Start here
No heat? Do these in this order.
The first one matters most.
If you smell fuel, or a carbon monoxide alarm is sounding, or anyone feels dizzy or sick
Get everyone out of the house, including pets. Call 911 from outside. Don't go back in to look at the boiler, and don't wait for us. Call us after the fire department says it's safe.
Check the thermostat
Set to heat, set above the room's temperature, and with fresh batteries if it takes them.
Check the tank gauge
If it reads empty, call your oil dealer. We don't sell or deliver oil.
Check the emergency switch
The red switch near the boiler or at the top of the cellar stairs should be on. If it's on and nothing starts, don't keep flipping it.
Press the reset button once
Oil burners have a red reset button on the primary control. Press it once, for a second. If the burner runs and shuts down again, don't press it again; the boiler is telling us something.
Then call us
Tell us what the boiler did, what you've tried and whether the house is cold now. We'll say what happens next.
After you call
What happens next
In the heating season we take no-heat calls first. Plan customers go ahead of the rest of the list. From October to April the shop number forwards to the on-call technician outside business hours, and we tell you the after-hours rate before we dispatch.
On the phone we ask
What the boiler did before it stopped
Whether the carbon monoxide alarm has sounded
How old the boiler is and who last serviced it
Whether anyone in the house is elderly, an infant or ill
No-heat questions
Is it safe to stay home with no heat?
If it's cold enough that pipes could freeze, or someone in the house is elderly, an infant or ill, tell us on the phone. Never use an oven, a grill or a generator indoors to heat the house.
Why do you ask about carbon monoxide first?
Because a failing boiler can produce it before it stops, and it can't be seen or smelled. An alarm that's sounding is a reason to leave, not a reason to troubleshoot.
What's the after-hours rate?
We quote it on the phone before we dispatch. It's higher than the weekday rate, and you can decline it and book the next business day.
Do plan customers really go first?
Yes. In the heating season plan calls are scheduled ahead of non-plan calls. The plans page lists which plans include that.
Cold house? Call now.
Business hours: Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday morning. Outside them, from October to April, the same number reaches the on-call technician.