Sonoma Valley Plumber: Boilers, Radiant Heat & Water Heaters
From the homes around Sonoma Plaza to the homes rebuilt after the 2017 fire and Kenwood's well-water properties, Local Plumbing services boilers, radiant floors, water heaters and well-water treatment across the valley. We're hydronic specialists, and our nearest team works out of Petaluma, one ridge to the west.
Nearest team: 5 San Carlos Dr, Petaluma · Open 24/7 · Our Petaluma location
What we do in Sonoma Valley
Heating is the bulk of our valley work: boiler repair and replacement, radiant floor problems and boiler service. We also install tank and heat pump water heaters, treat well water and replace pressure tanks, and take everyday plumbing calls.
Boiler Repair & Service
Lockouts, pressure problems, combustion checks
Learn more →
Radiant Heating Repairs
Cold zones, manifolds, mixing valves
Learn more →
Water Heaters
Natural gas, propane and heat pump
Learn more →
Well Water Treatment
Filtration and pressure tanks for well homes
Learn more →
Also: Boiler Replacement · Boilers & Radiant · NTI Boilers · Heat Pump Water Heaters · Tankless · Leak Detection · Plumbing Repairs · Emergency Plumbing
Rebuilt after the Nuns Fire, and now due for service
The 2017 Nuns Fire destroyed 407 homes in Sonoma Valley. By October 2022, 177 had been rebuilt and 74 more were under construction, so a large group of valley homes now has heating equipment several years into its life, some of it never serviced since move-in.
On a first visit to a newer system we usually work through:
- Condensate trap and neutralizer. Debris collects here on condensing boilers, and a blocked trap shuts the boiler down.
- Combustion analysis. We read CO and O 2 at the flue on every boiler service, so a unit that was never tuned after startup gets set up correctly.
- Expansion tank and system pressure. A tank that has lost its air charge causes pressure swings and a weeping relief valve.
- Mixing valve, manifold and controls. Radiant floors need water much cooler than the boiler makes. We check the mixing, the zone actuators and the outdoor reset curve.
One valley, three kinds of water and housing
Where your water comes from and when your house was built shape what goes wrong with it.
The Plaza and the city grid
The city gets about 90% of its water from Sonoma Water, topped up by city wells, across roughly 4,400 service connections. The median home in town was built in 1977, and the Plaza at its center is a National Historic Landmark. Inside city limits, permits come from the City of Sonoma, not the County.
Older homes, district water
Glen Ellen's median home dates to 1956, two decades older than in town. Valley of the Moon Water District serves about 24,000 people here and in Boyes Hot Springs, Fetters Hot Springs, Agua Caliente, El Verano and Temelec. About 80% of its supply is Russian River water bought from Sonoma Water, with the rest from seven local wells.
Small water companies and wells
No single district covers Kenwood. Parts of it are served by Kenwood Village Water Company and Penngrove Kenwood Water Company, and private wells are common. The mapped Sonoma Valley groundwater subbasin stops about two miles south of Kenwood.
A recent Kenwood job
In April 2025 we replaced a Triangle Tube boiler in a Kenwood home with a new NTI TRX 199. We reconfigured the boiler piping and installed a new system pump and related valves.
If you still own a Triangle Tube, plan ahead. The company ceased operations in November 2025, and there is no factory parts or warranty support. Know your replacement options before a part fails in January. Our Triangle Tube shutdown guide explains what to do.
Heating calls we get from the valley
Boiler locks out on cold nights
Often: a blocked condensate trap, a dirty flame sensor or an ignition fault.
We clean the trap and neutralizer, service the sensor and read the fault history.
Pressure below 12 PSI or a dripping relief valve
Often: a flat expansion tank, a small leak or a failing fill valve.
We test and recharge or replace the tank, find the leak and check the fill valve.
One radiant room warm, another cold
Often: air in a loop, a stuck zone actuator or an unbalanced manifold.
We purge the loops, test actuators, balance flows and use thermal imaging on the floor.
Floors too hot, boiler short-cycling
Often: a mixing valve that has failed or was set wrong.
We rebuild or replace the valve and adjust the outdoor reset and firing rate.
Hot water runs out on a boiler + indirect
Often: the hot water priority setting, a tank sensor or a scaled coil.
We check priority and the sensor, then flush or assess the indirect tank.
Banging from an older boiler
Often: scale or sludge in the heat exchanger and poor flow.
We flush and treat the system and tell you plainly whether it's worth keeping.
Repairs are priced after we see the system. Call (415) 234-0370 for a quote. More on boiler repair, radiant repair and our radiant heat guide for Marin and Sonoma.
No heat in Sonoma, Glen Ellen or Kenwood? We answer 24/7.
Boiler replacement in Sonoma Valley
A boiler that is only a few years old should almost always be serviced and repaired. Replacement starts to make sense when the heat exchanger is leaking or badly scaled, parts are no longer available, or repairs keep stacking up on an aging unit.
Published 2026 ranges. Your home's layout, zones and venting set the final number, and you get a written estimate before work begins. See boiler replacement for what's included.
