No hot water, or a tank leaking onto the floor
A tank that leaks from the base is finished, and a tank that simply runs cold may only need a part. We look at the age, the leak location and the fuel before we recommend anything. Fuel matters too, because Connecticut Natural Gas serves Avon, and a gas tank needs a different shutoff than an electric one.
Water at the base
Shut off the cold inlet and the gas or power to the heater. A leak from the tank body itself usually means replacement, covered under water heater replacement.
Lukewarm or runs out fast
Often a failed element, thermostat or sediment buildup. These are repair jobs when the tank is otherwise sound.
Rumbling or popping
Sediment baking at the bottom of the tank. A flush may help, though a tank that is far past its age may not recover.
Cold radiators and boiler trouble in homes built in the 1970s
The town's 2016 plan counts 7,650 housing units from 2014 data, and the peak decade for construction was the 1970s with 1,938 homes. Houses from that decade are now around five decades old. Boilers, circulator pumps and original supply lines often reach the end of their service life at that age.
| Period built | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 or earlier | 458 | 6.0% |
| 1940 to 1959 | 846 | about 11% |
| 1960 to 1969 | 1,037 | 13.6% |
| 1970 to 1979 | 1,938 | 25.3% |
| 1980 to 1989 | 1,594 | 20.8% |
| 1990 or later | 1,777 | about 23% |
Add the first two rows and about 17 percent of Avon homes, or 1,304 units, predate 1960. Those may have older piping inside the walls. If a radiator stays cold or the boiler lockouts repeat, boiler repair starts with checking pressure, the circulator and the zone valves.
Drains that back up and the town sewer behind them
Avon has had public sewer since 1974, and the 2016 plan counts 89.3 miles of sewer lines. The town has no treatment plant of its own and contracts with Canton, Farmington and Simsbury for treatment. For you, that means a backup in your house is usually a problem in your lateral or your own drains, not at a plant.
A single slow sink is a job for drain cleaning. Sewage in a basement drain, or several fixtures gurgling together, points to the main line, and a camera inspection and sewer line repair may follow. If your neighbors back up too, call Town Engineering, Sewer and GIS at 860-409-4322.
Not sure your property is on public sewer? Ask Engineering, because the town does not publish that share. If you are on septic, approvals go through the Farmington Valley Health District.
Low pressure or no water: who to call first
Avon water does not come from a town department. The town's utilities page lists Connecticut Water Company, which is a private company, with an office at 25 New Britain Avenue in Unionville, phone 860-673-0079. Its Avon Water System draws on groundwater from six wells and also serves Farmington and Simsbury. If the whole street loses water, the company is your first call.
Private water company, town sewer
In Avon the water and the sewer have different owners. A water problem in the street belongs to Connecticut Water, while a sewer problem in the street belongs to the town. Inside your property line, either one becomes your plumbing.
That is why we ask two questions on the phone: is the whole street affected, and is the water or the drain the trouble? The answer decides whether we go first or the utility does.
| Problem | First call | Then call us |
|---|---|---|
| No water on the whole street | Connecticut Water Company | If pipes inside are damaged |
| Sewage backing up with neighbors affected | Town Engineering, Sewer and GIS | For your own lateral or drains |
| Smell of gas | Connecticut Natural Gas or 911, from outside | After the utility clears the home |
| Basement wet after the power goes out | Eversource for the outage | For the sump pump and drainage |
| Tank leaking inside the house | Close the valve yourself | Right away on the 24/7 line |
Leak, backup or no heat in an Avon house tonight?
Close the nearest shutoff, keep clear of wet outlets, and call the 24/7 line. Licensed and insured plumbers work around the clock, with same-day appointments when available and a clear price before work starts.
Emergency steps for an Avon house
Before we arrive
Whether it is a split supply line or a tank that gave way, these steps cut the damage while you wait.
Close the water
Shut the main valve, or the cold inlet on a leaking water heater. If it will not turn, tell us when you call.
Rest the drains
If a drain is backing up, stop using every sink, tub and toilet. More water only pushes the backup further.
Cut power to wet zones
For a water heater leak, turn off its breaker or gas control. Stay out of rooms where water meets outlets.
Call and photograph
Take pictures for your insurer, move belongings up, and call. We handle after-hours calls on the same line.
Gas smell? Leave before you call anyone
If you smell gas in your Avon home
Connecticut Natural Gas supplies gas in Avon. Safety comes before plumbing.
- Leave the building immediately with everyone inside.
- Do not touch switches, lighters or phones until you are outside.
- Call Connecticut Natural Gas or 911 from a safe distance.
- Stay out until the utility says it is safe to return.
- Call us afterward for any water heater or boiler repair.
Around Avon: ZIP 06001, villages and the river
The state's post office list shows one ZIP for Avon, 06001, and we serve all of it. The town's own history page names Avon Center and West Avon, and Avon Village Center is a mixed-use project near Route 44, Climax Road and Bickford Drive. Avon Old Farms School, built in 1927, sits on Old Farms Road, which crosses the Farmington River on a bridge linked to Route 10.
The Farmington River forms Avon's western border, and Big, Chidsey, Cider, Hawley, Nod, Roaring, Thompson and Wiggin brooks run through town. The 2011 snowstorm, Tropical Storm Irene and the October storm Alfred all produced damage claims in the town's hazard plan. Homes near brooks should test their sump pumps each season.
The town plan says about 70 percent of homes are single-family and 85.5 percent are owner-occupied, so many calls come from owners making their own decisions. See also our pages for Simsbury and West Hartford.
Permits run through Town Hall at 60 West Main Street, phone 860-409-4300, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 4:30, with an online permit portal. The page we reviewed does not state plumbing permit rules, so ask first. For anything urgent, you can Call (860) 397-8103 at any hour.
Connecticut's 2022 State Building Code is built on the IPC and applies statewide, so permit and inspection standards in Avon follow the same code even where a town page is quiet.
Avon, CT service area
Coverage runs from Avon Center to the Farmington River.
Avon plumbing questions
Yes. Avon uses one ZIP code, 06001, and we serve it from Avon Center out to the Farmington River on the western edge of town. If you are unsure about a boundary address, give us the street when you call.
Yes. The 24/7 line covers burst pipes, sewer backups, failed water heaters and heating breakdowns at any hour, including nights and holidays. Licensed and insured plumbers dispatch around the clock, with same-day appointments when available.
No. The town's utilities page lists Connecticut Water Company, a private company. The town runs the sewer system. For a water problem in the street, call the company first.
About 17 percent, or 1,304 of 7,650 homes, based on the 2016 town plan's 2014 data. The 1970s were the biggest decade, with 1,938 homes.
The Town of Avon runs the sewer system through Engineering, Sewer and GIS at 860-409-4322. If the backup affects only your house, the cause is usually your lateral or drains, and a camera inspection shows where.