Updated · Published
Quick answer
Start with the cold kitchen tap and check which other outlets are affected. If nearby homes also have no water, check the supplier’s incident information. Poor flow after plumbing work may involve trapped air, but it can have other causes. Do not connect hot and cold taps or force water backwards.
Before you start: Do not loosen joints, add chemicals or use a pump or improvised hose to force pressure into the system. Keep clear of wet electrical fittings. For an active leak, use a known isolation point only when safe and call for help. Never run an immersion when its cylinder may be empty.
On this page
Check the water supply
Try the cold kitchen tap, commonly near where water enters the home. Affinity Water advises checking supplier incidents and nearby neighbours when there is no water. A problem affecting several properties belongs with the water supplier rather than being treated as a household airlock.
If recent work required isolation, ask the person who did it before changing their arrangements. Only check an internal stop tap you know and can reach safely. Do not force a seized valve, disturb a shared supply or reopen water isolated to control a leak.
Compare the affected outlets
| What you notice | What to do next |
|---|---|
| No water at the cold kitchen tap | Check the supplier’s incident information and whether neighbours are affected. |
| Kitchen cold water works, but other outlets do not | Record the rooms and whether hot, cold or both are affected; an internal fault needs investigation. |
| Strong hot-tap flow, but the water stays cold | This points towards heating the water rather than simply restoring flow; use the hot-water guide. |
Trapped air can follow an interruption that drains pipes, but partly closed valves, restricted fittings and other faults can also cause poor flow. Note whether it began suddenly or gradually and whether taps splutter, run weakly or stop completely.
If flow is strong but cold, see heating works but no hot water. The distinction helps separate plumbing, supply and boiler work.
Avoid improvised airlock fixes
Do not join hot and cold taps with a hose, block a mixer outlet or push water backwards. Water Regs UK explains that reverse flow can contaminate drinking-water supplies; protection must suit the installation. A method shown for a different system is not a universal repair.
A plumber must identify the supply and storage arrangement before choosing a remedy. Keep hot pipework and water near electrical equipment undisturbed; do not dismantle fittings to locate the air.
Does milky water mean an airlock?
Not necessarily. Affinity Water explains that white water which clears from the bottom of a glass can contain tiny air bubbles. That is different from trapped air restricting flow.
Follow the supplier’s advice for persistent cloudiness, discolouration, unusual taste or smell. Do not assume water is suitable to drink because someone calls it an airlock. Say whether hot or cold water is affected.
What to tell the plumber
Give the affected rooms and outlets, whether hot and cold behave differently, when it started, any recent work or supply interruption, and whether neighbours are affected. Photos of safely accessible labels and the general layout can help; do not remove covers or climb into unsafe spaces.
For Harlow and surrounding towns, use plumbing repairs. John confirms the work and exact price before attending. For urgent loss of water or an active leak, call directly through the emergency plumbing page.
Questions
How do I know if there is an airlock in my water pipes? +
Poor or interrupted flow after a supply interruption or plumbing work can be consistent with trapped air, but it is not proof. Check which hot and cold outlets are affected and tell a plumber what changed.
Can I clear an airlock by connecting the hot and cold taps? +
Do not improvise a cross-connection or force mains water backwards through hot-water pipework. The system must be identified and its backflow protection understood before work is attempted.
Why is there water in the kitchen but not the bathroom? +
If the cold kitchen tap works but other outlets do not, the fault may be inside the property. Record which outlets are affected and contact a plumber rather than assuming a mains outage.
Does cloudy water mean there is an airlock? +
Not necessarily. White water that clears from the bottom of a glass can contain tiny air bubbles. That does not prove an airlock is restricting flow; follow your supplier’s advice if the appearance persists or concerns you.
Who do I contact when the whole property has no water? +
Check your water supplier’s incident information and whether neighbours are affected. Contact the supplier for a possible supply interruption, or a plumber for a fault within the property.
Sources
Need a repair?
John is based in Harlow and covers the surrounding towns. Call to describe the plumbing or water-side heating problem.