No Water!

[Scarlett]

I seem to have no water in either tap in the kitchen, and no hot or cold in the bathroom sink. The bath has no hot water coming out but the cold tap works okay. I have phoned the water company but they can't send anyone out for several hours. I was just wondering what may be the cause. There are no incidents flagged in my area for burst water mains etc.

[ummmm]

What type of system do you have?

[bhg481]

Most houses have the sink and outside cold taps directly off the mains. The bath cold water normally comes from a tank in the loft. The bathroom basin sometimescomes from the tank in the loft and sometimes directly from the mains (so that you clean your teeth with fresh, not stored, water). If you have lost water coming into the house this could explain your problem.
You don't specify how your hot water is heated.

[ummmm]

And to turn off our water from the mains we have to do it in the street. When it's turned off we will still have a tank full of water in the loft.

[Scarlett]

I have gas central heating and a boiler in the kitchen which heats the water. But this is no water at all coming through the taps, except the cold bath tap!

[Zacs-Master]

Is it very cold where you are? Frozen incoming pipe?

[ummmm]

Where does your water get turned off?

[tamborine]

Air lock?

[Prudie]

What do you mean by several hours? I thought lack of water was considered an absolute emergency. I agree that your bath tap cold is coming from a tank (that is presumably not being filled as you use it).

[bhg481]

My explanation covers everything except the kitchen hot tap, which still baffles me. If you had a combination boiler that could have explained everything.

[Scarlett]

It has been really cold- it was minus 5 yesterday and rose to around 2 degrees. Today I think it is around 2 degrees. I've kept the heating on though, to try to avoid frozen pipes.

[Scarlett]

How do I know if I have a combination boiler? Sorry- not very well up on these things! The only water coming out of anywhere is from the bath cold tap. The toilet flushes okay but I am worried about whether I am using up tank water for that.

[Zacs-Master]

Could well be the incoming main that's frozen where it comes into the building. Had to apply a warm (not hot) hairdryer to the pipe a few years ago.

[ummmm]

Do you have constant hot water or do you have to manually turn it on?

[Scarlett]

I have constant hot water.

[Scarlett]

There's a stop cock behind the toilet but I've never used it!

[fiction-factory]

We had a problem like this. It was due to an airlock after we'd had some work done on the boiler/cylinder. However ours related to mixer type taps so may not apply to you.
The way it was solved for us is worth trying. Turn on the cold tap of the bath but hold your finger over the tap for a minute so no water comes out. Then gradually turn on the hot taps while still blocking the taps with a finger. Eventually remove your finger and you may find the water flows freely if the air lock has been cleared

[Scarlett]

Water is back. Was a bit slow, but came back eventually. Still no wiser as to what caused it!

[Prudie]

That does suggest it was frozen somewhere outside. At least you're sorted.

[fiction-factory]

Glad it's sorted. if it initially came out in fits and starts it could have been an air lock, but a frozen pipe doesn't seem the most likely cause

[dustypuss]

I's the littl known water monster. It drinks all the water in the pipes untill is full . Then it on to the next town ;-)