see burst pipe repair. Call early rather than late, since a quick repair is far cheaper than a flooded floor.
Check these five things before you call.
- The thermostat is set to heat, with fresh batteries if it uses them.
- The boiler switch and the breaker are on.
- The fuel supply is available (the tank or the gas supply valve open).
- The pressure gauge reads in the range printed in your manual, not zero.
- The display shows a lockout or error code you can read to the plumber.
If you smell gas, leave the building, call 911 from outside, then call your gas utility. Do not use switches or try to find the source. This is the one situation where you skip every other step.
Boiler down and the house getting cold? Call now for 24/7 dispatch.
Call (617) 752-0573What the symptoms usually mean.
| What you see | Likely cause | Next step. |
|---|---|---|
| No heat, boiler silent | Power, thermostat or fuel supply | Check switch, breaker and valve. |
| Boiler starts, then locks out | Ignition, flame sensor or safety limit | Call, note the code. |
| Radiators cold at the top | Trapped air | Bleeding may help, a plumber can do it. |
| Pressure drops repeatedly | A leak or a failing expansion tank | Call, do not keep refilling. |
| Banging or kettling noise | Scale, low water flow or pump trouble | Shut down and call. |
| Water under the boiler | Leaking valve, fitting or boiler body | Shut off supply, call. |
How a plumber diagnoses a boiler.
The plumber starts with the controls: thermostat call for heat, boiler switch and safeties. Next come the fuel supply and ignition, the circulator pump, the zone valves and the water pressure. Many no-heat calls end at one of these.
What a plumber cannot see is the inside of the boiler's heat exchanger or sealed sections of old piping. They judge condition from age, noise, leaks and test results. Ask what was found, ask to see the failed part, and ask whether the fault is likely to come back.
Repair options and honest trade-offs.
A part repair, such as a pump, zone valve, sensor, igniter or expansion tank, usually restores heat quickly and is the sensible option when the boiler body is sound. A leak from the boiler body or a cracked heat exchanger usually means replacement, since patching a heat exchanger is rarely safe.
If repeated repairs are adding up, ask for the repair estimate and the replacement figure in writing so you can compare them.
We make no claims about which fuel dominates in Dedham, and a plumber will work with whatever your boiler burns. Replacement or new heating loops can be paired with a plumbing installation quote.
Hard water and a boiler that keeps needing water.
The Dedham-Westwood Water District reported average hardness of about 6.0 grains per gallon in 2025. A closed hydronic loop takes little make-up water, so scale should build slowly. If your boiler needs frequent refills, that is a leak somewhere, and each refill brings in fresh minerals that settle on the hot surfaces.
Ask the plumber to find the leak rather than keep topping up the system. If the boiler also feeds an indirect water heater, see water heater repair for related faults.
What a boiler repair quote should include.
- The diagnostic visit and the part that failed, such as a pump, sensor or valve.
- Bleeding, flushing or refilling the system if needed.
- After-hours or same-day timing when you call at night.
- Access, including tight mechanical rooms and basement stairs.
- Fuel-specific work such as venting, gas fittings or oil-side service.
Homeowner policies generally cover sudden and accidental damage rather than wear and tear, so ask your insurer how a burst pipe from lost heat would be treated. Want your real number? Call (617) 752-0573.
While you wait for the plumber.
- Set the thermostat to heat and confirm the boiler switch and breaker are on..
- Photograph the boiler label, the pressure gauge and any error code..
- Use safe supplemental heat only if you have it, keeping it away from curtains and bedding..
- Let taps drip on exterior walls and open cabinet doors..
- If water is leaking, close the boiler's water feed valve..
- Keep the entry clear so the plumber reaches the boiler quickly..
Rentals, landlords and tenants in Dedham.
About three in ten Dedham households rent, per the 2017 to 2021 American Community Survey figures in the town Master Plan. If your heat fails in a rental, tell the landlord or property manager in writing, and say when the heat went out. A plumber can speak with the property manager to set the visit, and ask your landlord who is responsible for the call.
Where we serve.
Dedham, MA is in Norfolk County, and the same dispatch covers Westwood and nearby towns.
Frequently asked questions.
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Yes. Dispatch is 24/7, and no-heat calls get priority in winter. We do not promise an arrival time, because it depends on volume and roads, but the dispatcher will be honest about what is realistic.
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Confirm the boiler switch, breaker and fuel supply, then read the display for a code. If those are fine, a plumber should diagnose ignition, the circulator or a zone valve.
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Usually a leak in the system or a failing expansion tank. Do not keep refilling. A plumber can test the loop and find the source.
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Many owners do, with the system off and a small key. Stop if water sprays, and call a plumber if the radiator stays cold.
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It can be. Water can short controls and flood the floor, and a leak can signal corrosion. Shut off the feed valve and call.
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Minor repairs generally do not, according to Mass.gov, while replacing piping or the boiler does. A licensed plumber pulls permits through the Building Department's Plumbing/Gas Division.
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Possibly, if the house is very cold. Check exposed pipes for frost, and call if you find one.
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Leave the building, call 911 from outside, and then call your gas utility. Do not touch switches.
Codes, standards and sources.
Plumbing work in Massachusetts is governed by 248 CMR 10.00, the Uniform State Plumbing Code, and plumbers are licensed by the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters. You can read the state's consumer fact sheet on plumbers and gas fitters before you hire anyone.
Local facts on this page come from the Dedham-Westwood Water District, the Town of Dedham, the other towns named and Mass.gov, and were checked in October 2026. Where a fact could not be confirmed, the page says to ask the utility or the town.