Burst Pipe and Water Damage Help in Smith Highlands, Chicopee

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Smith Highlands

Smith Highlands sits between Fairview and Willimansett, a residential pocket that once had its own school and bus line. Its streets are mostly single-family homes from the middle of the last century, with basements that hold the water main, the meter, the water heater and the boiler.

Like the rest of Chicopee, Smith Highlands gets about 50 nights a winter at 20°F or colder. The pipes that freeze here are the usual ones: along the top of the basement wall, under sinks on outside walls, and the lines to outdoor faucets. Most bursts show up a day or two after a deep freeze breaks.

What we fix in Smith Highlands

• Frozen and split pipes in basements and exterior walls
• Outdoor faucet lines leaking into the foundation
• Water heater failures and basement flooding
• Main valves that will not close
• Wet floors, walls and ceilings after a leak upstairs

Call (413) 603-1274

Low spots and storm water

Simard Drive has flooded and become impassable in heavy rain, and low lots in the area can take on water in big storms. Storm water in a basement is cleaned up and insured differently from a burst pipe, so tell us what you see. See flooded basement cleanup.

First steps if a pipe bursts

1. Shut the main valve. See how to shut it off.
2. Turn off power to wet rooms.
3. Open a low faucet to drain the lines.
4. Photograph the damage.
5. Call (413) 603-1274.

Full steps: what to do when a pipe bursts.

Nearby areas we also cover

Fairview, Willimansett, Aldenville and all of Chicopee. See Fairview, Willimansett and all areas we serve.

Mid-century homes: what to check

Homes built in the 1940s through the 1960s, like many in Smith Highlands, share a few habits that matter for water damage. Here is a quick walk-through you can do yourself in the basement:

1. Find the main valve. It is usually on the front wall near the meter. Note whether it has a round wheel handle (gate valve) or a straight lever (ball valve).
2. Look along the sill. With a flashlight, follow the pipes along the top of the foundation wall. Look for daylight, cobwebs moving in a draft, or missing insulation.
3. Check the water heater. Look at the base for rust or water, and find the label to see how old it is.
4. Look at the outdoor faucets. Find the shut-off for each one inside the basement and see whether it is an older style that should be drained in the fall.
5. Check the washer hoses. Rubber hoses that are cracked, bulging or more than five years old should be replaced.
6. Look up. Water stains on the basement ceiling under the kitchen or bathroom point to an old or ongoing leak.

Anything that looks wrong is cheaper to fix in October than in January. See main valve replacement and outdoor faucet repair.

Groundwater or a pipe?

After heavy rain, water in a Smith Highlands basement may be coming through the wall or floor rather than from a pipe. Clues: it appears along the bottom of the wall or at floor cracks, it arrives during or right after a storm, and your water meter is not moving with everything off. A burst pipe usually shows a clear source and keeps going until the main is shut. The difference matters for the fix and for insurance, so check the meter before you call.

Basement bathrooms and laundry rooms

Over the years many Smith Highlands homes added a bathroom or laundry room in the basement. When those fixtures sit below the sewer line, waste water is pumped up by an ejector pump in a sealed pit, or the washer drains into a laundry sink with a small pump. If that pump fails, water backs up onto the basement floor, often while the washer is running. Signs of trouble: a pump that runs constantly, a high-water alarm, gurgling, or a smell near the pit. Water from these pumps is not clean, so a backup is handled like sewage rather than a clean water leak. A high-water alarm on the pit costs little and warns you before it overflows. See sewage backup cleanup.

Smith Highlands questions

Burst pipe in Smith Highlands? Call now

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Call (413) 603-1274