Heating & Plumbing FAQ

Our inspectors examine all exposed gas piping from the point of entry into your building and throughout all public spaces, mechanical rooms, boiler rooms, and other accessible areas. This includes visual inspection of piping, fittings, connections, and associated equipment to ensure everything meets safety standards.

The duration depends on your building's size and gas system complexity. A typical inspection takes anywhere from a few hours to a full day. We work efficiently to minimize disruption to your building's operations and can schedule at your convenience.

Yes, our inspector needs access to all areas containing gas piping, including mechanical rooms, boiler rooms, and other spaces where gas lines are present. We'll work with you to coordinate access with minimal disruption to your tenants and operations.

If we identify unsafe or non-compliant conditions, they must be corrected before filing the inspection report. Our team will provide detailed recommendations and can perform the necessary repairs to bring your system into compliance quickly, often during the same visit to save you time.

Common findings include missing or broken meter bars, future use connections (capped tees left for appliances that were never installed), corrosion, missing pipe supports, unlabeled piping, improper fittings, and unpermitted work. These are not always emergencies, but they must be listed on the GPS1 report and corrected before the GPS2 certification can be filed.

Typically, a boiler replacement can take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours, depending on the size of the system and the complexity of the installation. For more complex installations or if additional work is needed (such as updating piping or venting), it may take 1 – 2 days. Our team will provide you with a specific timeframe after assessing your current setup.

The size of the boiler you need depends on your home's size, number of bathrooms, insulation level, and heating requirements. Our technicians will perform a detailed heat load calculation to determine the appropriate size for your specific needs. This ensures you get a system that's neither underpowered (leading to inadequate heating) nor overpowered (causing energy waste and short cycling).

The cost of installation depends on the type of boiler, the complexity of the installation, and any additional work required. We provide detailed, transparent quotes after assessing your specific needs and property.

With proper maintenance, modern boilers typically last 15 – 20 years. High-efficiency models with regular professional maintenance can sometimes last even longer. We offer maintenance plans to help extend the life of your boiler and maintain its efficiency throughout its lifespan.

Yes. Financing for boiler installation and replacement is available through our financing partners. All financing is subject to credit approval, and your terms may vary. Tell us you'd like to finance when you request a quote and we'll send you an application link. See hepcohp.com/financing for how it works.

The entire process typically takes 2 – 4 weeks from initial consultation to completed installation. The actual installation work usually takes 2 – 3 days, depending on the complexity of your system and whether any additional work is needed, such as upgrading electrical systems or installing new gas lines.

Yes, permits are required for oil-to-gas conversions in NYC. However, we handle all the permitting processes for you, including filing with the Department of Buildings, coordinating with utility companies, and scheduling necessary inspections. This is all part of our comprehensive service.

We properly decommission and remove your old oil tank as part of the conversion process. This includes draining any remaining oil, cleaning the tank to environmental standards, and either removing it entirely or filling it with an approved material if removal isn't feasible. We ensure all work complies with local regulations.

Most of our customers see a 20 – 30% reduction in their heating costs after converting from oil to gas. The exact savings depend on your current oil usage, the efficiency of your new gas system, and current fuel prices. During our initial consultation, we can provide a more detailed estimate based on your specific situation.

Yes. Financing for oil-to-gas conversions is available through our financing partners. All financing is subject to credit approval, and your terms may vary. Tell us you'd like to finance when you request a quote and we'll send you an application link. See hepcohp.com/financing for how it works.

Yes. Emergency service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.

We typically have a technician on site within 4 hours.

Leave the building right away, don't use light switches or phones inside, and call 911 or your gas utility from outside. Call us once the utility has made the area safe.

During heat season, October 1 through May 31, NYC requires indoor temperatures of at least 68°F during the day when it's below 55°F outside, and at least 62°F overnight regardless of outside temperature.

Yes. We repair boilers in single-family homes, co-ops, multifamily buildings, and commercial properties.

