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Installation and maintenance of the central heating system in Tallinn, the plumber is in the boiler room at the floor boiler, boiler tank and distribution manifold, the wall-mounted pump group gets rubber bushings so that the vibration of the pump is not transferred to the wall.

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Central heating installation and maintenance in Tallinn

Tallinn Torutööd installs and maintains central heating systems in apartment buildings, detached houses and apartment association buildings in Tallinn and Harju County. The work includes maintenance of the heating substation, balancing of radiator and underfloor heating circuits, replacement of heating pipes, and venting and pressurization of the system before the start of the heating season.

The Tallinn apartment building receives heat from the district heating network of the house through its heating substation, where the plate heat exchanger transfers the heat of the network's hot water to the radiator circuit of the house, and in the detached house and smaller apartment building, the system runs on its own gas or electric boiler. Before the start of the heating season, we check the system pressure, bleed the radiators and measure the supply temperature, because the air accumulated in the circuit leaves the upper half of the radiator cold.

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  • Open every day
  • Licensed and insured
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee
  • The maintenance of the heating substation lasts 3 hours

Central heating maintenance and related work

In every central heating operation, the first measurement is the flow and return temperature of the heating substation. There were 4,862 central heating jobs from 2002 to the end of 2025, and 2,979 of them were heating substation maintenance or repairs.

  • Flushing the heating system, a flushing device connected to the pipeline with hoses in the utility room, the flushing device changes the direction of the flow, so that mud is also loosened from the bottom of the radiator.

    Heating system flushing

    Flushing the heating system removes magnetite mud and limescale accumulated over the years from the circuit, which narrows the lower part of the radiator and forces the circulation pump to work at a higher pressure than designed. We use the air-to-water pulsation created by the compressor, which breaks the sediment from the pipe wall and leaves the steel pipe body and the inner walls of the aluminum radiator intact, unlike a too strong chemical detergent.

    The circuit is flushed before the heating season, because then the system can be emptied and refilled without the apartments remaining cool. During the same trip, we also check the working pressure and noise of the circulation pump, because the pump works harder and louder in a clogged circuit.

  • Balancing the heating system, the plumber adjusts the valves of the distribution manifold in the open manifold cabinet, the inflow temperature of the Tallinn district heating network rises as the outside air cools.

    Heating system balancing

    Balancing measures the pressure drop across each radiator line at the balancing valve and adjusts the flow so that heat is distributed equally to all radiators, not just those closest to the heat assembly. We use a differential pressure gauge that shows the exact flow of the line in liters per minute, not just the valve's degree distribution, which cannot be accurately balanced.

    Tallinn Torutööd balances the horizontal single-ring systems of Mustamäe and Õismäe apartment buildings from the 1970s, where all radiators on one floor are sequentially on the same line and the furthest room cools first.

  • Changing the heating pipe, the plumber connects the new white pipes to the riser on the corridor wall, Tallinn Torutööd never works with an open flame in an inhabited house.

    Replacement of heating pipes

    The heating pipe replacement replaces the old black steel pipe circuit with a pipe with stainless press fittings or a PEX-AL-PEX pipe that can withstand 95 degree flow and 6 bar working pressure. The inner surface of the steel pipe of the old open system corrodes due to the ingress of oxygen from the expansion tank, which causes a black, rust-smelling liquid to come out of the heating water over time, which clogs the radiator thermostats.

    Tallinn Torutööd always keeps in stock 200 meters of PEX-AL-PEX pipe in three diameters and the corresponding brass fittings, so the replacement of the heating pipe does not have to fall behind the manufacturer's delivery time.

  • Maintenance and repair of the heating substation, plumber in the basement heating substation by the pipeline, blue plate heat exchanger and pressure gauges in the foreground, 153 heating units were maintained and repaired in 2025.

    Heating substation maintenance and repair

    heating substation maintenance cleans the plate heat exchanger of scale, checks the pressure reducer and expansion tank pressure, and tests the weather compensator settings against the actual outdoor temperature. Scale accumulated between the plates lowers the heat transfer and raises the temperature of the house's return water above the contractual limit of the district heating network, for which the network company charges the house an additional fee.

    Tallinn Torutööd provides a 2-year written workmanship warranty on repaired parts of the heat assembly.

Call the emergency plumber +372 XXXX XXXX

Central heating maintenance prices

The price of central heating is determined by the number of radiators, the type of system and the heat source: the heating substation of the apartment association or the boiler of a detached house. The table shows labor prices without material, and the call-out fee within Tallinn is 7.40 euros.

