Boiler repair & HVAC in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

We serve Prospect Heights from our Ridgewood shop, about 17 min away. Plumbing, HVAC, boiler repair, heating, drains and gas piping. Emergency calls answered 24/7.

Prospect Heights developed rapidly in the 1870s through 1890s as elevated railways brought the area within reach of Downtown Brooklyn, producing 305 contributing buildings in its historic district — brownstones, brick row houses, and limestone structures spanning Greek Revival through Romanesque Revival, many built between 1865 and 1900. Like the adjacent Park Slope and Crown Heights stock, these buildings were plumbed with galvanized steel supply lines and cast-iron waste stacks, and the larger townhouses carried one-pipe steam heat systems from original construction. Active renovation and conversion activity throughout Prospect Heights means original plumbing is regularly exposed, and the combination of old cast-iron drains and corroded galvanized supply lines drives most service calls.

We're renovating a Prospect Heights brownstone bathroom that hasn't been touched since the 1960s — what plumbing is likely behind the tile?

A 1960s renovation in a Prospect Heights brownstone typically means copper supply branch lines were run to the fixtures at that time — the original galvanized was often replaced when mid-century renovations opened walls. The cast-iron DWV, however, is frequently the original 1880s–1890s pipe, because drain work was rarely included unless there was a specific failure. You may also find a layer of 1920s galvanized supply that was installed over the original iron but never reached the fixtures. Opening walls in these buildings usually reveals exactly this layering — we assess what's there and recommend replacement of any failed or at-risk sections before the new finishes go in.

Our Prospect Heights building uses steam heat — some radiators that worked fine last winter suddenly aren't heating. What happened?

Steam air vents fail, and they often fail between heating seasons — the float or membrane inside dries out or corrodes and sticks closed over the summer. A vent that was marginal last winter may fail completely by the next season without any other change to the system. Replacing the vent on the non-heating radiator is the first step. If the problem is building-wide — several radiators across multiple floors — the main vents on the steam distribution mains are likely the issue and should be replaced as well.