Emergency service · San Francisco
Radiator repair and radiant floor heating in San Francisco.
Lutz Plumbing Inc., in business in San Francisco since 1929, repairs steam and hot-water radiators and installs and services radiant floor and hydronic (hot-water) heating. We replace steam valves, maintain air vents, bleed and install radiators, find and repair system leaks, and connect modern radiant systems to the boilers that run them.
What this service includes
- Steam valve replacement
- Air vent maintenance
- Leak detection and repair
- Radiator bleeding service
- New radiator installation
- System modernization and boiler connections
Steam and hot-water radiator repair in San Francisco, diagnosed first.
Many older San Francisco homes and apartment buildings heat with steam or hot-water radiators fed by a single boiler. The radiators themselves are durable, but the parts around them wear out: steam valves seize or leak, air vents clog or stick open, and rooms stop heating evenly. Lutz Plumbing services these systems in houses, flats, and multi-unit buildings across the city, including the many older homes with radiator heat in Pacific Heights and Noe Valley.
We find out why a radiator is cold, noisy, or wet before we replace anything, and you get a written quote before the work starts. If the boiler itself is the problem, see our boiler repair page.
- A radiator that stays cold: we check the supply valve, the air vent, and trapped air, then bleed the radiator or replace the part that failed.
- Banging, knocking, or a hissing vent on a steam radiator: we trace the noise to its source, then replace a valve that will not open fully or a vent that no longer closes.
- A leaking valve or spud: we replace the steam valve and, where it leaks, the spud (where the valve meets the radiator).
- Uneven heat from room to room: we bleed hot-water radiators and service steam air vents so each radiator fills properly.
- A new or replacement radiator: we install it and connect it to the existing piping and boiler.
- The boiler itself: we handle pressure, burner, pump and control problems under boiler repair.
Radiant floor heating installation and service in San Francisco
Radiant floor heating runs warm water through tubing under the floor, so a room heats evenly and quietly with no ducts and no visible radiators. Lutz Plumbing installs radiant floor heating in San Francisco homes, services existing radiant zones, and connects new radiant systems to the boiler that will run them. We also find and repair leaks in radiant and hydronic piping.
A San Francisco home can end up with a mix: original radiators in the front rooms and radiant floors in a remodeled kitchen or bath. Lutz Plumbing handles the system modernization and boiler connections that mixed systems like these need. For baseboard heat, piping, and whole-system maintenance, see our hydronic heating systems page.
- Radiant floor heating installation: warm-water tubing under new or remodeled floors, connected to the boiler that supplies it.
- Service for existing radiant zones: a zone that will not warm up or a floor that heats unevenly, diagnosed before any part is replaced.
- Leak detection and repair: locating and repairing leaks in radiant and hydronic piping.
Why neighbors call Lutz
We've been doing this in San Francisco since 1929. Over the decades we've learned that the best plumbing service has less to do with clever marketing and more to do with showing up on time, diagnosing honestly, and doing the work right the first time.
Every Radiator & Radiant Heat job we take on comes with our craftsmanship warranty, fully licensed technicians, and transparent pricing. If you've been burned by the industry before, we hope we'll be the company that restores your faith in it.
Our process
- 1Diagnose
We inspect the actual problem with camera or thermal tools where it matters, before we quote anything.
- 2Quote
Written quote before any work starts. Simple jobs get a fixed price; complex ones get a clear scope plus how we'll handle anything we discover along the way. No surprise invoicing.
- 3Fix
Permitted, licensed, and to code. Tidy site management. Done in the smallest number of visits possible.
- 4Warranty
We sign off on our own work. If it's not right, we come back.
Common questions
Why is my radiator not heating up?
A radiator that stays cold usually has a closed or failed valve, a stuck air vent, or trapped air that keeps steam or hot water from filling it. Bleeding often fixes a hot-water radiator; on a steam radiator, the air vent or the supply valve is the usual cause. Lutz Plumbing checks each of these before replacing anything.
Why does my steam radiator bang or knock?
Banging in a steam radiator usually means water is trapped where the steam needs to pass. Common causes are a supply valve left partly open or a radiator that has settled so water cannot drain back. Lutz Plumbing traces the noise to its source before replacing anything.
Can a leaking radiator valve be repaired, or does it need to be replaced?
A leaking radiator valve can sometimes be resealed, but on an old steam or hot-water system it is usually replaced, because the packing, stem, and seat wear together. If the leak is at the spud (the fitting that joins the valve to the radiator), Lutz Plumbing replaces that connection at the same time.
Should I repair or replace an old radiator?
Repair is usually the right call, because an old cast-iron radiator rarely fails; the valve, vent, or spud is what leaks or sticks, and each can be replaced. Replace the radiator when it is cracked, rusted through, or too small for the room. A failing boiler is a separate decision, covered on our boiler repair page.
Can radiant floor heating be added to a house with radiators?
Yes, radiant floor heating can be added to a house with radiators: a San Francisco home can have radiant floors in a remodeled kitchen or bath and the original radiators in the other rooms. Lutz Plumbing installs the radiant floor heating and handles the system modernization and boiler connections that mixed systems like these need.