No. One reset is fine, but a boiler that locks out again has a problem, often an ignition, flame sensor, or fuel supply issue. Repeated resets can make it worse. Call us and leave it off until a technician checks it.

We'll explain why and quote a right-sized replacement on the same visit, including the permits the new boiler needs.

Often, yes. In many NYC homes and buildings, hot water comes from a coil or an indirect tank on the heating boiler, so one failure takes out both. We repair the boiler and confirm the hot water is back before we leave.

Common causes are failed air vents or steam traps, closed or stuck valves, air in a hot water system, or piping that isn't pitched correctly.

In steam systems, banging (water hammer) usually means water is trapped in the piping because of poor pitch, failed traps, or an overfilled boiler.

Yes. We repair one-pipe and two-pipe steam systems and hot water (hydronic) systems.

Yes. If you have no heat, emergency service is available 24/7.

Short-cycling usually comes from an oversized boiler, a pressure control set too tight on a steam system, a faulty thermostat or sensor, or a low-water condition. It wastes fuel and wears out the burner, so it's worth fixing even when the heat still works.

A boiler with a sound heat exchanger can often run for years after a repair. If the heat exchanger or sections are cracked, or repairs keep coming back, a replacement is usually the better spend. We tell you which one applies after we inspect it.

Yes. On steam systems we replace main and radiator vents, repair traps, and correct pipe pitch. On hot water systems we purge air and adjust or repair circulators and zone valves so upper floors and far apartments heat evenly.

Gas piping work in NYC must be performed under a Licensed Master Plumber by workers who hold a DOB Gas Work Qualification, and filed with the Department of Buildings. Our technicians hold full qualifications, and we handle the filing.

Yes. We find and repair the problem, pressure test the piping, handle the DOB filing and inspection, and file the required paperwork with the utility to restore service.

Yes. We run gas piping and connections for restaurant and commercial kitchen equipment.

Yes. We install high-capacity gas lines and regulators for large buildings and boiler plants, including oil-to-gas conversions, and we plan the work to keep downtime to a minimum.

Usually because a leak was reported or found, or because the utility saw an unsafe condition on the piping or an appliance. The utility locks the meter until the problem is repaired and the work is signed off.

Not until the piping has been repaired, pressure tested, and the work filed and inspected with the Department of Buildings. Once that's done, we file the required paperwork with the utility and schedule the turn-on.

It depends on how much piping needs repair and on the inspection and utility schedules. A single leaking connection is much faster than replacing a building's riser. We'll tell you what to expect before work starts.

Yes. We restore gas in multifamily buildings, co-ops, and mixed-use properties, including buildings where cooking gas is off for every unit.

Yes. Once the utility turns the gas back on, we relight boilers, water heaters, and ranges and check that they're running.

Leave the building right away. Don't use light switches, phones, or anything that could make a spark. Call 911 or your gas utility from outside, and call us once the area has been made safe.

The gas company or 911 first. They respond to the emergency and make the area safe. We repair the leak and get the gas restored afterward.

Usually, yes. The utility shuts off and locks the gas until the leak is repaired and the piping passes a pressure test and inspection. We handle that whole process.

Yes. Emergency service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and a technician is typically on site within 4 hours.

Yes. Worn flex connectors and leaking appliance valves on ranges, dryers, boilers, and water heaters are common sources. We test the appliance connections along with the piping.

Renovations, tenant build-outs, restaurants and commercial kitchens, booster pump systems, gas piping, and backflow work for offices, institutions, and multifamily buildings.

Yes. Our work includes projects for the NYC Department of Transportation, the NYC Department of Design and Construction, and the NYS Office of General Services.

Yes. We phase work around operations. For example, we converted three boilers to natural gas at the Manhattan Psychiatric Center with no downtime.

Yes. We file the permits our work requires, and we correct plumbing conditions behind open violations and handle the paperwork to clear them.

