# No water coming out of the faucet: what to check

Updated: 2026-10-24 · https://pros411.com/en/guides/plumbers/no-water-from-faucet

## Short answer

First try another faucet. If none work, check the main water valve, ask a neighbor and call your water company. If only this faucet is dry, open the shut-off valves under the sink all the way. Then unscrew the aerator at the tip and clean out the grit. In freezing weather a pipe on an outside wall may be frozen: warm it with a hair dryer, never a flame.

## What to check when no water comes out of the faucet

![Cartoon kitchen faucet turned on with no water coming out](https://pros411.com/img/guias/no-water-from-faucet.webp)

1. **You turn it on and nothing comes out.** Maybe a cough of air or one last drop. Close the handle so it does not gush when the water comes back.
2. **Try another faucet in the house.** If the others work, the problem is in this faucet or its valves. If none work, it is the main valve or the street.
3. **Open the shut-off valves under the sink.** Someone may have closed them for a repair. Turn both knobs counterclockwise until they stop.
4. **Unscrew and clean the aerator.** Grit can block it completely, often after repairs on the water main. Rinse the screen, scrub it and put it back.
5. **Water flows again.** Open the faucet slowly. Let it run a minute to push out the air and the grit.

## If no faucet in the house works

- Check the main water valve: it should be all the way open.
- Ask a neighbor, or check your water company for an outage or repairs on your street.
- Check that the water bill is paid: utilities do shut off service.
- On a well, check the breaker for the well pump.
- In freezing weather, look for frozen pipes in the garage, crawl space or outside walls.

## If only hot or only cold is missing

No hot water at any faucet points to the water heater. No hot or no cold at just one faucet points to that side of the shut-off valves, or to a clogged cartridge in the faucet.

## When to call a plumber

- The valves are open, the aerator is clean and the faucet is still dry (the cartridge or the supply line is blocked).
- A pipe is frozen where you cannot reach it, or you see a crack or a bulge.
- The main valve is open, your neighbors have water and your house has none.
- A shut-off valve is stuck, or it leaks when you turn it.

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## Frequently asked questions

### Why is no water coming out of my faucet?

If only one faucet is dry, its shut-off valves are closed or the aerator or cartridge is clogged. If every faucet is dry, check the main valve and call your water company.

### Why is there no water in my kitchen sink but water everywhere else?

Check the two shut-off valves under the kitchen sink, then the aerator. In winter, a supply line on an outside wall can freeze.

### Can a clogged aerator stop all the water?

Yes, if it is packed with grit or rust, often after repairs on the water main. Unscrew it and see if water flows without it.

### What do I do if a pipe is frozen?

Open the faucet and warm the pipe with a hair dryer or a heating pad, starting near the faucet. Never use an open flame, and call a plumber if a pipe has burst.

### Why is the water weak after it came back on?

Air and grit get stirred up when the water is turned back on. Run each faucet for a minute and clean the aerators.