$50 - Service Reservation
The $50 deposit reserves the repair visit and is applied toward the $298 mobilization charge.
Residential Heating Repair | Greater Boston
Heating Repair in Greater Boston
No heat is an emergency in February. We treat it like one.
617 HVAC repairs heating systems across 30 Greater Boston communities: gas and oil furnaces, steam and hot water boilers and every hybrid in between. Our technicians answer no-heat calls within a 24-hour window, arrive on stocked trucks and diagnose with instruments instead of hunches. The findings come with photos, the repair price arrives in writing and the heat comes back with the paperwork to prove what fixed it.
Visit & Pricing
Heating Repair Cost, Before You Book.
The visit runs on published figures and your booking deposit rolls into the mobilization charge.
$298 - Mobilization
The $298 mobilization charge covers dispatching our service team and diagnostic equipment to your home. If you approve and complete the recommended repair with 617 HVAC, the full $298 is credited toward the work.
$198/Hour - Diagnosis
Diagnostic time begins when your technician starts testing and measuring-not when we arrive. There is no minimum and time is billed in 15-minute increments. A 15-minute diagnosis is billed as 15 minutes.
01
Diagnose The System
We inspect the equipment, test system operation and take the measurements needed to determine why your heating system is not working properly.
02
Show You What We Found
We document our findings with photos, video and system readings, then walk you through the diagnosis and explain what we found in plain English.
03
Put The Repair Price In Writing
Once we understand the problem and the repair required, we provide the repair price in writing before the work begins.
You understand the problem, the recommended repair and the price before you decide how you want to move forward. Our technicians are paid for doing the job right - not on commission. No one in your basement earns money by finding you a bigger problem.
What We Repair
Furnaces, Boilers And Everything Heating A Home.
Greater Boston heats itself a dozen ways and we repair all of them. Gas and oil furnaces, steam boilers with knocking pipes, hot water baseboard, hydro-air handlers and radiant floors all qualify. Heat pumps carry a dedicated page because reversible refrigeration deserves its own playbook. Everything combustion, hydronic or forced-air lands here, from 1920s cast iron to last year's condensing furnace.
Winter Failure Patterns
Why Heating Systems Quit In Boston.
Heating failures cluster around the first cold snap. Systems idle since April get asked for full output overnight and the weakest part answers first. Ignition components dominate furnace calls, water-side parts dominate boiler calls and controls fail on both.
01
Ignition And Flame
Igniters, flame sensors, thermocouples and pilot assemblies are the small parts that stop furnaces cold.
02
Water And Pressure
Circulator pumps, zone valves, expansion tanks and pressure faults lead boiler calls. Steam adds vents, traps and water-level controls.
03
Airflow And Blowers
Blower motors, capacitors, belts and filters starved into failure can overheat furnaces into safety lockouts.
04
Controls And Thermostats
Thermostats, control boards, aquastats and wiring faults can mimic mechanical failure. The meter separates a dead board from a dead system.
The symptom picks the category and the category helps load the truck before we leave.
Diagnosis, Step By Step
Heat Comes Back With Proof.
Four steps stand between a cold house and a warm one.
01
Safety First
The technician checks for gas leaks, verifies venting and tests carbon monoxide levels around combustion equipment before diagnosis begins.
02
Read The Sequence
Every heating system runs a startup sequence and the failure point names the fault. The technician watches the complete sequence live.
03
Test The Part
The suspect component gets tested directly. Instruments convict parts and a reading outside the manufacturer's range is the evidence.
04
Fix And Verify
The repair is followed by a full heat cycle from cold start to steady output, with temperatures and readings recorded.
Complete Transparency
See What We See
Photos
The failed component and its replacement are documented side by side.
Measurements
Startup and steady-state values are recorded after the repair as the system's new baseline.
Invoice
The itemized bill names the part, labor and total matching the number approved beforehand.
Heating documentation earns its keep at resale, at insurance time and on the next service call. The next technician opens a file instead of starting from zero.
From The Field
Somerville: six years of no maintenance and a system that paid for it.
The Situation
A Somerville homeowner had a six-year-old furnace. Never serviced. No annual maintenance, no cleaning, no inspections - he used the heat when he needed it and didn't think about it otherwise. Soot, dust and debris had been accumulating inside and components were quietly wearing down.
What We Found
By the time the system started showing problems, six years of neglect had done extensive damage - heavy soot buildup, worn components, a failed expansion tank and deteriorated parts throughout. Combustion analysis confirmed the system was working harder to do less.
What We Recommended
We documented the condition on video, walked him through what six years without maintenance had produced and provided the repair price in writing. The repair required taking the system apart, cleaning it, replacing the expansion tank and worn components and reworking the whole system.
The Result
The system runs correctly again and he understands what maintenance is actually for. He's now on our Vitals Home Wellness plan (three visits per year) so heating issues get caught before they compound. The repair was extensive because the problem wasn't caught early. Basic annual maintenance would have prevented it.
Our Bias
The Repair-First Heating Company Greater Boston Searched For.
Repair-first means the diagnosis starts from the assumption your system can be saved and the readings get every chance to prove it. Our second-opinion record tells the story: readings support repair about 80% of the time and the one in five that genuinely needs replacing gets told so in writing. Age alone condemns nothing. When replacement wins, our heating installation team prices it from the same visit.
Weighing new equipment? Heating Installation01
Small Parts, Saved Winters
Igniters, sensors, pumps and valves rescue most systems for modest, specific prices.
02
Old Iron Respected
Steam and cast iron boilers get technicians who know them and age alone condemns nothing.
03
Honest Verdicts
Cracked heat exchangers and failed sections end repairs honestly, in writing, with readings attached.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the heating laws in Boston?
Massachusetts requires heat in rental housing from September 15 through June 15: at least 68 degrees during the day and 64 overnight. Landlords own that obligation and documented repair records help both sides.
What are signs your heating needs repair?
Short cycling, rooms drifting apart, longer startups, yellow burner flames and fuel bills climbing without a rate change all earn a look. Yellow flames and new smells earn a same-day call.
Why is my furnace running but blowing cold air?
Common causes are a thermostat fan setting circulating unheated air, flame failure cutting the burner mid-cycle or an overheated furnace tripping its limit switch. The last usually points to an airflow problem.
Why is my boiler making banging or knocking noises?
Steam systems bang when condensate pools in incorrectly sloped pipes and arriving steam creates water hammer. Hot water systems knock from trapped air or a failing circulator. Both usually resolve for less than the noise suggests.
Do you repair oil furnaces and oil boilers?
Yes. We service burners, nozzles, filters and pumps on oil furnaces and boilers. Oil systems reward annual attention and neglected burners smoke, soot and quit in that order.
Is a yellow flame on a gas furnace dangerous?
A steady blue flame is healthy combustion. Yellow or orange can mean incomplete burning and carbon monoxide risk. Shut the system down, ventilate and request service promptly.
Does Massachusetts help pay for heating repairs?
Income-eligible households on fuel assistance may qualify for no-cost heating repair or replacement through ABCD's HEARTWAP program in Boston and nearby communities. Mass Save incentives apply when qualifying replacement enters the picture.
Service Area
Swipe to explore
A Cold House Has A Findable Cause. One Visit Names It And Prices The Repair.
Furnace, boiler or anything between, the visit runs on published numbers and ends with heat, photos and paperwork. The office answers live and no-heat calls jump the line.
1167 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02476(617) 835-8058
Licensed & Insured · Gas, Oil & Steam Qualified · All Major Heating Brands · Serving 30 Greater Boston communitiesServing 30 Greater Boston communities