How a replacement goes
- Assess the whole system
We look at the boiler, the piping, the pump and valves, the venting route and the zones it feeds, not just the box on the wall. - Options in writing
A like-for-like boiler, a combi, or a boiler with an indirect tank, each with a price. When the piping, pump or valves need work too, as on the Kenwood job above, that goes in the estimate. - Permit, install, commission
Permit Sonoma for Glen Ellen, Kenwood and the Springs, or the City of Sonoma inside city limits. After the install we run a combustion analysis and set the controls for your house.
Water heaters, including propane
We install and repair tank, tankless and heat pump water heaters across the valley. In July 2026 we installed a new 30-gallon propane water heater for a Sonoma Valley home, with a drain pan, a new ball valve and new flex connections.
The Bay Area gas appliance rule and your valley home
Sonoma, Glen Ellen and Kenwood are inside the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, so its Rule 9-6 applies here. The rule controls what can be sold and installed; it doesn't make anyone remove working equipment.
- Gas tank water heaters up to 75,000 BTU/hr made after January 1, 2027 must be zero-NOx. A proposed amendment could move that to 2028.
- Gas tankless, larger water heaters and home gas boilers follow for units made after January 1, 2031 (a proposal would move this to 2033).
- Propane equipment is not covered by the Rule 9-6 zero-NOx standards, according to the Air District's FAQ.
- The amendments go to the Air District Board for a vote on November 4, 2026.
If your gas tank is getting old, we can price a gas replacement and a heat pump water heater side by side. More background: the 2027 gas water heater ban explained.
Well homes: treatment and pressure tanks
Sonoma County has more than 40,000 water wells, and private wells are unregulated, so testing is up to the owner. County environmental health staff recommend testing for arsenic, iron and manganese among other things, and note that brown or black staining can point to iron or manganese. On the valley floor, wells draw from alluvial aquifers; on the hillsides, from the Sonoma Volcanics. Water quality can change a lot from one property to the next.
- Whole-house filtration and treatment, chosen from a lab test of your water. See water filtration.
- Pressure tank replacement when a waterlogged tank makes the pump short-cycle.
- Protecting your heater. Iron and hardness scale the coils in indirect tanks and the heat exchangers in tankless units, so treatment ahead of the water heater pays off.
We don't repair or replace well pumps. For a failed pump, call a well contractor; we're glad to handle the treatment side alongside them.
Local rules worth knowing
County or City
Glen Ellen, Kenwood and the Springs are unincorporated, so permits go through Permit Sonoma, where an in-kind water heater or heating replacement can be permitted online or over the counter. The City of Sonoma treats water heater replacement and conversion to a heat pump or tankless unit as limited-scope permits.
Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District
The district covers the City of Sonoma, Glen Ellen, Agua Caliente, Boyes Hot Springs, Eldridge, Fetters Hot Springs and Temelec. Its private lateral program applies to properties 30 or more years old, offers a free video inspection, and requires laterals rated 4 or 5 to be repaired within a year. We don't do lateral work, but we can point you to someone who does.
Sonoma Valley plumbing FAQ
Do you service boilers and radiant floors in Sonoma, Glen Ellen and Kenwood?
Yes. Boilers and radiant heat are our specialty, and we work throughout the valley. Our nearest team is based in Petaluma. Call or text (415) 234-0370, day or night.
How much does a boiler replacement cost in Sonoma Valley?
Our published ranges are $8,500–$15,000 for a high-efficiency boiler, $11,000–$16,500 for a combi, $12,000–$18,000 for a radiant heating boiler system, and $19,000–$29,000 for a boiler with an indirect water heater. Repairs are quoted after we see the system.
I have a Triangle Tube boiler. Do I need to replace it now?
Not if it's working. Triangle Tube ceased operations in November 2025 with no parts or warranty support, so it's smart to have a replacement plan ready before something fails. Read our Triangle Tube guide or call us to look at your system.
Are gas boilers banned in Sonoma?
No. Under BAAQMD Rule 9-6, the zero-NOx standard for home gas boilers applies to units made after January 1, 2031 (a proposal would move it to 2033). It only applies at sale and installation, and you never have to remove a working boiler.
Does the 2027 water heater rule apply to propane?
No. The Air District's FAQ says propane equipment is not covered by Rule 9-6's zero-NOx standards. The 2027 date applies to natural gas tank water heaters up to 75,000 BTU/hr.
Can you fix my well pump?
No, we don't work on well pumps. For well homes we install whole-house filtration and treatment and replace pressure tanks.
Who issues the permit for a water heater or boiler in Glen Ellen?
Permit Sonoma, because Glen Ellen is unincorporated. The same goes for Kenwood and the Springs. Inside Sonoma city limits, the City of Sonoma issues it. We handle the permit either way.
Local Plumbing in Sonoma Valley
We cover Sonoma, Glen Ellen, Kenwood, Boyes Hot Springs, Fetters Hot Springs, Agua Caliente, El Verano, Eldridge and Temelec.
- Nearest team: 5 San Carlos Dr, Petaluma, CA 94952
- Phone: (415) 234-0370, call or text
- Open: 24 hours, 7 days a week
- License: C-16 & C-36 Lic #1091739
Book a Sonoma Valley plumber
Boiler down, radiant floors cold, water heater leaking or well water staining the sinks? Get it on the schedule.
