No heat in a Worcester winter — in a triple-decker, that can mean three cold households. Ignition lockouts, dead burners, burst-risk pipes: call any time. The emergency telephone line is available 24/7 and true Explain urgent symptoms first.
General inquiries: 7 AM–7 PM · Emergency calls: 24/7 · (888) 766-1474
Read it before you call.
Modern gas boilers speak in error codes — and the code is the fastest route to the right fix. Ignition failure codes (no flame established) point to igniters, gas valves, or flame sensors. Pressure codes point to the expansion tank or a leak. Airflow codes point to the fan or flue.
Before calling: write down the exact code and what the boiler was doing when it appeared. "E133 on startup, fan runs, no flame" gets you a precise triage in thirty seconds. Do not clear the code and hope — the fault is still there.
Cold multiplies in a triple-decker.
What helps.
Note the error code on gas units, or the lockout pattern on oil. Protect pipes: open sink cabinets on exterior walls, let taps drip — in a triple-decker, the top floor freezes first. Do not keep resetting a locked-out burner. Landlords: tell tenants to report which units are cold — it helps the triage.
Why Worcester emergencies escalate.
A single-family no-heat call is one cold household. A triple-decker no-heat call is three — with three sets of pipes at risk and, for landlords, three tenants calling. Emergency triage weights multi-unit outages accordingly. If you manage units, say so on the call: it changes the priority math.
Two minutes before you call.
Not every no-heat call needs a truck — and checking these five things first makes the call faster either way:
If pressure is the problem, our boiler pressure guide explains what the gauge is telling you. Report your findings in order on the call — it shortens triage considerably.
Not every cold floor is an emergency.
Some floors warm and some cold usually means a zone valve, a stuck circulator, or a balancing problem — not a dead boiler. It still deserves a call, but it triages behind true no-heat. The exception: an unoccupied unit going cold in freezing weather, where burst-pipe risk quietly builds behind a closed door. Landlords should check vacant units the same night a heat complaint comes in.
When you call, lead with which floors are warm and which are cold. That single sentence separates a zone fault from a boiler fault before anyone is dispatched.
Straight answers before you call.
Check the thermostat, the red emergency switch, and the breaker — then call (888) 766-1474 immediately. Three cold households plus freeze risk means a triple-decker outage jumps the queue, 24/7. Do not keep resetting a locked-out burner; tell triage what the system is doing instead.
No heat in freezing weather, active water leaking from the boiler, any gas odor, or a burner that will not stay running — and in a rental, a dead boiler is also a legal liability under the state heat code. Uneven heat or a new noise with heat still working can usually wait. When unsure, describe the symptom; triage sorts it fast.
Tell them you are calling for emergency triage now — then call (888) 766-1474 with the address and what the tenant reported. Massachusetts heat law does not pause for the hour. Say you manage units; multi-unit outages are prioritized, and you will get a straight timing answer.
If water is reaching the burner or electrical controls, yes — shut the boiler down and call the 24/7 line. Note whether the water is coming from the boiler itself or from outside; it changes the response. Older buildings near the village's low ground flood first.
Do not flip switches or touch the boiler — leave the area and call the gas utility's emergency line from outside, then call us at (888) 766-1474. Gas odor skips triage and goes straight to emergency protocol. The utility makes it safe; we handle the boiler side after.
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