Burst pipe at midnight, a drain backing up on Sunday, no hot water in January. Our 24/7 emergency plumber answers every day and dispatches across Salem, from Downtown to Salem Willows and out along Highland Avenue.
Tell us what is happening. We will tell you what to shut off first.
Close the main water valve, keep clear of wet outlets, then call the emergency plumber line.
Services.
Most emergency calls fall into a few groups. These are the ones we are called for most. Everything else, from toilet repair to commercial plumbing, is on the full services page.
Clears clogged sinks, tubs, floor drains and main lines with cable machines.
See drain cleaningFixes thermostats, elements, gas valves and leaks on tank heaters.
See water heater repairReplaces a failed or leaking tank with a new unit sized to your household.
See water heater replacementFinds hidden leaks with acoustic, thermal and moisture tools.
See leak detectionStops water from a split or frozen pipe and replaces the failed section.
See burst pipe repairFixes cracked, collapsed or root-filled pipes between the house and the street.
See sewer line repairHow a call works.
Tell the dispatcher your street, what is happening and whether water is running.
.You get plain instructions for the main valve, power and drains while a plumber heads your way.
.Cable, camera or leak tools show the cause, and you hear the price before work begins.
.The repair is done and tested, and you get a short explanation of what failed and why.
.Salem housing and pipes.
Salem has houses from nearly every century since the 1600s, and a large part of the city was rebuilt after the Great Salem Fire of June 25, 1914, which burned 253 acres and destroyed 1,376 buildings. The age of a house tells a plumber where to look first, so the table below links era, problem and fix.
| Housing era | Common plumbing issue | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Houses from the 1700s and 1800s. | Mixed old drain pipe, galvanized supply, few cleanouts. | Camera check, cleanout installation, targeted repiping. |
| Houses rebuilt after the 1914 fire (1910s and 1920s). | Cast iron stacks that scale inside, galvanized supply lines. | Hydro jetting, then repipe the worst runs. |
| Mid-century houses (1940s to 1960s). | Copper supply with solder joints, cast iron or clay laterals with roots. | Leak detection for pinholes, sewer lining for roots. |
| Newer homes and condos. | PEX or copper supply, plastic drains, water heater end of life. | Water heater replacement, fixture work. |
An old house near Salem Common or the Chestnut Street district can have three generations of pipe in one wall. That is why we look inside a drain with a camera before recommending a repair, and why a quick sewer camera inspection often saves money before a purchase.
Salem tap water.
The Salem and Beverly Water Supply Board says color in tap water is usually manganese, stirred up by hydrant use, main work or a change in flow, and that it is aesthetic. Its guidance is to run cold water from the lowest faucet in the house or an outdoor spigot until it runs clear, wait an hour and try again if it does not, and hold off washing white clothes until the water clears.
If only the hot side is brown, the cause is probably inside the house, in the water heater or old pipe. See water heater repair or repiping. The Board lists 978-745-9595 extension 5673 for Salem distribution questions.
Where we work.
We serve Downtown Salem near the Peabody Essex Museum and the House of the Seven Gables, Salem Neck and Winter Island, North Salem across the North River, South Salem near Salem State University, Salem Willows, and the Highland Avenue corridor by Salem Hospital. That covers ZIP codes 01970 and 01971. Across the harbor, we serve Beverly in ZIP codes 01915 and 01965, and we also take calls in Peabody, Danvers, Marblehead and Swampscott. See all service areas.
Neighborhoods.
Five Salem neighborhoods have their own page, written from city planning documents: The Point, Bridge Street Neck, Salem Willows and Juniper Point, North Salem and Mack Park and the McIntire District and Chestnut Street.
Reading.
Short guides on repairs homeowners ask about, written by the Salem 24/7 Plumbing team and collected on the blog. Where a guide relies on a code or standard, such as the Massachusetts plumbing code at 248 CMR 10.00, it says so, and local facts come from the City of Salem and the Salem and Beverly Water Supply Board.
A failed heating element is one of the most common reasons an electric water heater runs lukewarm or cold. This guide shows how the repair works, what to check first and when a Salem homeowner is better off calling a plumber.
Read the guide
A tankless heater that delivers cold or lukewarm water usually has a cause you can narrow down in minutes. This guide covers the common faults and what a Salem homeowner can check before calling.
Read the guide
A crack in a toilet bowl or tank can be harmless or can drain water onto the floor. This guide shows how to tell the difference, why patches rarely last and how a replacement works.
Read the guideFAQs.
Yes. Our dispatch line at (339) 216-9771 is answered 24 hours a day, every day. A plumber can often arrive the same day, and burst pipes and sewage backups are dispatched first.
Shut off the water at the main valve, switch off power to any wet area from a dry spot, move people and valuables out of the water and call. If you smell gas, leave the building and call the gas utility or 911 before calling a plumber.
All of Salem, including Downtown, Salem Neck, North Salem, South Salem, Salem Willows and the Highland Avenue corridor, in ZIP codes 01970 and 01971. We also serve Beverly, with ZIP codes 01915 and 01965, and nearby towns such as Peabody, Danvers, Marblehead and Swampscott.
The Salem and Beverly Water Supply Board says discoloration is usually manganese stirred up by hydrant use, main work or a change in flow, and it is aesthetic. Run the cold tap from the lowest faucet until it clears. If the color stays on the hot side only, the water heater is the likelier cause.
Yes. You get a clear price before work begins. Prices depend on the job, so we explain what drives the number on each service page.
We serve Salem, MA and nearby towns, including Beverly. Everything starts with a call to (339) 216-9771.
Call the 24/7 line and a plumber will tell you what to do while help is on the way.
(339) 216-9771Coverage area