If you have no water at night, first check whether neighbours are affected and whether your stopcock is fully open, as this helps show whether the problem is with the public supply or your own plumbing. If the whole street is affected, your water supplier is usually the right first contact.
A loss of supply can have several causes, so a few simple checks can save time.
Check Whether It Is Just Your Property
Water suppliers carry out repairs and maintenance on their network, sometimes at night, and a burst main can affect several homes at once. If neighbours also have no water, the cause is likely to be outside your property. Your water supplier may have information about planned work or known problems in your area.
Look at Your Own Supply
If neighbours have water and you do not, the cause may be within your property. Things worth checking include:
- Whether the stopcock has been turned off or partly closed, perhaps during earlier work
- Whether all taps are affected, or just some
- Whether there are signs of a leak, such as damp patches or the sound of running water
- Whether pipes in cold areas such as lofts or outside walls may have frozen in winter
If only one tap or toilet is affected, the cause may be local to that fitting or its isolating valve.
It can also help to check whether hot and cold taps are both affected. If only hot water has stopped, the cause may relate to how hot water is supplied in the home rather than the mains, and it needs looking at in that context.
What Not to Do
If the stopcock is very stiff, do not force it. If you suspect a frozen pipe, avoid using open flames or high heat to thaw it. If there is any sign of water escaping, especially near electrics, keep clear and seek help.
While you wait for the supply to return, make sure taps are turned off, so water does not run unattended when it comes back on. If the water looks discoloured when it returns, your water supplier can advise on what to do.
Having no water does not automatically mean there is a leak, and it does not always mean the water company is responsible. The pattern of what is and is not working is the best guide.
When to Ask a Plumber
If the problem seems to be inside your property, the supply has not returned and you cannot find an obvious cause, a plumber can help trace it. Our out-of-hours plumbing page explains the types of problems that may need attention outside normal working hours.
If you are without water at night and the problem seems to be within your home, a plumber can talk through your checks and advise on the next step.