If your boiler quits in Lawrence, MA, safety comes before repair. If you smell gas, leave the building, call 911 from outside, then call the gas company before you call a plumber. Our 24/7 dispatch line is open for no-heat calls, but it is not a gas emergency line.
If there is no gas smell and no carbon monoxide alarm, a few quick checks can save a visit. Below are the safe ones, the signs that need a technician, and the licensing lines that decide which professional handles your system.
Gas smell or alarm: do this and nothing else
These steps come before any troubleshooting. They protect people first.
Leave right away
Walk everyone, pets included, out of the building. Leave the door open if it is safe and quick to do so.
Touch no switches
Do not flip lights, plug in devices, use a lighter or start a car in the garage. A spark can ignite gas.
Call 911 from outside
Call from the street or a neighbor's home. Then call Eversource Gas at (800) 525-8222, per Mass.gov guidance. Do not go back in.
A CO alarm sounding
Treat it as an emergency too. Get everyone into fresh air and call 911. Do not wait for a repair visit to find out.
Only after the gas company or the fire department says the building is safe should you call us about the boiler. We do not promise a response time for any gas leak.
Checks a homeowner can do when the boiler is simply off
These cost nothing and do not involve opening the unit.
- Confirm the thermostat is on heat, set several degrees above room temperature, with fresh batteries if it uses them.
- Check that the boiler's wall switch is on and the breaker has not tripped.
- Look at the pressure gauge. A reading near zero, or one that climbs very high, is a reason to call, not a reason to experiment.
- If you have an oil system, check that the tank is not empty.
- Feel the radiators. If only the upper floors are cold, trapped air may be the cause, and a radiator bleed valve may help.
- Note any error code, strange noise or water on the floor and write it down before you call.
Do not relight a pilot repeatedly or reset a lockout over and over. Each failed attempt can push unburned fuel into the unit.
What the symptom usually means
Symptoms are clues, not diagnoses. A technician confirms the cause.
| Symptom | Common causes | Who it points to |
|---|---|---|
| No heat, no noise | Power, thermostat, or a safety lockout | Check basics, then a boiler technician |
| Heat but no hot water | Zone valve or indirect tank issue | A plumber can often handle this side |
| Banging or kettling | Scale or sediment, or low water flow | A technician, soon |
| Water pooling underneath | Leaking valve, fitting or heat exchanger | A plumber for the plumbing side, a technician for the unit |
| Relief valve dripping | High pressure or a failing valve | Call promptly and shut the boiler off |
| Cold radiators on one floor | Trapped air or a closed valve | Bleed valve first, then a call |
A relief valve that blows steam or hot water is a hazard. Stay clear and turn the unit off if you can do so safely.
Heat out and no gas smell?
Call the 24/7 line. Tell us the symptom and whether the unit uses gas or oil so the right licensed professional can be matched to the job.
Why gas safety is taken seriously in the Merrimack Valley
On September 13, 2018, over-pressurized gas lines in the Merrimack Valley damaged 131 structures and destroyed at least 5 homes. One person died in Lawrence, 22 people were hospitalized, and more than 50,000 residents were asked to evacuate. The NTSB found the cause to be gas utility engineering management, not anything a homeowner did.
What this means for you is simple. If something smells wrong, you do not need proof first. Leave, call 911, then call the gas company. The gas utility serving Lawrence today is Eversource Gas, which acquired Columbia Gas of Massachusetts in October 2020.
Source type: NTSB investigation report
Who is allowed to work on which part of a boiler
A boiler touches three trades. Knowing the lines saves you from hiring the wrong person.
Licensed plumber
- Handles the water side, including the direct connection to the potable water supply.
- Works on leaking valves, zone valves and heating piping where plumbing applies.
- The state plumbing code does not govern heating systems beyond that direct water connection.
Gas fitter or oil burner technician
- Gas boiler piping, venting and connections are licensed gas fitting work under a gas permit.
- Oil burners are installed and serviced by state-certified oil burner technicians. A plumbing license alone does not cover that work.
- Ask upfront who will do the burner and gas work.
Verify any license in the state's eLIPSE system. When you call us, say whether the unit burns gas or oil and we will tell you plainly what part of the job fits our licenses.
No heat and your landlord: what the state code says
Under the state sanitary code, landlords must provide heat of at least 68 F from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and 64 F overnight between September 15 and May 31. That matters in Lawrence, where about 72 percent of homes are renter-occupied, according to the city's housing plan.
If your heat is out, tell the landlord in writing and keep a copy. A tenant should not try to repair a boiler. Call the landlord, not a contractor on your own, unless the landlord agrees.
What decides the cost of a boiler visit
Boilers vary widely, so be wary of any figure quoted before the symptom is known.
Boiler questions from Lawrence households
Leave the building, call 911 from outside, then call the gas company. In Lawrence that is Eversource Gas at (800) 525-8222 per Mass.gov. Call a plumber only after the area is declared safe.
Gas fitting work that is repaired or replaced needs a permit from the local inspector. For Lawrence, ask Inspectional Services at 978-620-3130. Ask your technician which parts of your job involve the permit.
Not on the burner itself. Oil burners are handled by state-certified oil burner technicians, and a plumbing license alone does not cover that work. A plumber can handle the water-side piping.
Switch the unit off if it is safe to reach the switch, close the water feed to the boiler, and put a bucket under the leak. Then call. A frozen or burst heating pipe can also be handled as a burst pipe repair.
State boiler inspection rules exempt boilers in private residences. A commercial or larger building may be treated differently, so ask your insurer or the state about your property.