ServicePrice
Apartment building heating circuit flushalates 270 €
Heating system balancing, up to 8 radiatorsalates 180 €
Replacement of heating pipes, PEX-AL-PEXalates 26 € /m
Heating substation maintenance and descalingalates 200 €
Pressure test and reportalates 56 € /h
Call-out within Tallinn7,40 €

The main factors affecting the price:

  • number of radiators and circuits: each additional line means a separate measurement at the balancing valve
  • type of system: the automation of the apartment building heating substation differs from the control unit of the boiler of a detached house
  • access to the heating substation: whether the unit is in a separate room or in a shared shaft in the basement
  • decision-making process of the apartment association: major jobs require a decision of the general meeting or board of the association
  • condition of the old steel pipe: instead of the overgrown thread joint, the plumber cuts a new thread on the spot
  • number of racks: each rack is washed separately and needs its own shut-off and drain valve

How long does central heating maintenance take?

Flushing the heating system of one apartment association takes one working day for the whole house: the compressor goes through the circuit floor by floor and the building is without heating during that time, which is why we order the work in the warm period, not in January. The radiators of each apartment get warm immediately after the end of flushing and restarting the node.

Balancing in an apartment with 8 radiators takes 2 hours, and balancing an entire apartment building with 40 apartments takes one working day, because the pressure drop on each line must be measured separately and the result must be written next to the valve. During operation, the heating is not switched off, only the flow of the lines changes temporarily. In 2025, heating engineers balanced 49 heating systems and flushed 36 circuits.

Changing the heating pipes on the radiator line of one apartment takes one working day, 3 working days for the entire riser, because the old steel pipe has to be cut out of the entire shaft before the new pipe can be pulled. By that time, the heating will be closed only in the section to be replaced, the rest of the house will remain warm.

The maintenance of the heating substation takes 3 hours, and the chemical cleaning of the scale heat exchanger adds 2 hours to it, because the cleaning liquid must stand between the plates before washing through. We start scheduled maintenance of the heating substation within five working days and respond to the enquiry within two hours on a working day. An emergency technician can reach a frozen house in Tallinn in 45 minutes.

The plumber sets the heating element control panel on the wall next to the boiler tank and the blue expansion tank, the outdoor temperature sensor of the heating element is installed on the north wall of the house where the sun does not shine.
In the corridor on the upper floor of Peetri's semi-detached house, a plumber with gray hair in dark blue work clothes writes with a marker on the label of the distribution cabinet, three colored measuring hoses are connected to the manifold valves, the call for balancing comes even after the replacement of windows, because rooms with new windows need less heat from the radiator.

Balancing the heating system of a semi-detached house, near Häälinurme Park

Customer: Vahur J., a homeowner in Peetri whose upstairs bedroom was cold. Property: Near Häälinurme Park, Peetri, Rae Parish.

1. Flow and return measurement: the boiler flow was 60 degrees and the return flow was 52 degrees, the plumber counted more than 5 radiators on the second floor, and the offer stated a circuit with a closed membrane tank.

2. Implementation and protection: the radiators were vented to a uniform water jet and the precharge pressure of the expansion tank was increased from 0.5 bar to 1 bar, corresponding to the system height of a two-story house.

3. Balancing: The differential pressure gauge showed the flow rate of each radiator line in liters per minute, and the 5 line presets were set so that the flow is equally distributed to the farthest bedroom.

4. Pressurization and transfer: the valve positions were entered in the table on the inside of the distribution cabinet door, the result of pressurization is recorded in a written report, and the work is covered by a 2-year written workmanship warranty.

Invoice: Balancing of the heating system, 5 radiators, 1 × €180; trip to Peetri, 1 × €14.04. Total €194.04 including VAT.

Working time: 2 hours and the heating remained on for the entire working time (2025, handover report no. 55190).

Result: The farthest bedroom on the second floor is now 21 degrees, before balancing it was 17 degrees.

How we work

Three steps from the inquiry to the finished heating system.

  1. 1. Measure supply and return temperatures

    You call or fill out the form at the bottom of the page. On the site, we measure the temperature of the flow and return of the heating substation, read the radiators and check whether the circuit is in the old system with an open expansion tank or in the new one with a closed membrane tank. The price quote states how many radiators the plumber checked and what type of circuit operates in the house.

  2. 2. Check performance and protection

    We cover the work area with a dust barrier and the area around the heating substation with a protective film, because the removal of scale and the cutting of the pipe produce dust and metal chips. We divert the old circuit water, filter the sediment and fill the system with new water, to which we add a corrosion inhibitor.

