

If you find yourself with no water coming out of your tap, or worse, no running water anywhere in the house, don’t worry. We’re here to help identify the problem and guide you through the easiest solutions – as well as know when to call in the professionals.
You probably use your taps every day, multiple times a day for everything from cooking to brushing your teeth – that adds up to a lot of wear and tear, and a lot of reasons why your tap isn’t working. These are some of the most common culprits:
- A blockage in the pipes
- A leak somewhere in your plumbing system
- Issues with your water supplier
- Rust or limescale sediment buildup
- Damage to your plumbing system, like a broken water heater
- Frozen pipes in the winter
After we go over how to spot each issue, we’ll walk you through the best actions to take and get your water flowing again.
1. Check hot and cold water in other rooms
It’s important to understand the full scope of the problem – is it just one tap that isn’t producing water, or does your house have absolutely no running water anywhere, including the bathroom and kitchen?
If it’s an issue with one faucet or one room, then the issue is unlikely to be with your mains supply, and more likely to be related to the plumbing in that room.
Once you’ve isolated the issue to one tap, you should check for faults in the faucet itself, or for a potential blockage in the pipes. In a worst-case scenario, you’ll have to replace the faucet.
Top tip: Check the valve under your sink – if this is closed, that explains why the water isn’t running. Simply turn the water back on to solve the issue.
What if only the hot or cold water is working?
If only one water temperature isn’t working, this can mean an issue with your water heater or your cold water supply line. Your next steps depend on which temperature you’re missing:
- If you have no cold water, call your supplier to see if there are any known issues in your area.
- If you have no hot water, check for issues with your water heater.
Often, water heaters can stop working due to a leak, power issue, or sediment build-up if you live in a hard water area.
2. Check your aerator for clogs
The aerator is the small part of the tap with holes that the water flows through. While these are useful to control water flow and avoid messy splashes, the small holes can easily become clogged by rust or limescale buildup due to hard water.
To understand if your aerator is clogged, simply unscrew it and take a closer look. Rust is a reddish-brown colour, while limescale is often chalky and white.
Top Tip: If you’re concerned about limescale causing blockages and causing issues for appliances like kettles and water heaters, look into the benefits of a water softener.
A water softener can help you save money in the long run, as limescale can cause more significant blockages and breakdowns for the rest of your plumbing system if left untreated for too long. People with water softeners save up to £550 per year on a variety of expenses caused by limescale.
3. Could you have frozen pipes?
If it’s icy outside and temperatures are dropping into the negative, you might have frozen pipes. In some cases, you may be able to locate the pipe that leads from your boiler to the outside, where it may be frozen.
Other signs of frozen pipes include:
- Reduced or nonexistent water flow.
- Visible frost on/around your tap and pipes.
- Strange smells from your tap or drain – usually strong, musky, and overall unpleasant odours.
You can melt the ice inside by pouring hot (never boiling) water over it and waiting for the warmth to take effect. Alternatively, you can go for the old-fashioned method of holding a hairdryer up against the frozen pipe to melt the blockage. Other solutions include hot towels and space heaters to warm your pipes.
If the above doesn’t work, contact a plumber – there may be more significant issues that require a professional to fix.
Top tip: If you can’t locate the frozen portion of your pipes, skip the above steps and simply call a plumber. This will avoid any nasty issues like burst pipes.
4. Check your water mains or stopcock valve (inside and outside)
If you have no running water anywhere in your house, your water mainline or ‘mains’ may be turned off. You can typically find this near your water heater, boiler, or meter.
To restore your water flow, twist the valve counterclockwise to open it – it’s as simple as that!
Top tip: Your valve may be difficult to turn, even with a wrench or the help of pliers. If that’s the case, call your plumber – the valve may be corroded and need professional help to be replaced.
5. Check your cold water cistern
If you live in an older home, you may have a cold water storage tank in your loft or roof space. In some cases the ball valve in the cistern can get stuck, causing the tank to empty and stop supplying water to your taps.
You can solve this issue by:
- Dislodging the ball valve so it is no longer stuck.
- Cleaning the cistern so it is unlikely to get stuck again.
The cistern should naturally start to re-fill and supply water to your tap once more. If this doesn’t work, call a plumber to identify deeper possible issues.
6. Are your pipes damaged or leaking?
Leaks are all too common, with 460 million litres of water per year lost to leaks in the UK alone. Leaks, unnatural bends, and broken or dented pipes can all prevent water from reaching your tap. These can be identified by looking at the pipes below your sink, outside your home, or elsewhere in connection to the affected tap.
Unfortunately, these situations are often complex and not suited to DIY solutions. Attempting to fix leaks or damage on your own can even make the situation worse. The best thing to do is call your plumber to have them assess the issue.
7. Ask your neighbours
If all else fails, and especially if there is no water coming out of any of your household taps, it’s probably worth checking with your neighbours to see if there are any issues across the neighbourhood or street.
More widespread issues can mean your supplier has turned off the service due to a larger problem, such as contaminated drinking water.
If your neighbours also have no drinking water, you should contact your supplier to see if they have turned off the service in your area, and understand when running water will be back.
Top tip: Before asking your neighbours, check to see if you are due to pay any water bills, or if your supplier has put out a water notice for any onsite maintenance in your area.
What to do when no water comes out of your tap
If you follow the above steps and cannot find the cause of your low (or nonexistent) water pressure, it’s worth calling a professional or contacting your water supplier. There may be more complex issues at play with your at-home plumbing system that are best addressed by a professional.
Why is no water coming out of my taps?
In summary, here are some of the causes of low or no water pressure in your house:
If you have no water coming out of the cold tap in your bathroom…
Your water mains or shutoff valve may be partly closed, or completely turned off. This often happens if someone has been working around the area or purposely turned the water off and forgot to open the valve again.
If you have cold water but no hot water…
If you have no water coming out of your hot tap, this often indicates a problem with your water heater. However, it can also mean a blockage or clog somewhere in the system (e.g. from limescale buildup in your pipes).
If just your kitchen sink has no water…
If just your kitchen sink has low or no water pressure, check the valve under the sink. Similar to when your water mains is off, if this valve is closed no water will flow to your sink.
Likewise, check for damage such as dents, leaks or breakages in the plumbing below your faucet.
If you have no water at all in your house…
If none of your taps are working, that means there’s a problem with your water mains or your supplier. Check your water supplier’s website to see if there are any issues or ongoing maintenance in your area.
Protect your plumbing with a water softener
If you find yourself constantly dealing with limescale blockages in your pipes, faucet and aerator, one solution works better than others: a water softener. If you live in a hard water area, it’s likely you have limescale buildup in your pipes – even if you haven’t noticed any plumbing issues yet. Check water hardness where you live to see if limescale could explain your lack of water.
Using a water softener can gradually dissolve this buildup and prevent it from becoming a costly problem. Culligan Harvey’s range of water softeners has a solution for everyone, from small households to businesses. No more calling your plumber to come out and fix blockages when you’re using softened water!
On top of this, many households enjoy using a water softener and reverse osmosis system combination to improve the taste of their tap water, remove contaminants like bacteria, chlorine and PFAS, and make cleaning easier.


