No Water Coming Out of the Tap? Potential Causes and Fixes

You don’t necessarily have to call the plumbers if no water is coming out of the faucet or taps you may be able to deal with this plumbing emergency without any experience or skill. You might not have to call up 24|7 Home Rescue to make a home emergency cover  claim, either the problem may even be completely unrelated to your household’s plumbing supply. A huge range of factors can lead to the issue – your first task will be to find out exactly what has gone wrong.

Key Takeaways

• No water coming out of taps is a problem that stems from various causes
• Check whether the issue exists in one of the taps or the entire house
• Enquire if your neighbours are also having a similar issue, as it indicates a water supply issue
• Examine your cold water cistern for issues such as stuck valves, reduced pressure and airlocks
• Seasonal problems like frozen condensate pipe can also cause this issue
• Leaks and bursts can cause low water pressure
• Check for updates from the water supplier

Check your other taps

Is water flowing out of your other taps properly? If it seems like no hot water is coming out of any taps in your home, check to see that your main stopcock is open. You may have accidentally turned it off.

Ask your neighbours

If your stopcock is open, ask your neighbour about their water supply. The problem might not be isolated to your home but may be affecting your entire estate! If your neighbours are having similar problems, give the water company a call and tell them that there is no running water in the house across the neighbourhood.

If water does not come from any of your taps:

Examine your cold water cistern

If there’s no water in the house but your stopcock is open and your neighbours are not experiencing any problems, take a look at your cold water cistern. The ball valve may be stuck, which will have caused the cistern to empty. If this is the case, sharply move the float arm to dislodge the valve, and then give it a proper clean. The cold water cistern should fill up, and your taps should start working again.

Is there an air-lock in your plumbing?

If you are experiencing no hot water coming out of the tap, if the upstairs taps don’t work but the downstairs taps still do, or if the water pressure from a particular tap gradually declines until the flow reaches a trickle, you might have an airlock in your pipes. This might sound like a serious problem, but it’s actually not that difficult to resolve. Read our advice on removing airlocks from pipes to find out more.

If only one tap seems to be broken:

Could your pipes be frozen?

Depending on the location of the pipe, a frozen pipe can prevent water from flowing from one tap, a series of taps, or all the taps in a house. If the cold water cistern is working properly, then check your bathroom taps if they do not work, then the supply pipe leading from the cistern may be frozen. If the cold water tap in the cistern is working, then press down on the ball valve in your water cistern to see if water flows into it. If it does not, then the main supply pipe may be frozen. This explains why there is no cold water coming out of the tap.

Be careful when thawing a pipe don’t use any open flames or blowtorches! Read our advice on defrosting a frozen condensate pipe to find out what to do.

Does the tap washer need replacing?

The tap may simply be blocked. This can easily be resolved by removing the tap and looking at the washer. Isolate the water supply to the tap, then follow our instructions for  fixing a leaking tap these instructions also work for fixing blocked taps. You can tell for certain if a tap needs replacing by turning the water supply back on again for a moment to see if water flows through the base of the tap. Sometimes you’ll find the hot water tap not working, but the cold is. This indicates a washer or valve issue.

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Check Your Outside Stop Valve

If you have confirmed that there is no water coming out of the taps inside your home, you should check the outside stop valve as well. This is a valve located near the boundary of your property. It can be recognised by a small covering in the pavement or your house’s garden.

If the outside valve has been accidentally turned off or closed, it can cause the stoppage of water from the faucet. Furthermore, it can also lead to water being inaccessible in your house entirely. Check this valve and make sure that it is fully open by turning it gently in the anti-clockwise direction.

Scheduled Water Company Maintenance

Sometimes, no water in your home can be due to scheduled maintenance or emergency repairs scheduled by your water supplier. Before you inspect your home for any plumbing errors, check your water supplier’s website or phone line messages to see if there is any scheduled water maintenance.

Water Pressure Problems

The problem of having no water in your taps can also be linked to low water pressure. If there are some trickles coming out of your taps, it could indicate low-pressure issues, blockages in the pipes, or water supply problems.

If you have a dedicated central heating system, you can check your boiler’s pressure gauge. If the pressure is between 1-1.5 bar, the pressure is normal. If the pressure gauge shows a reading that is below this range, then it means that the water in your home is not reaching the taps due to low pressure.

It is recommended to contact a Gas Safe engineer to fix any low boiler pressure issues.

Pipe Leaks and Bursts

This can be identified by damp patches and unusual sounds. Check if your pipe or ceilings have any damaged markings or damp patches. A burst pipe can completely stop the flow of water to your taps. Leaks are known to minimise the water pressure. If you notice any leaking water supply pipes or bursts, turn off your stopcock and call a Gas Safe engineer to get the issue resolved.

Call 24|7 Home Rescue

There could be a number of reasons for your lack of water, so it’s better to trust the professionals. After all, you could end up making it worse, and you could be faced with a hefty bill to pay to repair the damage. Contact us on 0345 3192 247 and we can help!

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