Nothing is more annoying than waking up in the morning, ready to start your routine only to find that there’s no water coming out of the faucet.
There are many reasons why your faucet might not work. with enough guidance, however, you can fix them alone even without experience!
Fortunately, after many trials and errors, in this article, I’ve compiled all the reasons why your faucet might not work and how you can easily fix it!
Reasons Why Water Isn’t Coming Out of Faucet
There are a few reasons why your faucet might not be working:
1. Problem with One Individual Faucet
This is the most common issue why water won’t be coming out of a faucet.
Well, there are actually quite a few when it comes to an individual faucet.
It can be because of a clogged aerator or a damaged component inside the faucet.
You may need to fix a broken handle, such is often the case when a shower knob turns but no water comes out!
The o-ring inside the faucet is an important part that allows your faucet to work correctly.
Though it’s important, it’s also fragile and can be damaged. Thus, resulting in water not coming out.
2. Problem with Your House’s Main Water Supply
Before going ahead and repairing the faucet, take a moment to check if the other faucets in your house are working or not.
This might be a problem with your house’s water pipes.
3. Frozen Pipes
When it comes to the main water pipes in your house, a common issue in winter would be your pipes freezing over.
This automatically means that your pipes will fail to send over any water to your faucets.
4. Clogged or Leaking Pipes
This might mean that your pipes are either clogged or damaged.
If your pipes are damaged, then the water is probably leaking out. This will also prevent your pipes from connecting water to your faucets.
5. An Issue Occurred with the City’s Water Pipeline
You can check with your neighbors to see if they’re also experiencing water issues.
If they are, then it’s most likely a problem with your city’s pipelines.
You can contact the water department in your city to ask for information regarding this issue.
If not, then it’s back to being a problem with your house’s water supply
Next up: I’m going to walk you through the repairing process step-by-step. So buckle up and prepare your tools!
How to Make Water Come Out of a Faucet Again
After checking to see if the issue is with one faucet or more, you can start taking the needed steps to repair them.
1. Faucet Is Clogged
You can recognize a clogged faucet by the way the water is falling from it.
You’ll notice that it’s either producing a really thin water spray or no water at all.
For every faucet, two parts may result in its clogging. The aerator, and the diverter.
1. Aerator
First up, check if the aerator is clogged. The aerator is the metal tip at the very end of a faucet head where the water comes out.
The aerator is usually tightly screwed but can easily be removed using a plier.
- First up, wrap the aerator in a small cloth to avoid scratching it.
- Start to unscrew the aerator until it’s completely separated from the faucet.
- The aerator consists of multiple smaller parts so be careful while removing it to not lose any of them.
- Use an old toothbrush or any brush you have in hand to clean the aerator.
- You’ll find dust and minerals collected on it. So brushing it away and cleaning the aerator should solve the problem.
- If you notice that your aerator is damaged or rusted, it’s better to buy a new one and replace it.
If the issue isn’t with the aerator, then it might be because of the diverter.
Now, this part can be a little more complicated but it’s still quite easily fixed!
2. Diverter
First things first, before unclogging your diverter, you need to cut off the water from the main water faucet.
This component is usually located under the sink. Simply turn off both the cold and hot water valves before proceeding.
1. If your faucet is a single handle, you’ll be able to find a set screw at the base of the faucet.
Use a screwdriver to unscrew it before removing the handle.
Put a towel in the drain just in case it falls in the sink. Set screw sizes are small!
2. You’ll find a cap under the handle that can usually be removed by hand.
If it’s too tightly screwed, cover it with a cloth and use a plier to unscrew it.
3. After the cap is removed, you’ll need to remove the next two parts named cam and packing, and ball valve.
4. Once you pull all these parts out, you can start removing the faucet spout, or head, to reach the diverter.
Remove the faucet spout by gently rotating it left and right until it comes off completely.
5. Now you’ll be able to reach the diverter. Simply pull out the diverter and brush away any minerals stuck to it.
Place it in equal parts vinegar and water for around two hours.
6. Put back the diverter in the faucet and reassemble everything in order.
Once you’re done, your faucet should be working as good as new!
However, if you notice that your diverter is in a bad condition, buy a new one to replace it.
2. Faucet Leaking Water
Another reason why your faucet might not release water is that it’s leaking.
This usually happens when the o-ring inside the faucet gets damaged.
All you’ll need to do is follow the previously mentioned steps from 1 to 3 and you’ll find the o-ring.
The o-ring is a black rubber ring that prevents your faucet from leaking. If you see that it’s worn out, pull it away or cut it off.
Clean any dust that may have accumulated under it before placing a newly bought one.
Once you’re finished, just reassemble everything you took off back in order.
And you’re done! The leaking problem should now be fixed.
3. Issues with the House’s Water Pipes
The last cause of water not coming out is a problem with the house water pipes.
This usually causes all the faucets in your house to not get any water. There are multiple causes of this:
- Frozen pipes
- Leakage in the pipes
- Rusted pipes
- Clogged pipes
- Airlocked pipes
Now all of these problems are a little harder to handle as messing with them may cause larger issues to occur.
So it’s best to contact your plumber to come and check to avoid any incidents from happening.
As they say, it’s always better to be safe than sorry!
What Else to Keep In Mind with Water Not Coming Out of Faucet?
In some cases, cold water might come out but hot water wouldn’t.
The main culprit of this is usually your water heater. So fixing that should fix your problems.
Here’s our full guide on what to do if only hot water is not coming out of your faucet.
It’s also important to know what type of faucet you own to recognize the parts inside.
You can check out this video to learn more!
FAQ
The Faucet Is Broken! What Should I Do?
The first thing to do is to cut off the water by turning off both the cold and hot valves in the main water faucet.
Take the broken faucet to a hardware shop and search for a similar one to replace it.
You can then go back and reassemble the faucet.
If you’re not sure how to, you can contact a plumber for help.
Can I Fix a Leaking Water Pipe Alone?
You can try to temporarily seal it off by turning off your home’s main water supply.
It’s recommended to contact a plumber for help as pipe issues are a little harder to fix.
Conclusion
Suddenly finding that water is not coming out of your faucet can be quite a surprise. And not the good type!
Though it’s an unpleasant experience, it’s still easily fixed.
Now that we’ve reached the end, I hope that you’ve gotten all the information you need to identify the problem.
You can now go ahead with the repairs and hopefully, your faucets will be back to being as good as new!