Many Greater Boston homes still run steam or hot-water radiators fed by basement boilers — often 20+ years old. Banging pipes, cold top-floor units, and sudden no-heat calls spike the first week below freezing in Cambridge, Somerville, and Dorchester triple-deckers.
Homeowner checks: bleed air from radiators in fall, replace thermostat batteries, and keep boiler pressure in the green zone per the gauge. Never block vents with furniture. If you smell oil or gas, leave and call the utility — don't restart the system yourself.
Mass Save and federal credits can offset heat-pump installs in older housing, but electrical panel upgrades are common in pre-1950 wiring. A licensed HVAC tech should size equipment for Boston design temperatures — oversized units short-cycle and waste money.
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