Boiler & Radiant Heating in Healdsburg
Local Plumbing services, repairs and replaces boilers and radiant heating systems in Healdsburg, from older houses near the historic districts to larger homes out in the valleys. Our hydronic techs are based in Petaluma, and we've been working on Healdsburg boilers as recently as this year.
Pick a time online. No heat right now? Call or text, day or night.
The Healdsburg heating systems we work on
Hydronic heat in and around Healdsburg runs the full range: cast-iron boilers on radiators, radiant tubing in slabs and under wood floors, and wall-hung condensing boilers paired with an indirect tank for hot water.
Johnson Street & Matheson Street
Healdsburg has two locally designated historic districts, Johnson Street and Matheson Street, with houses ranging from Homestead and Victorian to Italian Renaissance and Revival styles. Exterior changes to the main house there go through the City's design review. Since condensing boilers usually exhaust out a side wall, we route new vent terminations to the side or rear where we can, and tell you before we start if a route may need a planning sign-off.
Dry Creek & Alexander Valley
Dry Creek Valley runs about 16 miles northwest of town and holds more than 9,000 acres of vineyards and over 70 wineries; Alexander Valley lies to the north and east. Homes out here are generally outside city limits, so boiler permits come from Permit Sonoma rather than the City. Larger properties can mean more zones, a second boiler or another building on the same plant.
Around town
Healdsburg has its own building department, and the City also runs the local electric, water and wastewater utilities. So the permit is filed with the City, and the City's own rebates apply if you add a heat pump water heater.
A recent Healdsburg job: the boiler that didn't survive a power outage
August 2025 · Viessmann boiler replacement
A Healdsburg homeowner called because their Viessmann boiler system had been acting up ever since a recent power outage. Owner Conor Crawford went out to assess it. Testing showed that the outage, and the surge that came with it, had fried the boiler's internals.
We supplied and installed a new Viessmann boiler, reconfigured the piping where the new unit needed it, tested the whole system, and left it operating as designed.
Another Healdsburg call this May was routine by comparison: a full service on a boiler and its external components, including installing replacement parts supplied under the manufacturer's warranty.
What to do when the power comes back
- Give the boiler a chance to restart on its own. Most modern boilers run a self-check when power returns. If it shows a fault code or stays off, write the code down before you touch anything.
- Don't keep resetting it. One reset is reasonable. Repeated lockouts after an outage point to a damaged control or sensor, and a technician should test it.
- Talk to your electrician about surge protection. A modern boiler is run by a circuit board. Surge protection for the house or a dedicated device on the boiler circuit is worth discussing with a licensed electrician, especially on a property where outages are common.
Signs your Healdsburg system needs a look
The symptom usually tells us where to start.
Error code or no heat after an outage
A control board, igniter or sensor that didn't come back cleanly when the power did.
We read the fault history, test the electronics and tell you plainly whether it's a part or the boiler.
One of two boilers does all the work
On a two-boiler setup, one unit has locked out and its partner is covering for it until the coldest week arrives.
We service the locked-out boiler and check the controller that decides which one fires.
You keep topping up the pressure
A leak somewhere, or an expansion tank that has lost its air charge. Every top-up brings in fresh minerals and oxygen.
We find where the water is going before it scales or corrodes the heat exchanger.
Radiant floors slow to warm, or cold in one room
Air in a loop, a failed zone actuator, a sticking mixing valve, or a manifold that was never balanced.
We purge and balance the loops and test each actuator and valve in turn.
Hot water runs short
Scale on the coil of an indirect tank, or a priority setting or sensor that's off.
We check the controls, then descale or treat the water if minerals are the cause.
An orphaned Triangle Tube
Triangle Tube shut down in November 2025, so parts and warranty support are drying up.
We repair it if parts exist and plan a replacement before it strands you. Our Triangle Tube guide
Repairs are priced after we diagnose the system, so call for a quote. More on boiler repairs and radiant heating repairs.
Healdsburg boiler acting up? Call or book a visit.
Healdsburg isn't in the Bay Area air district
Much of the news about gas water heaters and boilers comes from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD). Its Rule 9-6 sets zero-NOx dates for new gas water heaters and boilers, currently 2027 for small water heaters and 2031 for boilers, with changes proposed. That rule covers southern Sonoma County, including Petaluma and Santa Rosa.
Healdsburg is under a different district
Healdsburg falls under the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District (NSCAPCD, also called NoSoCo Air), which is headquartered in Healdsburg on Center Street. BAAQMD's Rule 9-6 dates do not apply here.
In the district's EPA-approved rules we reviewed, we found no residential boiler or water heater rule like Rule 9-6; those rules deal mainly with industrial combustion sources, open burning and permitting. We check current requirements before every install.
- The City's all-electric reach code isn't being enforced. Healdsburg adopted a code requiring heat-pump heating in new buildings and major remodels, and the City says it will not enforce it after the final Ninth Circuit ruling in the Berkeley gas case. It was never written for swapping out a boiler in a house that already exists.
- A statewide standard is still a proposal. The California Air Resources Board is developing zero-emission standards for space and water heaters. It hasn't been adopted.
