Help, I have no hot water
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It can be frustrating to suddenly discover you have no hot water for a bath or shower. This guide will help you to identify the cause and find a solution.
Combi system
Your hot water should be provided 'on demand'.
- Make sure your boiler is switched on and the display does not indicate a fault.
- If there is a fault displayed, use the manual that came with your boiler to find out what the problem is.
- If the boiler is on and there are no faults showing, try running the hot tap nearest to the boiler, most likely the one over the kitchen sink. Watch the boiler display as you do this, noting any faults that are displayed.
- If your home is still under warranty, please get in touch using the Contact Support box on this page.
Conventional system
With this type of system you’ll have an airing cupboard containing a hot water cylinder.
- If you’ve simply run out of hot water, you can use your immersion heater boost programmer. Remember, immersion heaters use a lot of energy and can be more expensive to run. The switch will probably be in the cupboard with your boiler.
- Check your boost programmer is set for long enough to provide a sufficient amount of hot water.
- Check the front panel of your boiler to ensure that it is running correctly and displaying no faults. If all seems well, you may want to adjust your hot water settings to better suit the needs of your family.
- If there is a fault displayed, use the manual that came with your boiler to identify the problem. If your home is still under warranty, please get in touch using the contact box on this page.
Shower only is affected
If it’s one shower that’s affected, it’s likely to be one of three reasons:
- Electric showers are unaffected by a general loss of hot water, since they heat water direct from the mains. So if your electric shower isn’t working it may not be getting power, or could be suffering from an internal fault. Read our showers guide to find out how to identify your electric shower and make sure it is switched on at the mains.
- If the problem affects a single non-electric shower, it may be an issue with the internal thermostat preventing hot water from getting through.
- If the shower simply isn’t receiving hot water, the hot water feed could have been turned off during recent plumbing work.
If it’s none of these, and your home is still under warranty, please get in touch using the contact box on this page.
Bath or sink only is affected
If you’re having problems with just one bath or sink, there are a number of possible causes:
- If you can’t get your bath water hot enough, it could be linked to the temperature restrictor, fitted as standard. Find out more in our guide to baths, sinks and taps.
- If your bath or sink is running only cold water, try running the tap for longer to see if it heats up. Check other taps to see if they eventually run hot.
- If there’s no water at all, it’s likely this particular tap has been disconnected from the hot water supply, possibly during plumbing work or maintenance.
- If you’ve just moved in and this outlet has never delivered any water, please get in touch using the contact box on this page.
All your outlets are affected
If the problem is not isolated to just one outlet (sink/bath/shower) and you’re only getting cold water from your taps, it could be you’ve run out of hot water, or your boiler or cylinder isn’t working properly.
To work out which, you first need to know what type of heating system you have. If you aren’t sure, please use our guide: What kind of heating and hot water system do I have?
A common problem with all types of boilers and cylinders is a lack of pressure. Read our guide to setting up your heating and hot water to find out more.
District heating
If you have district heating and are experiencing issues with your hot water, first check whether your neighbours are affected.
If so, it’s likely to be a problem with your local energy provider, and you should contact them in the first instance.
Other reasons you might have not hot water
If you’ve checked all the above and your taps or showers are still not delivering hot water, it’s possible the hot water to or from your boiler has been switched off or disconnected.
This could be the result of recent plumbing work or servicing. In which case, please contact the tradesperson responsible.
If you haven’t had any such work, and your home is under warranty, please get in touch using the contact box on this page and we will do our best to help you.