What To Do If You Have No Running Water?

Water is the most crucial necessity for every household in the UK. It has multiple utilities, such as drinking, cooking, washing, and bathing. So, it is required in kitchens, bathrooms, and even in gardens. Under normal circumstances, its continuous availability is taken for granted. But every household in the UK may occasionally experience an odd, unwanted situation when suddenly there is no running water. 

The situation might be even more upsetting when it happens right in the middle of a shower, with no hot or cold water at all. Or when you are watering your garden, and suddenly the water supply vanishes. Or when you are washing your clothes or dishes, but there is no water for your washing machine or dishwasher. Though not a regular feature, it may happen at any time, unexpectedly, without prior notification by the water supply company. Running water may also suddenly disappear for other reasons, such as maintenance work, bursting or freezing of main water supply pipes, or a fault in the supply line. Sometimes the fault may lie in your home's plumbing. Whatever the reason, it is one of the most unwanted situations if you have no running water.

Keep reading this blog as we will explore the possible causes of no running water in your home and what to do if it happens.

No Running Water in Your Home – Explore the Actual Cause

If there is no running water in your home, the first thing you need to do is determine the actual cause. To start with, check whether the problem is within the home’s plumbing.

Confirm if the problem is with the internal plumbing work:

Check Taps and Showers

• Check different taps in the home, such as the cold water taps in the kitchen and bathroom, to confirm whether water is coming out.
• Check showers to see if water is coming in there.
• Check the toilet cistern to see whether it refills.

If none of the above have water, it is a clear indication that the home’s internal plumbing is fine, and there is every likelihood that the actual problem is not internal; rather, the issue is with the main water supply. On the other hand, if some of the above-mentioned taps, showers, or toilet cisterns supply water, whereas others do not, it means the problem lies in the internal plumbing. If so, move on to the next step:

Check Internal Stopcock/Stop Tap

The internal stop tap, also known as a Stopcock, is a valve that controls the water from the main line entering the home. In most cases, a stop tap can be found in one of the following locations:

• It may be fitted in the utility room.
• In some homes, it is located under the kitchen sink.
• Due to space constraints, it is sometimes installed in a bathroom.
• It may also be located in an enclosure near the front door.

Once the stopcock is found, check if it is fully opened. Although in most cases no one in a home would even touch it, it may be accidentally closed, even partially, during cleaning work. If this has happened, open it fully and recheck the kitchen or washroom taps for running water. If water is still not running, move on to the next step:

Check the External Stop Tap

The external stop tap is the primary water control of a home. Ideally, it should be located near the property's external boundary wall. Mostly, it is covered in a sort of cage, usually marked with the sign "W" or something like that. Since it is fitted outside the home, there is hardly any chance that someone has changed its setting, which requires a universal key. But to make sure, check if it is fully opened. If not, open it with the universal stop key.

Remember! Under the law, the tenants are not authorized to adjust any external valves in a property. Hence, they should not do so; instead, they just need to report the issue to the landlord. If there is still no running water in the home, it is almost certain that the problem is not with the home’s internal plumbing. However, as a final confirmation, you may move on to the final step:

Check With Neighbors If They Have Running Water

Once all the above steps have been followed and there is still no running water, contact your neighbors to confirm if they are also facing the same problem. Ask them if they are experiencing low water pressure or no water at all. If they are also facing a similar situation, it confirms that there is some external problem, such as a scheduled outage or emergency situation with the water suppliers in your area. 

However, if water is available in your neighborhood but not in your home, it is time to call a qualified plumber to inspect the internal pipework in your property. On the other hand, if they are also experiencing no running water, move on to the next step:

Contact The Water Supplier Of Your Locality

Once it is confirmed that there is no issue with the internal pipework or plumbing within the property, contact the water supply company responsible for your locality:

Check the Website of the Water Supplier For Outages 

In most cases, water supply companies provide live updates on their websites about scheduled or emergency water outages. To get access to the relevant status, you may need to enter your postcode. Once logged in, the following information can be found, which is mostly updated by most companies:

• Schedule of planned or unplanned water outage in your area.
• Emergency situations, such as a burst of the main pipeline. 
• Planned maintenance or upgradation work in the area.
• For how long the outage will persist, or the expected time of restoration of service. 

Check If Any Alerts have been Received From the Water Supplier.

Some companies also manage to notify their clients about any planned, unplanned, or emergency water outages in their locality. Often, they use social media platforms or simple text messages to do so. Just check the following:

• If any text message is received on your mobile
• If any email from the suppliers is received
• If you have their mobile app, check if any alert or notifications is updated there. 

If there is any notification, side by side, there would also be a tentative time of restoration of the services. Just follow that. 

Remember

• If the problem is external, there is nothing you can do. Just wait! Normally, the water supply is restored within a few hours, depending on the type and severity of the fault. 
• If the problem is internal, call an experienced and qualified plumber to thoroughly check the internal plumbing work and fix it. 

No Running Water – Possible External Reasons (Water Companies)

While there might be several reasons for a water outage due to problems with water companies, some of the main causes are summarized here:

• Main Water Pipe Burst – This often happens due to severe cold weather. If the pipes are too old, or the supply pressure suddenly changes, the main supply pipes may also burst. In this situation, the water supply may be discontinued to the entire area. 
• Planned Maintenance – It is a frequent occurrence; companies always strive to provide the best services to their clients, for which routine maintenance and upgradation work have to be conducted. In this scenario, consumers may face an outage for a limited period. 
• Operational Failures – Sometimes, companies may face an emergency situation due to operational failures. This may result in a temporary disruption in the water supply. 

No Running Water – Possible Internal Reasons (Home Plumbing)

There might be several reasons behind the lack of running water, due to internal plumbing issues, which may include:

• One or more water pipes in the home may freeze due to severe cold weather. Try warming the pipe to de-freeze it to restore the water supply.
• In case of an airlock within the internal plumbing, the water supply may also be disrupted. Call a plumber to flush the system to restore the water supply. 
• A faulty stop tap may also affect the water inflow. Get it replaced. 
• Faults or errors in the heating system, mostly within the boiler, may disrupt the hot water supply. Call a Gas Safe Registered engineer to resolve the issues in the boiler. 
• A hidden water leak within the internal pipework in the property may also cause a drop in water pressure or even no running water. Call a qualified plumber to identify the leak and fix it. 

Conclusion 

Water is one of the critical necessities of life. Whether for drinking or cooking, or for washing and cleaning, or for baths and toilets, water is needed everywhere. Mostly, one cannot realize how important water is for our daily life routine, but if it suddenly stops coming in, everything is upset. Although it is not a common occurrence, everyone in the UK occasionally faces a situation where there is no running water in their home. 

It may happen mainly due to two major factors: disruption in supply from the main water pipeline or an internal fault within the property. Whatever the reason may be, the situation is often quite disturbing and annoying. If the main supply line disrupts the water supply, the water supply company is responsible for restoring it. You just need to wait for it. However, if the problem is internal, you will need to call a qualified, experienced plumber to fix it so you can enjoy an uninterrupted water supply.