Hot water can run out quickly because your household is using it faster than your water heater can heat it, the system is producing less hot water than it should, or cold water is mixing into the hot-water supply. Common causes include back-to-back showers, faulty heating components, sediment buildup and mixing-valve problems.
If your boiler seems to be running but your radiators stay cold, either the system is not producing heat or that heat is not reaching the rooms. A lit display or humming motor does not always mean the burner has fired.
A boiler and a burner work together, but they do different jobs. In a fuel-fired heating system, the burner creates the heat by burning fuel, while the boiler uses that heat to warm water or produce steam that carries heat through the home.
New York City’s heat season begins October 1 and continues through May 31. Starting October 1, 2026, the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development will investigate every heat complaint as an individual case.
Some apartments in the same NYC building become too hot while others remain cold because the heating system is not distributing or controlling heat evenly. Common causes include poorly placed temperature sensors, unbalanced steam or hot-water systems, and differences in how individual apartments retain heat.
Heavy snowfall in New York City can hide problems in your heating system. Whether you heat with residential heating oil or another fuel, it’s vital to do a quick inspection once the weather clears. Follow this practical checklist to ensure your furnace/boiler and fuel system stayed safe and efficient through the storm.
