Furnace & Heating Repair in Jenkintown, PA
Jenkintown's housing predates most of the region's suburban development, and a meaningful share of it has been through at least one fuel conversion. Homes that started on coal moved to oil, then many moved to gas, and each conversion left something behind — an oversized chimney flue, a boiler serving a system designed for different equipment, or ductwork adapted rather than replaced.
Those legacy decisions are where a lot of Jenkintown heating faults originate. PJ MAC runs 24-hour heating service here from our Greenwood Avenue office.
Conversion leftovers
The most common one we find is a modern gas appliance venting into a chimney sized for a much larger, much hotter oil or coal appliance. An oversized flue does not develop proper draft with a smaller modern burner, which can lead to condensation inside the chimney, deterioration of the masonry, and unreliable venting.
The fix is usually a properly sized liner, and it is worth knowing whether yours is right — particularly on any home where the heating appliance has been replaced but the chimney has not been touched.
Older boilers
Plenty of Jenkintown homes still run hydronic heat, and older boilers fail differently from furnaces. Circulator pumps seize, expansion tanks waterlog, air gets into the loop and knocks out an upstairs zone, and low-water cutoffs stick. None of that is exotic and all of it is repairable — well-maintained cast iron boilers last a very long time.
Where a boiler genuinely is finished, we will tell you, and estimates on replacement are free.
No-heat calls
On forced-air equipment the recurring causes are ignitors, flame sensors, pressure switches and limit trips from restricted airflow. On the coldest nights the phone volume is entirely no-heat, and we answer it around the clock. If your heat is out, call — do not wait until morning to find out whether we can come.
Jenkintown Heating & Furnace Repair — Questions We Get
My house was converted from oil to gas years ago. Is the chimney still right?
It is worth checking. A modern gas appliance venting into a flue sized for an old oil or coal appliance often cannot develop proper draft, which leads to condensation in the chimney, masonry deterioration and unreliable venting. A correctly sized liner is the usual fix.
Do you work on boilers?
Yes. Older hydronic systems are common in Jenkintown and they fail differently from furnaces — seized circulators, waterlogged expansion tanks, air in the loop knocking out an upstairs zone, sticking low-water cutoffs. All of it is repairable, and well-maintained cast iron boilers last a long time.
One radiator upstairs never gets hot.
Usually air trapped in the loop, a circulator that is not moving enough water, or a zone valve that is not opening. It is a common complaint on older systems and normally an inexpensive fix once it is diagnosed correctly.
How old is too old for a boiler?
There is no single number — a well-maintained cast iron boiler can run for decades. What matters is the condition of the block, the efficiency you are paying for, and what has been failing. We will give you the honest assessment and a free estimate if replacement makes sense.
Do you answer overnight in winter?
Yes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. On the coldest nights that is most of what we do.
Who serves Jenkintown
Jenkintown calls are handled out of our Jenkintown office at 814 Greenwood Ave #101, Jenkintown, PA 19046. Call (610) 672-3045 — we answer 24 hours a day.