Metro Detroit's Boiler People — Hot Water, Steam, and Radiant Heat Done Right

We actually fix boilers. Hot water systems, steam systems, radiant heat — we service them all, and we've been doing it for over 14 years while most local contractors quietly turn this work away.

Finding Boiler Help in Metro Detroit Shouldn't Be This Hard

If you've called around and heard "we don't really work on those," you already know the problem. Boiler service has become a gap in this market — most HVAC companies are set up for forced-air furnaces and don't have the training or experience to work confidently on hydronic or steam systems. We do. It's one of the things that separates us, and it's why homeowners in Dearborn, Redford Township, Livonia, and across the older Metro Detroit housing stock call us when no one else will touch their system.

 

Older homes in Wayne County were built around boilers, and those systems — when properly maintained — can outlast almost any forced-air alternative. The problem isn't usually the boiler. The problem is finding someone qualified to keep it running. We bring genuine residential boiler expertise to every call: the right diagnostic approach, the right parts knowledge, and an honest read on whether your system needs a repair or a replacement.

Hot Water Boilers and Steam Boilers — We Service Both

These are two different systems, and they require two different skill sets. A technician who knows forced-air heating isn't automatically qualified to diagnose a steam boiler with pressure problems, or a hot water system with a failing circulator pump. We work on both types regularly, which means we're not guessing when we show up at your door.

Hot water boilers (hydronic systems) circulate heated water through baseboard radiators or radiant floor tubing. Steam boilers heat water past the boiling point and distribute steam through cast-iron radiators — a system common in Dearborn, Redford, and other neighborhoods built in the mid-20th century. Each has its own failure patterns, its own maintenance needs, and its own repair logic. We know both.

Common Boiler Problems We Diagnose and Repair

If your boiler is making noise, losing pressure, producing uneven heat, or simply not heating at all, the cause is usually one of a handful of known issues. Here's what we find most often in Metro Detroit homes:

 

  • Kettling — a rumbling or banging sound caused by limescale buildup on the heat exchanger, restricting water flow and overheating localized areas
  • Low system pressure — often caused by a slow leak, a failed expansion tank, or a faulty pressure relief valve
  • Circulator pump failure — the pump that moves hot water through the system stops working, leaving radiators cold even when the boiler fires
  • Pilot light or ignition issues — older systems with standing pilots and newer systems with electronic ignition both fail in distinct ways
  • Leaking radiator valves or fittings — common in aging systems and often repairable without replacing the boiler itself
  • Uneven heat distribution — some rooms hot, others cold; usually a balancing or bleeding issue, not a boiler replacement situation
  • Steam pressure problems — incorrect operating pressure in a steam system causes banging pipes, poor heat distribution, and accelerated wear

 

We diagnose before we recommend. If the repair makes sense, we'll tell you. If the system is genuinely past the point of cost-effective repair, we'll tell you that too — with the numbers to back it up.

Our Boiler Services

Boiler Repair

We diagnose and repair hot water and steam boilers across Metro Detroit. Whether your system stopped firing overnight or has been running poorly for a season, we'll identify the root cause and give you a straight answer on what it will take to fix it. No parts replaced on a guess.

 

Most boiler repairs come down to a component failure — a pump, a valve, a pressure switch, an ignition module — rather than a system-wide failure. We carry common parts on the truck and can resolve a lot of problems in a single visit. When parts need to be ordered, we'll tell you the timeline upfront.

Boiler Installation and Replacement

When a boiler has reached the end of its service life, we handle the full replacement — including system sizing, equipment selection, and installation. We work with condensing boilers for high-efficiency applications and standard atmospheric boilers where the existing system calls for it. If you're replacing an older steam system or converting from steam to hot water, we can walk you through what that involves before any decision is made.

Boiler Maintenance and Tune-Ups

Annual boiler maintenance is the single best way to prevent the kind of breakdown that leaves you without heat in January. A proper tune-up includes a combustion analysis, pressure and relief valve checks, heat exchanger inspection, circulator pump assessment, and a review of the system's controls and safety devices. We also offer boiler maintenance as part of our twice-yearly maintenance plan, which includes priority scheduling and 10% off parts and labor.

Radiant Heat Systems

Radiant floor heating runs on the same hydronic principles as baseboard systems but has its own set of considerations — zone control, manifold setup, and the sensitivity of in-floor tubing to pressure and temperature changes. We service radiant systems as part of our broader hydronic work. If your radiant heat isn't performing evenly or has lost pressure, we can diagnose the system and identify whether the issue is in the boiler, the distribution system, or the controls.

Frequently Asked Questions About Furnace Installation in Metro Detroit

  • Who repairs boilers in Metro Detroit?

    Fewer contractors than you'd expect. Most residential HVAC companies in the area focus on forced-air systems and don't have the training or experience to work on hot water or steam boilers. Maximum Heating & Cooling is one of the few local contractors that genuinely specializes in residential boiler service — repair, maintenance, and replacement.

  • My boiler is making a banging or rumbling noise. What's causing it?

    That sound is usually kettling — a condition caused by limescale or sediment buildup on the heat exchanger that restricts water flow and causes localized overheating. It can also be a sign of low water pressure or a circulation issue. It's worth having a technician look at it before it causes more serious damage to the heat exchanger.

  • My boiler isn't heating in my old Dearborn house. What should I check first?

    Start with the basics: confirm the thermostat is calling for heat, check that the system pressure gauge reads within the normal range (typically 12–25 psi for hot water systems), and look for any visible leaks around the boiler or radiator connections. If the boiler isn't firing at all, it may be an ignition or pressure issue. A technician can usually identify the cause quickly — most boiler no-heat calls come down to one failed component.

  • Is it worth repairing an old boiler, or should I replace it?

    It depends on the age of the system, the cost of the repair, and the overall condition of the boiler. A well-maintained boiler can last 20–30 years, and many older systems still have useful life left. We assess every boiler honestly and give you a repair-vs-replace recommendation based on the actual numbers — not on what's more profitable for us.

  • Do you service steam boilers, or only hot water systems?

    Both. Steam boilers and hot water (hydronic) boilers are different systems that require different diagnostic approaches, and we work on both regularly. Steam systems are common in older Metro Detroit homes and have their own set of maintenance and repair needs — we're familiar with them.

  • Do you offer a maintenance plan that covers boilers?

    Yes. Our twice-yearly maintenance plan includes boiler tune-ups as part of the covered services. Plan members also get priority scheduling, 10% off parts and labor, and a free diagnostic with any covered repair. It's the most cost-effective way to keep an older boiler running reliably through Michigan winters.

Why Homeowners in Older Metro Detroit Homes Trust Us With Their Boilers

The homes in Dearborn, Redford Township, Livonia, and the surrounding communities were often built in an era when boilers were the standard. Many of those systems are still running — and running well — because they were built to last. What they need is a contractor who respects that and doesn't walk in looking for a reason to replace everything.

 

We've built our boiler work around a repair-first philosophy. We assess the system honestly, explain what we find in plain language, and give you our recommendation — with the reasoning behind it. If your boiler can be saved, we'll save it. If it can't, we'll show you why and help you understand your replacement options without pressure.