You’re coming home from a long day at work, and you just have to have a bath before going out again. Unfortunately, you discover that there’s no water in the bathroom. You still have water in other places in your home though so you are confused. What can you do? Well, the good news is that there are many ways to get water flowing again quickly and with minimal effort. Let’s look at some of the solutions.
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Check the faucet
You should first check that the faucet is not broken. If the flow of water is very low, there may be a problem with the water supply to this faucet. It is also possible that you have to descale the faucet with vinegar as hard water deposits can slow down the water flow.
Faucets can break over time and have to be replaced if this happens.
It is also possible that there is an air pocket in your drains. You can try to remove this by opening all the faucets at the same time. This can help to remove the air from the pipes and get the water in your bathroom flowing again. It can take some time to get all this air out of the pipes.
Check your home’s water pressure
If the water is flowing but has very low pressure, there may be a problem with your home’s water pressure. This is usually caused by dirt or other things that are blocking the pipes. It could also mean there’s a leak in your plumbing system.
You can take a look at your water heater to see if this system gives a warning. Water heaters have advanced sensors that can display a warning message if the water pressure in the system is too low. In most instances, there is also a pressure gauge nearby. If the water pressure around your water heater is too low, you know that you have to examine this area further.
Another cause could be that the water pump is not working (if you have one). Check if your water pump gives a warning.
The water supply of your bathroom could be on a different circuit and this could explain why you don’t get water there. During winter, it is possible that the pipe has been frozen solid. We have discussed how you can unfreeze a water pipe here.
If you have low water pressure at all times of the year, you should hire a plumber to do an inspection and give you a diagnosis. It is possible that the water pressure in your house is too low. One of the common culprits of this is that the diameter of your pipes is not wide enough.
Check valves on your pipes
If you have hot water but no cold water, there may be a problem with the valves that control the flow of water in your bathroom. The valves may be stuck or broken, or they may simply be turned off. If they’re turned off, you can turn them back on and get water flowing again. You can check this by looking for the water valves on the pipes near your faucets. If they’re stuck, use a wrench to turn them back on.
If they’re broken, you may need to replace them. Don’t force them as they can break! This can cause a water leak and you will have to close the main water supply to avoid further damage.
Check for water leaks
If the water isn’t flowing at all, you may have a leak in your plumbing system. This can be pretty serious, so you should look around to see if you see wet spots or hear the water flow. Leaks can cause serious damage to your home, so it’s best to hire a professional as soon as you can. Plumbers have special equipment to find water leaks (from heat cameras to specialized listening equipment).
You may have a broken pipe, or there may be a problem with the plumbing in your walls. In this case, you’ll need to hire a plumber to come out and fix it for you.
The water pipes can also be frozen, we have discussed how to unfreeze them here.
Check your plumbing system
Finally, if nothing you try has solved the issue, you may have a larger issue with your plumbing system. The good news is that you can solve most water issues on your own if you know how to look for the source of the problem. Once you know what the problem is, you can call a plumber to fix it for you or do it yourself if it’s a minor problem that you can handle.
If you have older water pipes, it is possible that they got clogged by dirt and dust. You can remove a faucet and see if there is dirt in the drains and clean it with a brush. A plumber will have to come out to clean this if you are not able to get this removed yourself. It can be a good idea to replace older water pipes as they break down over time.
It is also possible that your bathroom has a different water supply. Follow the pipes in your house to see where they run to. This might give you a clue about what is going wrong.
Another possibility is that something else in your house is using a lot of water. For example, if your washer and dishwasher are running at the same time, they can use a lot of water and can restrict the water supply in your house.
We have discussed how to deal with low water pressure in your home here. Your plumber can test the water pressure in your house to see what is going wrong.
To conclude, we can state that it will take quite some troubleshooting to find what is going on but in most instances, it should be possible to fix it quite easily so that you can take your bath soon. If these things didn’t work, you might have to call a plumber to get it fixed.
