Boiler tune-up, oil or gas
Hot-water and steam boilers run hard from November to April. A fall check is the cheap moment to find out what is wearing out.
- Checked: November 3, 2026
Oil boiler against gas boiler
| Oil boiler | Gas boiler | |
|---|---|---|
| Burner | Nozzle, pump and combustion settings | Ignition and flame |
| Fuel side | Filter, lines and tank connections | Gas valve and piping connections |
| Both | Heat exchanger, flue and venting, water level and pressure, circulator pumps, valves, safety controls | |
Where boilers are most common
Older Massachusetts housing leans on boilers, and the fuel varies by town. These are the towns on this site with the most oil heat.
| Town | Oil | Natural gas |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 42% | 43% |
| Wakefield | 33% | 48% |
| Danvers | 32% | 49% |
| Lexington | 31% | 48% |
| Stoneham | 29% | 44% |
| Woburn | 29% | 51% |
What to tell us
- Oil or gas, and whether it heats with hot water or steam.
- About how old it is and when it was last serviced.
- Any noise, leaks, uneven heat or repeated resets.
A photo of the nameplate saves a visit. If the boiler is at the end of its life, see what drives a boiler price and the oil to heat pump option. For a furnace, read furnace tune-up.
Common questions
How often should a boiler be serviced?
We can tell you what yours needs. Many homeowners schedule it once a year in the fall, before the heating season. An oil boiler has more to clean than a gas one, and a steam or hot-water system has its own checks.
What is checked on an oil boiler?
The burner and nozzle, the combustion, the heat exchanger and flue, the controls and safety devices, and the oil filter and lines. We tell you what needs work.
What is checked on a gas boiler?
The burner and ignition, the heat exchanger, venting, the controls and safety devices, plus water pressure, circulator pumps and valves.
My boiler is very old. Should I just replace it?
Not necessarily, and not blindly. A tune-up shows what shape it is in. If replacing makes sense, Mass Save pays rebates on heat pumps and not on new gas, oil or propane equipment, except for income-eligible households.
Get the boiler checked.
Tell us what you have and how old it is. We get back to you to set up the tune-up.
Book a tune-up