  3. 3. Check pressure and hand over

    The system is pressurized at the end of the working day and the result is recorded in the written record. We write the automation settings and balancing valve positions in the table on the inside of the distribution cabinet door, so they will be known to another maintenance company during the next maintenance. The work is covered by a 2-year written workmanship warranty.

Call the emergency plumber +372 XXXX XXXX

Choosing a heating system

The district heating area, the age of the building and the type of circuit determine whether the house needs maintenance of the heating substation or repair of its boiler.

District heating and a heating substation

Apartment buildings in Kesklinna, Lasnamäe and Mustamäe are supplied by a district heating network, the hot water of which transfers heat to the house through a heat exchanger, without the network's water coming into contact with the contours. We first look for a fault in the house's own node, not in the network, because the network operator informs the residents of the area about a fault on the network side on its fault map.

A private heating system with its own boiler

In a detached house and in a smaller apartment building with its own boiler, the heating runs on a gas or electric boiler, which, in addition to the radiator circuit, also requires an expansion tank, a safety valve and a check of the condition of the chimney or flue. At the boiler, we check the setting of the burner and whether the precharge pressure of the expansion tank corresponds to the height of the system, because too low precharge pressure causes the safety valve to open already at normal working pressure.

Radiator or underfloor heating circuit

The radiator circuit tolerates a higher supply temperature and reacts faster, the underfloor heating circuit needs a lower, more uniform temperature and a warm manifold control unit that mixes the supply with the return. In a house with both circuits, each circuit is balanced separately, because the mixing valve of the manifold makes the underfloor heating side much slower than the radiator side.

Frequently asked questions

Can you service the heating system during the heating season?

Flushing and balancing take place before the start of the heating season, because the heating of the house is off during flushing. We do emergency work and repair of the heating substation all year round, also in January.

Who is responsible for the heating substation: the owner or the apartment association?

The heating substation belongs to the joint ownership of the house and its maintenance is ordered by the apartment association, the radiators inside the apartment and their valves are the responsibility of the apartment owner. Balancing concerns the entire circuit of the house, therefore it is ordered by the apartment association, not the individual apartment owner.

How much does balancing an apartment building heating system cost?

Balancing the heating system in an apartment with 8 radiators costs from €180 and takes 2 hours. Balancing a panel building with 40 apartments takes one working day, because the pressure drop of each line is measured separately.

Why do some radiators stay cold?

There is air or an unbalanced line behind the cold radiator: the air accumulated in the upper part prevents the flow of hot water, and in the unbalanced line, the radiators closer to the heating substation take the flow. First, we bleed the radiator from the bleed valve until there is a steady stream of water, and the radiator, which remains cold after bleeding, gets line balancing.

How often should a heating system be flushed?

The steel pipe circuit of the prefab house of the 1970s and 1980s is washed every 7 years, because magnetite sludge constantly accumulates on the inner surface of the metal pipe. In a house with a newer PEX-AL-PEX circuit, flushing every 12 years is sufficient, as the inner surface of the pipe does not rust.

What should I do if the heating substation is leaking?

Close the main valve of the assembly and call. In Tallinn, the emergency technician reaches the heating substation in 45 minutes and the call-out costs 7.40 euros: the leaking unit is closed immediately and the rest of the system remains operational.

Can you service a detached house heating system?

We maintain the system with a gas or electric boiler of a detached house in the same way as the unit of an apartment association: we check the precharge pressure of the expansion tank, the adjustment of the boiler burner and the balance of the radiator circuit. In a detached house, one owner decides to order the work, which is why the maintenance time is agreed upon more quickly than in an apartment building that requires a apartment association general meeting.

Where do you carry out central heating work?

Our heating engineers work in the Tallinn districts of Lasnamäe, Mustamäe, Kesklinna, Nõmme and Pirita, Õismäe and Kalamaja, and in Maardu, Viimsi, Saue, Keila and Rae parishes in Harju County. In apartment buildings, we maintain heating units and radiator circuits, in detached houses we maintain our own boilers and expansion tanks. In 2025, there were 268 central heating plants: 203 in Tallinn districts and 65 in Harju County municipalities.

Request a central heating maintenance quote

Fill out the form below or call +372 XXXX XXXX. Briefly describe whether it is a heating substation of an apartment association or a boiler of a detached house, and if possible, add the number of radiators.

Call the emergency plumber +372 XXXX XXXX
  • Open every day
  • Licensed and insured
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee

Please enter your name and either a phone number or email address.

Call the emergency plumber +372 XXXX XXXX