- What that means for you: a new high-efficiency gas boiler is still a legitimate choice in Healdsburg, alongside electric options.
Repair it or replace it?
Keep and repair when…
- The heat exchanger is sound and the fault is a part: a sensor, igniter, circulator, zone valve or actuator
- Parts and support are still available for the brand
- The radiators or radiant loops hold pressure
- Annual service has been kept up and the boiler isn't failing every winter
Plan a replacement when…
- Testing shows serious internal damage, as on the August 2025 job above
- The heat exchanger leaks or is badly scaled or corroded
- The manufacturer no longer supports it
- An old cast-iron boiler is wasting fuel on a radiant system that only needs warm water
What goes into a Healdsburg replacement
- Sizing from the house. A heat-loss estimate, not the old boiler's nameplate, so the new unit doesn't short-cycle.
- Piping that suits the new boiler. A modern condensing boiler often needs different piping than the unit it replaces, so we reconfigure it rather than force a fit.
- Clean, protected water. A system flush, a dirt and magnetic separator on older iron systems, and treated fill water.
- Venting planned early. Especially in the historic districts, where the vent location may need design review.
We install and service brands including Viessmann, Lochinvar, NTI, Navien and HTP. See all boiler replacement options.
Boiler and radiant pricing for Healdsburg homes
Our published 2026 ranges. Your price depends on the house and the system, and you get it in writing first.
Healdsburg water and your heating system
City water comes from three well fields: two on the Russian River, supplying about 80%, and one on Dry Creek, supplying about 20%. The City ultrafilters it and adds orthophosphate for corrosion control. Its 2024 water quality report lists average hardness of about 141 ppm(roughly 8 grains per gallon), with a range of 76 to 185 ppm.
That's moderately hard, and it shows up as scale on indirect-tank coils and on heat exchangers that get topped up again and again. We recommend treated fill water and an inhibitor.
Properties on private wells
Sonoma County has more than 40,000 wells, and private well water isn't regulated. The County advises testing through a certified lab, including for arsenic, iron and manganese. We install whole-house filtration and treatment sized to those results, and we replace pressure tanks. We don't work on well pumps; for a pump problem, call a well contractor.
Other services for Healdsburg homes
We also handle water heaters and water treatment here.
Water Heaters
Tank and tankless repair and replacement
Learn more →
Heat Pump Water Heaters
Installs and help with City rebate paperwork
Learn more →
Water Filtration
Whole-house treatment for city and well water
Learn more →
Boilers & Radiant
Annual service, repairs and upgrades
Learn more →
City of Healdsburg heat pump water heater rebate
Because the City is Healdsburg's electric utility, it runs its own rebates. As of late September 2026, its program page listed $2,000 for an ENERGY STAR heat pump water heater (UEF 3.30 or higher) when the gas water heater is fully removed, or $500 otherwise, plus up to $1,000 toward a panel upgrade paired with electrification. Check the City's current terms before you buy.
How a Healdsburg boiler replacement goes
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Assess, test, quote
We test the boiler, piping, zones and controls, then put repair and replacement options in writing.
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Permit and install
City or Permit Sonoma permit, then the new boiler, piping reconfigured as needed, separator and venting.
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Start-up and walkthrough
We run a combustion analysis on the new boiler, check every zone, and show you the controls.
Healdsburg boiler & radiant FAQ
Do you work on boilers in Healdsburg?
Yes. We service, repair and replace boilers and radiant systems in Healdsburg, Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley. Our team is based in Petaluma, about 32 miles down Highway 101. We're open 24/7; call or text (415) 234-0370.
My boiler stopped working after a power outage. What should I do?
Let it try to restart, note any error code, and reset it once at most. If it locks out again, call us. On our August 2025 Healdsburg job, testing showed the outage had damaged the boiler's internals. Ask your electrician about surge protection for the boiler circuit.
Does BAAQMD's gas boiler rule apply in Healdsburg?
No. Healdsburg is under the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District, not BAAQMD, so Rule 9-6's zero-NOx dates don't apply.
How much does a boiler replacement cost in Healdsburg?
High-efficiency replacements run $8,500–$15,000, combi boilers $11,000–$16,500, radiant heating boiler systems $12,000–$18,000, and a boiler with an indirect water heater $19,000–$29,000. Pump, manifold and valve upgrades add $1,200–$4,500. Repairs are quoted after diagnosis.
Who issues the permit?
The City of Healdsburg inside city limits; Permit Sonoma for Dry Creek, Alexander Valley and other unincorporated addresses. Historic-district homes may also need design review for exterior changes. We file the permit.
Is Healdsburg water hard enough to affect my boiler?
Moderately: the City's 2024 report averages about 141 ppm (roughly 8 grains per gallon). We recommend treated fill water to limit scale.
Do you repair well pumps?
No. For well properties we install water treatment and filtration and replace pressure tanks. A well contractor handles the pump.
We serve Healdsburg, the Johnson Street and Matheson Street districts, Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley, from our Petaluma team at 5 San Carlos Dr. More: boilers & radiant · boiler repair · radiant heating repair · boiler replacement · Local Plumbing in Petaluma · contact us.
No heat in Healdsburg, or planning ahead?
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