Cohasset · No Heat
Heat gone in a Cohasset house on a cold night? Get everyone safe, check a few simple things, then call to reach an independent local HVAC contractor who serves Cohasset.
Cohasset, Massachusetts
The Cohasset Fire Department publishes the carbon monoxide alarm requirements that apply to homes in town, and on a no-heat night those alarms matter more than the thermostat. A furnace or boiler that stops can be a simple lockout, but it can also be a burner that's venting poorly. If an alarm sounds, or anyone feels dizzy or sick, leave first and call 911 from outside.
With safety settled, most Cohasset no-heat calls come down to a short list: a tripped switch, a blocked vent after a storm, an empty oil tank, a failed igniter, or a circulator pump that stopped moving water. Some of those you can rule out in minutes; the rest belong to a technician.
This page walks through what to check and what to tell the contractor. A call or online request connects you with an independent heating business that works in Cohasset; you set the terms of any repair directly with that business.
If the furnace or boiler resets and then locks out again within minutes, something is shutting it down for safety. Repeated resets won't fix it and can make it worse.
Black streaks around the burner door or a smoky smell from an oil system point to poor combustion. Shut the system off at its switch, open nothing on the appliance, and call.
A boiler that fires but leaves the house cold may have a failed circulator, air trapped in the piping, or low pressure, all common in older Cohasset systems.
Once rooms drop into the 40s, pipes in outside walls and crawl spaces are at risk. That turns a heating problem into a water problem quickly.
Local knowledge
A few local facts tell a technician what kind of system and risk to expect.
CO Alarm Rules
In an archived copy of its page from February 2026, the Cohasset Fire Department listed carbon monoxide alarm requirements and smoke alarm information for residents. Working CO alarms near sleeping areas are your early warning when a heating system starts venting into the house.
Empty Houses
Census estimates list 207 of the town's 3,244 housing units as vacant. A house that sits empty through January can lose its heat for days before anyone notices, so if you own one, arrange regular checks or a remote temperature alert.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS
Older Systems
That's roughly 28% of the housing stock. Many of those homes run boilers and radiators, and an aging system often fails in the coldest week, when it works hardest, so expect the technician to look at the whole system and not just the part that stopped.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS
Right now
Work down this list in order and stop at the first item that applies.
Take everyone, pets included, outside. Call 911 or National Grid's gas emergency number from the yard or a neighbor's porch, and don't flip switches on the way out.
After a nor'easter, drifts can bury side-wall exhaust and intake pipes. Clear snow and ice gently by hand, then wait for the system to try again.
Confirm the red emergency switch at the basement stairs is on, the breaker hasn't tripped, and an oil tank gauge isn't sitting on empty. Don't open burner panels or press the oil reset more than once.
Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls, let a faucet drip, and close off unused rooms. Keep space heaters away from curtains and never run a grill or generator indoors.
What to expect
The technician usually confirms the system is safe to run before chasing the fault: checking venting, testing for carbon monoxide near the appliance, and watching an ignition cycle. Then they narrow down whether the issue is electrical, fuel, ignition, or water circulation. Many fixes are a part swap, while others call for a return trip once a part arrives.
If the repair turns into a replacement, Cohasset's Building and Inspections department at Town Hall handles the gas, plumbing, and electrical inspections, and its archived February 2026 page said permits were filed online. A short-term fix to get heat back tonight is often separate from the permitted replacement that follows.
Access shapes the visit. Basement stairs in prewar houses can be steep and narrow, and equipment tucked behind stored items slows everything down, so clear a path to the boiler or furnace and the electrical panel before the technician arrives.
Hire smart
Massachusetts has no single HVAC license. Gas work needs a gas fitter license, oil burner work a Department of Fire Services certificate, ductwork a sheet metal license, and larger refrigeration systems a refrigeration technician license. Most heating and cooling installs need a town permit.
Gas appliance work calls for a Massachusetts gas fitter license, which shows up on the state's occupational license search. Oil burner work requires a Department of Fire Services certificate, verified on its own lookup.
Before the visit, ask how the contractor bills for after-hours calls and diagnosis, and whether that amount is credited toward the repair.
If you're told the system has to be replaced, ask for a temporary fix if one is safe, then take time to compare written estimates rather than deciding in a cold kitchen at midnight.
Costs
The hour and the part decide most of it. A night or holiday call usually costs more than a weekday appointment, and a thermocouple or igniter is a smaller job than a circulator, control board, or cracked heat exchanger. Older Cohasset boilers can need parts that aren't on the truck, which adds a second visit.
Ask the contractor to explain the fault, the repair options, and what each one includes before work starts, and get the final bill itemized. If replacement is on the table, ask about Mass Save offers through National Grid before choosing equipment.
More help in Cohasset
Every page below is written for Cohasset homes. Or start from the Cohasset hvac guide.
Questions
Still not sure? Send a short request and a local pro can answer the specifics.
Massachusetts requires carbon monoxide alarms in homes with fuel-burning equipment, and the Cohasset Fire Department posts the requirements on its page. Generally that means one on every level, including the basement, and near sleeping areas. Ask the department if you're unsure about your layout.
Press it once at most. Repeated resets can flood the combustion chamber with oil, which creates a fire and smoke hazard when it finally lights. If it doesn't stay running after one try, call a technician who holds an oil burner certificate.
The longer it sits cold, the higher the chance of frozen pipes. Have a neighbor or caretaker who can get in quickly, consider a remote temperature alert, and leave clear access to the heating system so a technician can work without delay.
Availability varies by contractor, weather, and how many calls they're juggling. Calling connects you with an independent local heating business that can tell you what it can do. Meanwhile, keep the house as warm as you safely can and protect pipes on outside walls.
Get connected
Share a few details and an independent local HVAC contractor who serves your town can follow up about the job. There’s no charge to use this site, and you decide whether to hire anyone.
Prefer to talk? Calling is the fastest way to reach a local HVAC contractor.
Call Now