Yes. We size and install grease interceptors as part of kitchen rough-in, connect them to the building drainage, and service existing interceptors and the drain lines they protect.

Most do. Wherever DEP requires a backflow preventer on the water service, the device has to be tested every year by a certified tester and the results filed with DEP. We test, repair, and file for RPZ and double check valve assemblies.

Yes. We carry the plumbing scope for general contractors and construction managers on private and public projects, from rough-in through final inspection and sign-off.

Yes. Replacing a gas water heater in New York City is permitted work that has to be filed with the Department of Buildings. We file the permit and handle the inspection as part of the job.

Most tank heaters, gas or electric, last 8 to 12 years. Tankless heaters can last up to 20 years with regular descaling. Hard use, sediment, and a failed anode rod shorten a tank's life.

If the tank itself is leaking, it has to be replaced. A failed thermocouple, gas valve, heating element, thermostat, or relief valve can usually be repaired. If the heater is near the end of its life, we'll tell you whether a repair is worth it.

Tankless heaters save floor space and don't run out of hot water, but they need a larger gas line and new venting in many NYC homes. We check both before recommending one, so the price you're quoted includes everything the install needs.

Shut the cold-water valve on top of the heater. Turn the gas valve to off, or switch off the breaker for an electric heater. If you smell gas, leave the building and call 911 or your gas utility from outside. Then call us for emergency service.

A maintenance plan covers scheduled visits for a home or building on a set package. A service contract is a custom agreement, usually for commercial properties, with a scope, schedule, and response terms written for that building.

Once a year, before the heat season starts on October 1. Larger buildings and steam systems benefit from a second visit in mid-winter, when the system is working hardest.

Plans cover the scheduled service, testing, and reporting. If a visit finds a repair, we quote it before any work starts, and plan customers get priority scheduling for it.

We coordinate the inspection for buildings that require it, prepare the boiler, handle the filing, and correct any defects the inspection finds.

Yes. Managers and boards can cover a whole portfolio under one agreement, with a separate schedule and service log for each building.

Yes. We schedule the first visit right away and set the rest of the calendar from there.

Low-pressure boilers in residential buildings with 6 or more families, SROs, mixed-use buildings, and commercial buildings need one every year. Boilers in residential buildings with 5 or fewer families, boilers that heat a single apartment, and boilers rated at 100,000 BTU or less are exempt.

Any time in the calendar year, January 1 to December 31. The report is due in DOB NOW: Safety within 14 days of the inspection. Booking early in the year leaves room to repair defects before the 90-day correction deadline.

Low-pressure boilers can be inspected by a qualified installer licensed by the Department of Buildings or by an authorized boiler insurance company. High-pressure boilers can only be inspected by an authorized insurance company.

The defects have to be corrected within 90 days of the inspection, and an Affirmation of Correction filed to close out the report. We quote the repairs, make them, and make sure the affirmation is filed in time.

A late report costs $50 per month, per boiler, up to $600. A report that is never filed, or an Affirmation of Correction that isn't filed in time, carries a $1,000 penalty per boiler. DOB lets owners request a waiver in some cases.

No. The DOB inspection is a compliance check: the inspector checks the boiler, its safety devices, and the boiler room against code and writes up any defects, but doesn't clean or repair anything. A tune-up, like our yearly tune-up and startup, is a service visit: we clean the boiler, check the safety controls, start it up, and fix small problems. We recommend a tune-up for every boiler, even ones the DOB doesn't require inspecting.

Yes. An owner or licensee can request up to two 45-day extensions in DOB NOW: Safety, but each request has to be filed before the current deadline passes.

Our tune-up for a gas boiler in a one- or two-family home starts at $495. Oil boilers, larger steam systems, and buildings with more than one boiler are quoted once we know the equipment. Any repairs are quoted before we start them.

