Winter Freeze & Basement Risk Check for Derry

New England has its own pattern. Deep-cold snaps freeze and split pipes in outside walls and unheated spaces, ice dams push meltwater under shingles into ceilings, sump pumps fail in spring storms and flood basements, and heavy rain and snowmelt raise groundwater. Older Derry Village and East Derry plumbing and aging water heaters add to it.

Insulate pipes in outside walls, attics, and crawl spaces, keep the heat on during deep cold, and know your main shut-off. Air-seal and insulate the attic and clear gutters so ice dams cannot form, and test your sump pump and add a battery backup before the spring thaw.

A faucet that trickles or stops in a cold snap, frost on a visible pipe, or a bulging line all point to a freeze. Keep the faucet open, warm the area gently, and call at the first sign, because a frozen pipe often splits and floods when it thaws.

If it is safe, shut the water off at the main, stay off the wet floor, keep clear of outlets and the panel, and call us. If the water is a sewer or drain backup, do not touch it, it is Category 3 black water. We talk you through the rest while a crew is on the way.