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Richard T. Curley
Richard T. Curley
Richard T. Curley
PLUMBING & HEATING
Heating problems... In Stow Ma Installations, Replacements, and Repairs
Common Heating Questions in Stow
Probably worth looking at the numbers. A boiler from the 1970s is likely running at 65 to 70% efficiency at best — meaning 30 to 35 cents of every fuel dollar go up the chimney. A modern condensing boiler runs at 90 to 95%. If the cottage is now year-round and your fuel bills are climbing, the savings from a replacement can pay for the unit in a few years. We can test the combustion efficiency and give you real numbers.
Parts of Stow do, but not all streets. If you're near Route 117 or in a newer subdivision, natural gas may be available. If you're on a rural lot or near Lake Boon, you're likely on oil or propane. If you're on oil and propane is an option, we can walk you through the conversion numbers.
In a two-zone Stow colonial, this usually means the upstairs thermostat is in a hallway that warms up last — so it calls for heat later. It can also mean the upstairs zone valve is slow to open, or there's air in the upstairs loop. We can check the thermostat placement, test the zone valve, and bleed the loop. Most fixes are straightforward.
Popping — not the normal creaking of expanding copper — usually means air in the loop or a pipe that's rubbing against framing as it heats up. Popping air pockets are a sign the system needs bleeding. Rubbing pipes need to be isolated where they pass through a tight joist or wall opening. Both are fixable in one visit.
If you’re closing the cottage for the winter and the boiler won’t run, the system needs to be drained or filled with antifreeze. A freeze crack in a boiler or a baseboard loop is an expensive spring discovery. We can drain and winterize the system properly — or if you want to keep the cottage above freezing without heating it fully, we can set up a freeze-stat control that fires the boiler only when the temperature drops near 32 degrees.
Yes. We tap into the existing boiler loop and run a new zone with its own thermostat and zone valve. Stow basements finished as playrooms, offices, or guest rooms are common, and baseboard heat is the simplest way to add warmth. If the basement floor is being replaced, radiant is an option too.
For the full scope of heating services across every Metrowest town we serve, see our heating system repair guide for Metrowest.
Need bathroom plumbing while we’re in the house? Our bathroom plumbing services in Stow cover toilets, sinks, tubs, and showers — Lake Boon cottage to Route 117 subdivision.
If your hot water is part of the heating problem, our water heater services in Stow handle gas, electric, and tankless repair and replacement.
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The Heating Business...
Richard T. Curley Plumbing and Heating has kept Stow MA homes warm since 1980. We specialize in boiler repair, boiler replacement, radiant heat, baseboard systems, and circulator pump service. If your heat runs on hot water or steam, we handle it — whether you're in a Lake Boon cottage, a mid-century ranch, or a new subdivision off Route 117.
We do not push new equipment when a repair will do the job. If your boiler can be fixed, we fix it. If it's time for a replacement, we'll give you a straight answer — no pressure, no scare tactics, no upsell.
Here at Richard T. Curley Plumbing and Heating, we are committed to same-day heating service for every Stow resident. A cold house in January — whether it’s a four-season cottage by the lake or a colonial on a cul-de-sac — isn’t something you wait on.
Boiler Repair and Replacement...
Boiler Repair… A boiler that’s making noise, short-cycling, or leaving baseboards lukewarm needs attention before it fails completely. We troubleshoot gas boilers, oil boilers, steam boilers, and high-efficiency condensing units across Stow.
Common repairs we handle: failed circulator pumps, faulty zone valves, expansion tank failures, air-bound radiators, thermocouple replacements, and pressure switch issues. Stow’s mix of water sources matters — homes on Lake Boon well points pull water with a different mineral profile than homes on deep drilled wells or the small municipal network near the center. Each leaves its own mark on the boiler. We check for it on every service call. Most repairs take one visit. We carry circulator pumps, zone valves, and common control parts on the truck so you’re not waiting on a second trip.
