Allston plumbing follows the calendar. Boilers fail when the first cold week asks them to work, pipes split in a deep freeze, and every tap in the neighborhood gets hard use when leases turn over around September 1.
Our dispatch team answers 24/7 for emergency plumber calls in Allston and sends a licensed and insured technician from Brookline. Call (617) 752-0573, and we book a same-day appointment when one is available.
September 15 to June 15: when a cold radiator becomes a plumbing call
Massachusetts sets the heating season at September 15 through June 15 under 105 CMR 410.201. In those months the state minimum is 68 degrees F in habitable rooms and bathrooms from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and 64 degrees F overnight. Local boards of health can vary the season dates.
Our part is the water side of the system. A boiler that loses pressure or weeps at its relief valve is a boiler repair job, and a tank that has gone cold is a water heater repair job. We fix the equipment and give a clear price before work starts. Who owes what between tenant and landlord is not ours to settle.
| What you see | Usual plumbing cause | First step |
|---|---|---|
| Radiators cold, boiler running | Low system pressure or trapped air | Note the pressure gauge reading, then call dispatch |
| Water pooling under the boiler | Failed relief valve or a leaking joint | Switch the boiler off at its service switch and call |
| No hot water at any tap | Failed heating element, thermostat or burner | Check the floor around the tank for water, then call |
| Smell of gas | Gas leak | Leave the building and call 911 or National Grid at 1-800-233-5325 before calling us |
The temperatures above are the state minimums for habitable rooms, not a repair schedule.
Cold unit or wet basement?
Dispatch is open all night for Allston calls. Tell us the address and the symptom.
Signs a pipe has frozen or split
In January 2014 a nor'easter followed by frigid temperatures broke pipes throughout Boston, according to CBS Boston. Any pipe in an exterior wall or an unheated basement is at risk, in a Commonwealth Avenue brick building as much as in a Brighton Avenue triple-decker.
- No flow. One tap or one floor has no water while the rest of the building runs normally.
- Frost or a bulge. Visible frost or swelling on a pipe in a basement or along an outside wall.
- A stain after the thaw. A new ceiling stain or drip once the building warms up, because a split pipe often leaks only after the ice melts.
Close the building's main water valve, open a tap on the lowest floor to drain the line, and call us. Never use a flame to thaw a pipe. Our burst pipe repair technicians cut out the split section and check the run on either side.
Basements, backups and water from the street
Thaw is when split pipes announce themselves, and heavy rain or snowmelt is when a marginal drain finally backs up. The lowest fixture shows a blockage first, so a gurgling floor drain or a tub that rises while the washer runs deserves a call. Drain cleaning clears the branch line, and sewer line cleaning clears the run toward the street.
Not every wet basement starts inside. On December 8, 2017, a construction crew hit a water main at Brighton Avenue and Linden Street, and basement units flooded. For water coming from the street or sidewalk, BWSC's emergency line is 617-989-7000. For water from a pipe or fixture inside, close the valve and call us.
BWSC maintains the main in the street, and the owner is responsible for the entire lateral. A sewer camera inspection shows which stretch failed before anyone digs.
Turnover weeks: what gets checked and what gets missed
Many Allston leases end around September 1, a stretch known locally as Allston Christmas. A unit left empty for a few days can show a dripping supply line, a running toilet or a water heater nobody turned back on.
- Run every tap. Hot and cold for a full minute, watching for sputtering or slow flow.
- Flush each toilet twice. Listen for a tank that keeps refilling after the flush.
- Look under the sinks. Use a flashlight and feel the supply lines and the trap for dampness.
- Inspect the water heater. Check the floor around the tank for a puddle or rust streaks.
Anything that fails belongs in a call, not a note for later. A running toilet wastes water every hour, and a damp supply line seldom improves on its own. Most toilet repair and faucet repair visits are short, and the price is clear before work starts.
