Before you spend money on an emergency call, there are a handful of safe, simple things worth checking. Sometimes the boiler just tripped a switch and you’re back to warm in five minutes. If none of these do it, that’s your signal to bring in a licensed tech.
Safe checks anyone can do
- The thermostat. Make sure it’s set to heat and a few degrees above the room temperature. If it takes batteries, try fresh ones, a dead thermostat won’t call for heat.
- The boiler’s power switch. Many NYC boilers have a switch that looks like a light switch, often red, on or near the unit or at the top of the basement stairs. It’s easy to bump off by accident.
- The breaker or fuse. Check your electrical panel for a tripped breaker or blown fuse on the boiler circuit. Reset a tripped breaker once.
- The emergency shutoff. Confirm the emergency shutoff switch wasn’t turned off.
- The water level (steam). On a steam boiler, glance at the sight glass. If it’s empty, the low-water cutoff may have shut the boiler down for safety. Don’t start adding water without knowing the system, that’s a good point to call.
- Fuel. If you’re on oil, check the tank gauge. An empty tank is a common and undramatic reason for no heat.
Stop and call a pro if: you smell gas (leave first and call 911 or your utility), you see water leaking from the boiler, the unit locks out again right after a reset, or you’re simply not sure. Repeated lockouts are the boiler protecting itself from a real problem.
What not to do
- Don’t hit the reset button over and over. One reset is fine; repeated resets can flood a combustion chamber with fuel and create a hazard.
- Don’t keep adding water to a steam boiler you don’t understand. Overfilling causes its own problems.
- Don’t ignore a gas smell or a soot/burning odor. Those are call-now situations.
If it’s a rental
If you’re a tenant and the building has no heat during NYC heat season, your landlord is legally required to restore it. Document the date and indoor temperature, and you can report an outage to 311. You can also call us to get a licensed tech dispatched. Our guide to NYC heat-season rules lays out the exact temperatures the law requires.