Boiler Replacement… When repair isn’t the smart money, we guide you toward the right replacement. Stow homes span every era — lake cottages converted to year-round living, mid-century capes and ranches, center-hall colonials, and brand-new subdivisions. Each calls for different equipment.
In the older Stow cottages around Lake Boon, we often replace gravity-fed or ancient oil systems with modern condensing boilers that cut fuel use in half. In newer subdivisions, we’re usually swapping out builder-grade units for higher-efficiency models when they’ve run their course. We size the boiler to your home’s actual heat loss — not a guess. Getting it right matters, and we get it right.
- Weil-McLain
- Burnham
- Utica
- Buderus
Radiant Heat...
Radiant floor heat… Radiant floor heat is the most comfortable way to heat a home, and Stow’s newer construction and high-end renovations have embraced it — especially in master bathrooms, finished basements, and great rooms with high ceilings where forced air can’t keep up. We install radiant tubing, manifold systems, and mixing valves. We also repair existing radiant: cold spots in the floor, a zone that won’t heat, or a manifold that’s leaking.
In Lake Boon cottages, adding radiant to a single bathroom or mudroom during a renovation is one of the best upgrades you can make. We tap into the existing boiler loop and run a separate zone — warm floors where you want them, without redoing the whole house.
BOILER CONTROLS...
- Installation
- Replacement
- Repair
- Honeywell Thermostats
- Honeywell Controls
- White Rogers Controls
- Resideo Controls
- McDonnell & Miller
- Watts Regulator
- Just a few brands.
Baseboard and Radiator Systems...
Baseboard Heat… Stow homes with hot water baseboard know the sound of creaking copper as the heat comes up. When that sound stops — or when one room stays cold while the rest of the house is warm — something is wrong.
We bleed air from baseboard loops, replace stuck zone valves, and flush sediment from older systems. Stow’s mix of water sources means some loops accumulate fine sediment faster than others. A system flush clears it. If a baseboard section is damaged or leaking, we replace it. We also add baseboard to finished basements and attic conversions — common in Stow as families grow and square footage expands.
Radiators… Stow’s older colonials and lake-area homes have cast-iron radiators that can last a century if maintained. We repair steam and hot water radiators, replace failing air vents on steam systems, and fix leaking radiator valves. A cold radiator in an otherwise warm house is almost always a simple fix — a stuck vent or a trapped air pocket.
In two-story Stow colonials, the upstairs radiators sometimes run cooler than the downstairs ones — not because anything is broken, but because the system was never balanced after the last renovation. We tune the vents and valves so every room gets its share.
- Slant/Fin Baseboard
- Suntemp Baseboard
- Weil-McLain Cast Iron Baseboard
- Sunrad Cast Iron Radiator
- Installation
- Replacement
- Repair
Circulator Pumps and Zone Valves...
The circulator pump… The circulator pump is the heart of a hot water heating system. When it fails, nothing moves. Common signs: the boiler fires but the pipes stay cold, or you hear the pump humming louder than it should.
Zone valves… Control which part of the house gets heat. A stuck zone valve means one thermostat calls for heat and nothing happens — or worse, a zone that won’t shut off.
We replace Taco, Grundfos, Bell & Gossett, and Honeywell circulators and zone valves. Most are on the truck. In Stow homes where additions were built over decades — each with its own zone — a single stuck zone valve can leave a whole addition cold. We find it and fix it.
Expansion Tanks… Every hot water heating system has an expansion tank, and most Stow homeowners never think about it until it fails. A waterlogged expansion tank causes the pressure relief valve to drip — and that dripping is the canary in the coal mine.
We test expansion tanks, repressurize bladder-type tanks when possible, and replace them when they’ve failed. In Stow’s older lake cottages converted to year-round use, the expansion tank is often original to the conversion — meaning it’s decades old and living on borrowed time. A five-minute inspection once a year prevents a waterlogged tank from taking out the whole system.
- Taco Circulator Pumps
- Taco Zone Valves
- Grundfos Circulator Pumps
- Bell & Gossett Circulator Pumps
- Extrol Expansion Tanks
- Installation
- Replacement
- Repair