THE SHORT ANSWER
Where is the water missing?
First separate no water at all from a weak stream. Compare the tap with other outlets you already use normally, including the cold kitchen tap if available, and note whether hot, cold or several outlets are affected. If an outlet is opened to check, close it normally afterwards; do not leave a tap open while waiting for water to return. A broad outage may need your supplier; an isolated tap or branch may need a plumber or landlord.
Jump to a section
Is the problem at one tap or several?
Use what happens at taps you already use normally. Is the affected outlet completely dry, or does a weak stream still come out? Compare it with the cold kitchen tap if available and note whether hot, cold or several taps are affected. This pattern helps route the next call but does not identify a broken part.
| What you notice | What it may suggest | Useful next step |
|---|---|---|
| Several taps have no water, including the cold kitchen tap | A wider supply interruption is possible. Water UK lists planned/emergency repair work and household plumbing problems among possible supply-loss factors. | Check your own supplier’s live service information and ask a neighbour if practical. Close taps you opened after checking. |
| The cold kitchen tap works, but another tap has no water | Water UK uses this pattern as a clue that the issue may be within the home’s plumbing. It does not identify the affected part. | Name the exact tap and whether it is hot or cold; ask a plumber or landlord to assess the outlet/branch if it persists. |
| Several hot taps or several cold taps are affected, but the other temperature works | Hot and cold may have different supply arrangements; the pattern does not prove a tank, cylinder or valve fault. | Note which outlets and temperature are affected. Do not alter stored-water equipment; ask for advice. |
| A weak stream or occasional drips still come out | This is low or reduced flow, rather than no water at all. | Use the low-flow guide and compare only with outlets you already use normally. |
| Water keeps running and the control cannot stop it | This is a tap-control/shutoff problem, not a no-water symptom. | Use the won’t-turn-off guide for the matching safe damage-limitation step. |
| The handle is stiff or does not move normally | The control itself may need a separate assessment; do not force it. | Use the difficult-to-turn guide or ask a plumber to identify the fitting. |
| You are unsure which outlets are affected | The hot/cold and one-versus-several pattern is still useful even if the cause is unknown. | Compare only with taps already used normally and check your own supplier’s updates if several are affected. |
After each normal check
Return any tap you opened to its usual closed position. Portsmouth Water warns that a tap left open during a supply interruption can cause flooding when the water returns.
If the symptom is different
A weak stream belongs with the low-flow guide. If a tap will not stop water, use the separate control guide. Do not operate an unfamiliar isolation valve or hot-water control to investigate.
Already identified an exposed frozen cold-water branch?
For an already identified, safely visible exposed cold-water branch affected in freezing weather, use Frozen pipe and its full prerequisites. No flow alone does not establish freezing; this does not authorise warming an unknown pipe, heating circuit or boiler equipment.
Why might water stop at a tap?
The first useful distinction is whether water is missing from one outlet, a hot/cold branch, or several taps around the home. Water UK lists planned or emergency work and problems in a home’s plumbing among possible supply-loss reasons. A pattern helps decide whom to contact; it is not a part diagnosis.
CHECK THE NETWORK
Several outlets, including the cold kitchen tap
An interruption on the supplier’s network is one possibility. Check your own supplier’s live issue information and ask a neighbour if practical; a posted issue may explain the timing, but it does not prove every home is affected.
CHECK INSIDE THE HOME
One tap or branch is affected
If other ordinary outlets work, the issue may be local to that tap or branch. Water UK notes household plumbing can be a source of supply loss, but the symptom does not tell you which fitting or valve is involved. Ask a plumber or landlord to assess it.
SYSTEMS VARY
Hot and cold do not always share the same route
The DWI notes some older homes may have tank-fed cold taps, while many newer homes - especially with unvented systems - may have hot and cold taps supplied directly from the mains. That variation is not a way to identify your own layout from age alone.
What should you check before making a call?
A few ordinary comparisons can make the problem clearer without taking a tap apart or changing the plumbing. Use controls in their normal way if they move freely, and do not leave any checked tap open when you finish.
Confirm no water versus weak flow
Operate the affected tap normally if its control moves freely. Note whether it is completely dry or a weak stream/occasional drip remains. If you opened it, return its control to the usual closed position.
Compare outlets and temperature
Check only taps you already use normally, including the cold kitchen tap if available. Record whether one tap, one hot/cold branch or several outlets are affected.
Check the right supplier status
If multiple taps are affected, look for live supply information from your own water company and ask a neighbour if practical. Thames Water’s issue service applies only in its own area.
