When a plumber arrives at a home or building in Lowell, the first thing that happens is a real look at the problem, not a guess based on what the last call was. We check the fixture, the line, the connection, and whatever is upstream or downstream from where the trouble is showing. From there we explain what we found, what the fix involves, and what it will cost before we start. Dan Hickey Plumbing & Heating handles plumbing work across Lowell for homeowners, commercial tenants, and the property managers keeping multi-unit buildings running day to day.
Lowell is a city with a lot of older housing stock and a mix of residential and commercial buildings that each come with their own plumbing history. A triple-decker built decades ago carries different pipe than a recently converted commercial space, and the approach to each is different. We work on all of it: drain cleaning and clog removal, leak detection and repair, water heater repair and replacement, sewer line service, fixture installation, garbage disposal work, and repiping. Licensed plumbers perform every job. Call (339) 365-9282 to get a quote.
Same-day service. Upfront pricing. Licensed plumbers.
When you call, we talk through what is happening and ask enough questions to understand the job. You get a rate before we put anything on the calendar. That is how it works for every call, whether it is a leaking faucet, a backed-up main line, or a water heater that stopped producing hot water overnight.
What moves a quote is the nature of the fault and what has to come apart to reach it. A toilet that runs continuously is a different scope from a slab-free leak behind a wall in a finished bathroom. A drain that clears with a snake is priced differently from a main line that needs a camera inspection and hydro jetting to clear a root intrusion. We explain what goes into the number so you understand what you are paying for before the work begins.
Ask what it covers and you get a straight answer. We do not schedule anything until you have that answer in hand.
Plumbing problems don't wait, and neither do we, which is why we are available every day from 6:30 AM to 9:30 PM. Same-day appointments are often available, particularly for situations that are actively causing damage or leaving a building without hot water or working drains.
For buildings that stay occupied, we work around tenants and business hours where the job allows. A commercial kitchen that needs a drain cleared, a rental unit with a burst supply line, a multi-unit building where one stack is backing up into two floors: these are calls that require showing up and getting the problem resolved without shutting everything down longer than necessary.
We do not promise a specific arrival window, but emergency calls within our hours are answered and scheduled as quickly as the situation allows. Call (339) 365-9282 and tell us what is happening. We will take it from there.
We keep your home dry and your water flowing.
A shower that runs too hot, too cold, or that cannot hold a steady temperature usually comes down to the valve or the cartridge inside it. We pull the valve, assess the condition of the cartridge and the seat, and replace what has failed. In older buildings where the valve body itself has corroded or cracked, we replace the full assembly. Getting the mix right matters for comfort and for safety, particularly in buildings with children or elderly residents.
A drain that clogs every few months is not a drain problem, it is a line problem. The clog is a symptom. We look at what is happening further down the pipe: buildup on the pipe walls, a belly in the line, root intrusion, or a section of pipe that has partially collapsed. A camera inspection shows what a snake cannot. Once we know what is actually causing the repeat, we fix that rather than clearing the same clog again.
A toilet that runs continuously wastes water and adds to the bill. The cause is usually the flapper, the fill valve, or the float, and most of the time the repair is straightforward. Where the internal components have worn out repeatedly or the porcelain itself is cracked, replacement is the more practical call. We assess the unit honestly and tell you which way it goes.
Galvanized steel pipe corrodes from the inside out. The first signs are low water pressure and discolored water. Polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe used in some homes, is prone to cracking at fittings and along the run. Neither material holds up indefinitely, and patching a section that has started to fail does not address what the rest of the line is doing. We assess the full system and replace what needs replacing, working with copper or PEX depending on the job and the layout of the building.
Backflow preventers protect the supply side of a plumbing system from contamination. They are required on certain commercial connections and on irrigation lines tied to the municipal supply. We test, repair, and replace backflow prevention devices and confirm the assembly is functioning correctly. In a city like Lowell with a mix of commercial and multi-unit residential buildings, this comes up regularly on managed properties and commercial accounts.
We'll make your plumbing sound again.
our page on plumbing repairs explains the range of work covered.
Property managers and landlords across Lowell call us when something goes wrong in a unit and they need it handled without a long back-and-forth. We work directly with the tenant on access and scheduling, keep the property manager informed, and direct the invoice wherever it needs to go.