Tenants, landlords and property managers: how a call works
Allston and Brighton counted 21.0 percent of housing units as owner-occupied in the 2010 to 2011 planning profile, against 33.9 percent citywide. The data is old, but it explains why so many calls here involve an owner or manager who is not in the unit. Stacked units also share risers, so a third-floor leak often stains the ceiling two floors down, and leak detection with a moisture meter and thermal camera traces it before anyone cuts plaster.
Tell dispatch who is authorizing the work, and we give that person the clear price before we start. A tenant who finds a leak should close the valve and also call the manager or owner.
BWSC, MWRA and Boston ISD: who handles what
- Mains and sewers. . Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) serves Allston. Its emergency number is 617-989-7000.
- Water source. . BWSC water comes from MWRA's reservoirs. MWRA reports its water as soft, about 1 grain per gallon, so mineral scale is not the usual suspect in a failing heater here.
- Lead lines. . BWSC has offered private lead service line replacement to eligible owners since January 1, 2023, with a lead hotline at 617-989-7888.
- Permits. . Boston's Inspectional Services Department issues plumbing permits, and only licensed plumbers can pull them. Clearing a blocked drain or fixing a faucet needs none, while a water heater replacement does, and we handle that step.
What to do while you wait
Find the building shutoff
In a triple-decker it is often in the basement, and in a larger building the manager may hold the key. Locate it now, not during the flood.
Switch off a leaking boiler
Use the service switch and stay out of the puddle. Keep anyone away from wet outlets and panels.
Clear the basement path
Move storage away from the water heater, floor drain and cleanout so the technician can reach them.
If you smell gas, leave the building and call 911 or National Grid at 1-800-233-5325 before calling us.
What moves the number on an Allston call
- AccessA basement run with exposed pipe is quicker to repair than one behind plaster, and a shared riser may need access to a neighbor's unit.
- ScopeA single split section differs from a pipe that is corroded along its whole length.
- EquipmentA boiler part, a tank heater and a toilet fill valve each carry different material costs.
- PermitWork that needs a Boston ISD permit adds the step of filing it and passing inspection.
- Time of dayDispatch runs 24/7, and we confirm the details of an after-hours visit when you call.
Renters policies and building policies differ, so ask the carrier what documentation it wants after water damage. We can tell you plainly what failed and where.
Want your real number? Call (617) 752-0573.
Allston plumbing questions
Allston has one ZIP code, 02134. It spans Allston Village along Harvard Avenue, Packard's Corner where Commonwealth and Brighton Avenues meet, and Lower Allston north of the Massachusetts Turnpike.
Next door, Brighton is ZIP 02135, and Brookline, where our dispatch address is, uses 02446 and 02445. We cover all of them.
Yes. Dispatch answers 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays, and we book a same-day appointment when one is available.
While you wait, close the nearest shutoff, keep people away from wet electrical areas and, if the problem is gas, leave and call 911 or National Grid first.
If the boiler is the cause, yes. Low pressure, trapped air, a failed relief valve and a boiler that will not fire all fall on the plumbing and heating side.
The state heating season runs September 15 through June 15 with a 68 degree F daytime minimum, so write down the room temperature as well as calling us.
Open the faucet on the frozen line so melting water has somewhere to go, and check along the pipe for a split. If you see water, close the building's main valve and call.
Do not use a torch or open flame. A hair dryer on low is safer for a pipe you can reach, but a pipe inside a wall needs a technician.
BWSC maintains the main in the street. The property owner is responsible for the entire lateral leading to it.
A camera inspection shows where the pipe is cracked, rooted or blocked. For a backup coming up from the street itself, BWSC's emergency line is 617-989-7000.
Yes. Boston's Inspectional Services Department issues plumbing permits, and only a licensed plumber can pull one.
We handle the permit as part of the job. A simple faucet repair or clearing a blocked drain does not need one.
Allston emergency, any season
Call (617) 752-0573 and give us the address, the symptom and who is approving the work.