No. The DOB inspection is a compliance check required every year for buildings with 6 or more apartments, mixed-use, and commercial buildings. The inspector checks the boiler and boiler room against code and writes up defects, but doesn't clean or repair anything. A tune-up is maintenance: we clean the boiler, check the safety controls, start it up, and fix small problems. Buildings that need the DOB inspection benefit from both.

Every year before the heat season starts on October 1. Booking in late summer or early fall leaves time to fix anything we find before you need the heat.

Yes. Most of what a tune-up finds doesn't show yet: a dirty burner, a sticking low-water cutoff, a leaking relief valve. Catching it in the fall costs less than an emergency call in January.

Yes. Every maintenance plan includes the yearly tune-up, plus priority scheduling during the heat season. If you want the tune-up every year, a plan is the simpler option.

NYC DEP requires every backflow prevention device to be tested at least once a year, and again after it is installed, repaired, or relocated. The test has to be performed by a New York State certified backflow tester, and the results filed with DEP.

Many NYC properties do: buildings with fire sprinkler or standpipe systems, boilers and booster pumps, irrigation, restaurants, labs, medical offices, and most commercial and industrial sites. If DEP has sent you a letter or a violation, you need one. We can survey the property and tell you which device type is required.

A failed test usually means a worn check valve, a fouled relief valve, or debris in the assembly. We can rebuild or repair it on the spot in most cases, retest it, and file the passing results so your record with DEP stays clean.

DEP tracks test filings for every registered device. A missed test can lead to violations, fines, and in serious cases interruption of water service. Scheduling the test before the due date avoids all of that.

Yes. After the test we complete the annual test report and handle the DEP filing, and you get a copy for your records. You do not have to deal with the paperwork.

Basic drain cleaning typically ranges from $150 to $300, depending on the location and severity of the clog. More complex issues like main sewer line blockages or those requiring hydro jetting may cost more. We provide upfront pricing after diagnosing the problem so there are no surprises.

Signs of a main sewer line clog include multiple drains backing up at once, gurgling sounds from toilets when using other fixtures, water backing up in floor drains, and sewage odors. If you notice these symptoms, call us immediately to prevent sewage backup into your home.

Recurring clogs are often caused by buildup of grease, soap scum, or hair over time. They can also indicate a more serious issue like tree root intrusion, pipe damage, or improper pipe slope. Our video inspection service can identify the root cause so we can fix it permanently.

Yes! We offer 24/7 emergency drain cleaning and repair services. Sewage backups and major clogs can't wait, so our team is always ready to respond quickly to prevent water damage and health hazards in your home or business.

Hydro jetting is safe for most pipe materials when performed by experienced professionals. We always inspect pipes first to assess their condition. For older or fragile pipes, we may recommend alternative cleaning methods to avoid damage while still clearing the blockage effectively.

Most residential camera inspections in NYC fall in a few hundred dollars depending on access, line length, and whether we need to open a cleanout. We give upfront pricing before we start so you know the number before the camera goes in.

If this is a one-off clog, cleaning may be enough. If clogs keep coming back, multiple fixtures are affected, or you smell sewage, a camera run finds the real cause (roots, a belly, a broken joint) so you are not paying to clear the same spot every few months.

Yes. We inspect branch drains and main sewer laterals when access allows. If the cleanout or entry point is buried or missing, we will tell you what access is needed before we begin.

When it helps for insurance, a property sale, or documenting repairs, we can provide video documentation of the inspection. Ask when you book so we set that up on site.

Often yes. Call (718) 935-0900 and we will schedule the soonest available window. Emergency backups and multi-drain failures get priority.

Wisetack, through its lending partners. HEPCO doesn't lend the money itself, and all financing is subject to credit approval.

Request a quote and tell us you'd like to finance, or tick the financing box on the quote form. Once you have a written quote, we send you an application link by text or e-mail.

Checking your options does not affect your credit score. See wisetack.com/faqs for details.

No. All financing is subject to credit approval, and your terms may vary.

No. It's consumer financing, meant for individual customers such as homeowners.