Services
Venting and carbon monoxide
The flue is the part of the system you never look at, and the part that matters most when something is wrong.
Signs you need it
Soot or rust at the flue pipe or the draft hood
A water heater whose flame leans out toward you
A carbon monoxide alarm that chirps or has gone off
A new furnace or water heater beside an old chimney
A chimney nobody has looked at in years
The visit
What happens at the visit
- 01
Step 1: We call from the corner
You hear from us before the truck is at the door.
- 02
Step 2: The flue pipe and the connector
Joints, slope, rust, and whether the pipe is the right size for what it serves.
- 03
Step 3: Draft and carbon monoxide
We measure the draft and the carbon monoxide at the appliance, with everything running.
- 04
Step 4: The chimney
The liner, the cap and the base, as far as we can see from the basement and the roof line. Masonry repairs go to a mason.
- 05
Step 5: The findings, in writing
Readings, photos and what has to change, before any work starts.
The cost
What drives the cost
No dollars on this page, because no two basements are alike. The written number carries them.
What moves the number
These are the things that make one venting job different from the next.
The size and length of the flue pipe
A chimney liner, if the chimney needs one
Access to the chimney and the roof line
A permit, where the job calls for one
Masonry work, which a mason does
Repair or replace
A loose joint or a corroded connector is a repair. A chimney that can't safely vent what is attached to it is a replacement of the liner, the appliance or both, and we say so on paper.
Questions
About venting and carbon monoxide
My carbon monoxide alarm is going off. What do I do?
Get everyone out, pets too, and call 911 from outside. Don't go back in to reset the alarm or open windows. Once the fire department says the house is clear, call us and we will find out why it happened before anyone relights anything.
Do you pull permits?
A repair usually doesn't need one. When a job does, such as a new flue liner or a boiler swap, we say so in the written number and the permit is on the list.
How often should a furnace or boiler be looked at?
Once a year, in the fall, before the first cold week. A boiler's burner and a furnace's flame sensor and flue are what we look at, and we measure carbon monoxide at the same time.
What does the visit cost, and what do I get?
The visit fee is on the pricing page, or we tell you on the phone. You get a written number for the repair before any work starts, and if you say no, you owe the visit fee and nothing else.
Also
Related
Furnace repair
For forced-air heat.
Furnace repairBoiler repair
For radiators, hot water and steam.
Boiler repair
Ready to book the visit?
Tell us what it is doing, and we will say when we can be there.
Weekdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. After hours from October 15 to April 15.