The calls we get from managed properties cover the full range: running toilets in occupied units, drain blockages in shared lines, water heater failures in buildings where multiple tenants are affected, and fixture replacements during turnovers. We handle them the same way we handle any other job: assess it honestly, give a price before we start, and complete the work cleanly.
No pressure and no gimmicks, just sound, lasting plumbing.
Not every plumbing call in Lowell looks the same, and the approach changes based on what the building is, what the problem is, and what the customer needs to happen next.
Some calls are about finding something that is not obvious. A water pressure drop that affects one fixture is different from one that affects the whole building. A leak that shows up on a ceiling may originate several feet away from where the water is appearing. We trace the problem to its source before recommending a fix, because a repair that addresses the symptom rather than the cause is not a repair.
When a component has reached the end of its useful life, repair is not the right answer. Water heaters, shutoff valves, corroded supply lines, and aging drain stacks all reach a point where replacement is the honest call. For homes where the supply lines throughout the building need to come out, we work through the repipe line by line and confirm the system is performing before we finish. Trenchless sewer repair is an option for certain line replacements where the site conditions allow it, reducing the amount of excavation involved.
Tankless water heater installation, garbage disposal installation, fixture upgrades, and new supply connections on a renovation are jobs that get planned in advance rather than called in as emergencies. We scope the work, confirm what is involved, and schedule it at a time that works. The full breakdown of what each type of installation covers is on the service page.
You always know who to call if you need us again.
Reach out and we'll start at the source of the leak.
We provide plumbing service across Lowell and the communities around it in Middlesex County. If you are in Dracut, Chelmsford, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, or Billerica, we cover your area. Call (339) 365-9282 to confirm coverage at your address and get a quote.
A whole-home repipe typically refers to the supply lines, the pipes that carry pressurized water to fixtures throughout the house. Drain lines are a separate system. If drain lines are also deteriorating, we assess them separately and discuss what replacement would involve. Both can be addressed, but they are scoped and priced as distinct work.
A ceiling stain almost always means water is getting in from above, either from a fixture, a supply line, or a drain connection on the floor above. The stain itself shows where the water ended up, not necessarily where it started, so we trace the source before opening anything up.
In most cases, yes, though there will be periods during the work when the water supply to parts of the house is shut off. We work through the job in sections where the layout allows, so the disruption to daily routines is manageable. Before work begins, the schedule for water shutoffs is explained so the timing is clear.
Older buildings in this part of New England commonly have galvanized steel supply lines that have narrowed from corrosion, cast-iron drain stacks that have cracked or shifted, and clay sewer laterals that have been compromised by root intrusion or ground movement over the years. Sump pump failures are also common in basements that take on groundwater during heavy rain or spring snowmelt. We see all of these regularly and handle them the same way: assess the full condition of the system before recommending a course of action.
Yes. After a repair, we can walk you through what caused the problem and what, if anything, can be done to reduce the likelihood of it recurring. That might be a change in how a drain is used, a fixture that is worth replacing rather than repeatedly repairing, or a pipe condition that warrants monitoring. Honest guidance is part of how we approach the work.
Yes. When we replace a fixture, a water heater, or a section of pipe, we take the old material with us. We do not leave removed parts, packaging, or debris behind. The space is left the way we found it.
Yes. Commercial calls often involve buildings that cannot shut down for a repair, and we work around operating hours where the job allows. We confirm the access situation on the call, discuss what parts of the building will be affected and for how long, and schedule the work in a way that minimizes disruption. Call (339) 365-9282 to talk through what your building needs and how to get it on the schedule.
After a significant repair, it is reasonable to keep an eye on the area for the first few days, particularly around connections and joints that were disturbed. If anything looks off, a small drip or a fitting that does not look right, calling sooner rather than later is the right move. We would rather come back to check something than have a small issue develop into a larger one.
We work with whoever is coordinating access, whether that is a property manager, a landlord, or a building superintendent, and schedule around the tenants who are in the units. For issues that affect shared lines or multiple floors, we assess the full scope before starting so the repair addresses the whole problem rather than just the unit where it first showed up. Call (339) 365-9282 and tell us what the building situation is, and we will talk through how to approach it.
