Services / Hydronic & hot-water heat
Hot-water heat, back in every zone
Hydronic heat moves hot water through pipes to warm your space. When one component fails, from a circulator pump to a zone valve, the whole system can suffer.
1Boiler
Heats the water for the heating system. The same water travels around the loop again and again.
Watch forNo heat in any zone, or water on the floor.
2Pressure gauge
Shows the pressure and temperature of the water in the system.
Watch forPressure that keeps dropping, or climbs high while the heat runs.
3Relief valve
A safety valve. It opens to release water if the pressure gets too high.
Watch forWater dripping from its pipe. Never cap or plug it.
4Expansion tank
Water expands as it heats. The tank gives that extra volume somewhere to go, which keeps the pressure steady.
Watch forA relief valve that keeps dripping. The tank may be waterlogged.
5Circulator
The pump that pushes hot water out to the zones and back to the boiler.
Watch forA pump that hums, grinds or won’t start, and heat that never reaches the rooms.
6Zone valves
Each valve opens when its thermostat calls for heat, so every zone heats on its own.
Watch forOne zone that stays cold, or one that won’t shut off.
7Baseboard
Hot water runs through a finned pipe along the wall and warms the air in the room.
Watch forGurgling, or a section that stays cold. That is usually trapped air.
8Return
After giving up its heat, the cooler water comes back to the boiler to be heated again.
Watch forDrips or crusty buildup at pipe fittings.
Components we service
Circulator pump
Moves hot water from the boiler through your pipes. Signs of failure: heat only near the boiler, a pump running with no heat, or a pump not running at all. Usually replaced same day.
Zone valves
Control flow to each area. A failed valve means one area won’t heat while the others work fine.
Expansion tank
Absorbs pressure changes as water heats and cools. A waterlogged tank makes pressure spike and trips the relief valve.
Baseboard heaters
Dust-clogged fins, airlocked sections and faulty zone valves are the usual causes. We clean, bleed and repair.
Radiant floors
Leaks, air locks, pump failures and manifold issues, diagnosed with pressure testing and thermal imaging.
Hot-water boilers
Full diagnosis, repair, maintenance and tune-ups, including leaks and pressure problems.
Questions
Hydronic & hot-water heat: common questions
Why is my baseboard heater not heating?
Most often a failed zone valve, an airlocked section, a stopped circulator pump or a thermostat issue.
How do I know if my circulator pump has failed?
No heat in one or all zones, a pump that runs but produces no heat, grinding or whining noises, or a pump that won’t start at all. It’s one of our most common repairs.
What causes an expansion tank to fail?
The internal bladder can rupture or lose its charge, leaving the tank waterlogged. That causes rapid pressure spikes and repeated opening of the pressure relief valve.
Can you repair radiant floor heating?
Yes, both in-slab and between-joist systems. We use pressure testing to locate leaks and thermal imaging to map flow problems without tearing up floors.
Why does my hot water boiler keep losing pressure?
Typically a waterlogged expansion tank, a leaking pressure relief valve, or a slow leak somewhere in the piping. We find and fix the root cause, not just the symptom.
My zone valve is stuck. Can you replace it?
Yes. We carry zone valves from Taco, Honeywell, White-Rodgers and other major brands, and can swap a failed valve the same day in most cases.