Note timing and any known work
Record when the change began and any supplier notice or plumbing work you already know about. Water UK lists planned/emergency repairs and home plumbing problems as possible supply-loss factors; do not treat either as a diagnosis.
Leave controls and systems in their usual state
Close each tap you opened normally. Leave unfamiliar or stiff isolation valves and all tank/cylinder controls alone. If one outlet remains dry while others work, pass the outlet and hot/cold pattern to a plumber or landlord.
A recent repair or known outage
If a planned interruption or plumbing visit is already known, note its timing and ask the supplier or person who completed the work what service status to expect. Do not guess which valve or tank was changed.
Should you contact the water supplier or a plumber?
WATER SUPPLIER
Several outlets are dry
Check live issue notices from your own supplier and compare with a neighbour if practical. If a wider interruption is likely, contact the supplier for current service information.
PLUMBER OR LANDLORD
One outlet or one branch stays dry
If other taps work and there is no matching supplier issue, ask a plumber or landlord to identify the affected outlet/branch. Share whether it is hot or cold and any known recent work.
A DIFFERENT TAP SYMPTOM
Weak flow, a stiff control or water that will not stop
Use the guide matching the visible symptom; do not force the control or change a hidden valve to make water appear.
If water is also escaping
If water is also escaping, use the relevant leak guide for damage-limitation steps and urgent warning signs.
What might a no-water repair cost?
The cost depends on whether the problem is a supplier interruption, an isolated branch or the tap itself. Identify the outlet pattern before comparing repair prices; a tap-repair quote will not explain the cost or timing of a network interruption.
ATTENDANCE
Ask what the visit includes
Check whether the charge includes identifying the affected tap/branch and explaining whether a repair is needed, or whether diagnostic time is billed separately.
FULL REPAIR QUOTE
Confirm work, parts and tax
Before authorising work, ask which compatible part or repair is proposed, labour, VAT, whether a return visit costs extra and any out-of-hours charge. Do not buy a cartridge or valve from the symptom alone.
Common questions about a tap with no water
How can I tell if the issue is my supplier?
Compare other taps you already use normally, including the cold kitchen tap if available. If several outlets are dry, check your own supplier’s live service information and ask a neighbour if practical. These checks help route the enquiry but do not prove the cause.
Why does one tap have no water while others work?
An outlet or branch issue is possible, but the pattern does not identify a failed part. Tell a plumber or landlord which tap and temperature are affected and which other outlets still work.
Why is hot water missing but cold water still works?
Hot and cold supply arrangements vary between homes. A hot-only symptom does not identify a cylinder or valve fault. Note which outlets are affected and ask a plumber/landlord rather than changing hot-water controls.
Should I leave the tap open while I wait for the water to return?
No. Return any tap used for a flow check to its usual closed position. Portsmouth Water warns an open tap left during an interruption can cause flooding when water returns.
Should I turn a stop valve or adjust a cylinder?
Do not operate an unfamiliar or stiff isolation valve or alter a tank/cylinder based on this symptom. Household layouts vary; ask your supplier, landlord or plumber if a valve/system check is needed.
What if a little water still comes out?
A weak stream or occasional drip is reduced flow rather than no water. Use the low-flow guide for comparison and its exact-model scope.
EVIDENCE & ACCOUNTABILITY
Sources and review
Prepared by Plumber.org.uk with AI assistance, using the sources listed below. These sources support the explanations; they do not endorse this website.
Source-checked guide with independent editorial review and AI-assisted research. No professional plumbing review is claimed. Initial research: 2026-09-28. Updated: 2026-09-30. This is general information, not an assessment of your installation. Prices can change; confirm compatibility and the full repair quote before buying or booking.
How we research and update guides. Spotted an error? Contact us with the page address and the detail to check. This form is for general enquiries and editorial feedback, not emergency assistance.
- Water UK - What to do if you lose your water supply
“What to do if you lose your water supply”: cold kitchen tap, inside stop valve, neighbour and water-company live issue checks.
- Thames Water - No water or low pressure
Sections “Try your cold kitchen tap”, “Check your stop valves”, “Ask your neighbours”, “Check issues in your area”.
- Drinking Water Inspectorate - Water Storage Tanks and Cisterns
Accessed 2026-09-28. Heading “Do I have a water storage tank?” lines 34 - 38: some older properties have tank-fed cold taps; in newer homes, especially with unvented heating systems, hot and cold taps are likely supplied directly under mains pressure. Used to qualify system variation only.
- Portsmouth Water - Water mains renewal schemes
Focused check 2026-09-28. Mains-renewal interruption guidance warns not to leave the kitchen tap open awaiting service restoration because this could cause flooding.