Call (339) 365-9282. We are available every day from 6:30 AM to 9:30 PM. When you call, you reach someone who can talk through the job, answer questions, and get a price to you before anything is scheduled.
It helps more than most people expect. A good description, when it started, whether it is getting worse, which fixtures are affected, and what has already been tried, lets us ask the right follow-up questions and give a more accurate price before we arrive. It also helps us bring the right parts for the most likely repair.
We handle multi-unit buildings as a single job when the work is coordinated across the property. Property managers and landlords can call to discuss what is needed across multiple units, and we scope the work accordingly. There is no need to book each unit as a separate service call if the work is being done at the same time.
Dan Hickey Plumbing & Heating is available every day from 6:30 AM to 9:30 PM. When you call (339) 365-9282, we will ask what is happening, where it is happening, and what you have already noticed. By the end of the call, you will have a price and a time on the calendar. That is the whole process.
Ready for your pipes. Call today.
We are in these nearby communities as well: Lawrence, Woburn, Arlington, Peabody, Malden.
Check our list of communities.
Below is a plain-language look at the plumbing work we handle across Lowell and the surrounding communities. Each row covers what the service includes, who it fits best, and a practical note to help you decide whether to call. If you have questions about a specific job, call us and we will walk through it with you before anything is scheduled.
| Type of Job | What It Covers | Typical Situations | Worth Knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole-Home Repiping |
| older Lowell homes with corroding galvanized pipe, discolored water, or persistent pressure problems | Galvanized steel pipe corrodes from the inside over time, narrowing the line and eventually failing. Repiping solves problems that patching cannot fix permanently. |
| Water Pressure & Shutoff Valve Repair |
| homes with noticeably low pressure or valves that no longer close fully | Shutoff valves in older homes often corrode to the point where they will not fully close, which creates a serious problem during any repair or emergency. |
| Toilet Repair & Installation |
| homeowners with a toilet that runs, leaks at the base, or needs full replacement | A running toilet can waste a significant amount of water before the problem becomes obvious. Most repairs are straightforward and completed in a single visit. |
| Sewer Line Replacement |
| homes with older clay or cast-iron sewer lines showing root damage or freeze-thaw deterioration | Massachusetts freeze-thaw cycles accelerate deterioration in clay and cast-iron lines. We inspect first and replace only what the camera confirms needs replacing. |
| Leak Detection & Repair |
| anyone who suspects a hidden leak or has visible water damage | Leaks inside walls or under floors can cause significant damage before they surface. Early detection keeps repair costs down. |
| Water Heater Repair & ReplacementMost Popular |
| households with inconsistent hot water, a leaking tank, or a unit past its useful life | Same-day service is often available for no-hot-water calls. Work is performed by licensed plumbers who know the gas and water line connections. |
| Frozen Pipe Repair |
| homeowners dealing with a freeze event or preparing exposed pipes for a Massachusetts winter | Pipes in unheated crawl spaces, exterior walls, and uninsulated areas are most at risk. A burst pipe after a freeze is one of the more damaging plumbing emergencies we respond to. |
| Emergency Plumbing |
| urgent situations that cannot wait for a scheduled appointment | We are open every day from 6:30 AM to 9:30 PM. Same-day service is often available for emergency calls placed within those hours. |
| Sewer & Main Line Service |
| homes with multiple slow drains, recurring backups, or suspected main line problems | Slow drains at every fixture usually point to the main line, not individual clogs. Camera inspection confirms the cause before we recommend a fix. |
| Drain Cleaning & Clog Removal |
| homeowners dealing with slow or backed-up drains | A clog that keeps coming back usually points to a deeper problem in the line. We find the cause, not just the blockage. |
| Faucet & Fixture Installation |
| remodels, fixture upgrades, or worn-out hardware that needs replacing | We handle the plumbing side of kitchen and bathroom updates cleanly, whether it is a single faucet or a full fixture swap. |
| Sump Pump & Basement Drainage |
| Middlesex County basements that take on water during snowmelt, heavy rain, or nor'easters | A sump pump that has not been checked in a while is worth a call before the next storm season. A failed pump during a nor'easter turns into a flooded basement fast. |
Call (339) 365-9282 and tell us what is going on. We will ask the right questions, give you a price, and get the job on the schedule.
(339) 365-9282