No Water In Shower, But Sinks Are Fine! (Read This First)

By - Ron Singh

Updated -

It is not unusual for plumbing issues to arise every once in a while when you use your shower and not affect the sink or every other pipe around the house.

The problem does not have to do with the entire piping system, so now the question is, what are the reasons why there is no water in the shower, but are the sinks perfectly fine?

If there is no water coming out from your shower, but the sinks are totally fine, the most likely issue has to be the shower head. It is either something blocking the flow of water from the shower head or a problem with the cartridge.

No Hot Water In Shower, But Sinks Are Fine

No Water in Shower, But Sinks Are Fine

Realizing there is no hot water in the shower, the sinks can be a very unpleasant experience. Not only is cold water not enjoyable, but it can also leave you feeling unhygienic.

If there were no supply of hot water all around your home, the primary culprit here would’ve been the water heater. 

But since it is just your shower, the most likely reason why this is happening is that:

#1. Your Anti-Scald Unit Is Too High

Let’s say you are getting hot water from every unit in your house, but your shower is only rushing with cold water; there’s a high chance that your anti-scald unit has been set too high.

What this limit does is that it limits how far you can turn your shower handle to set hot water and also protects you, so you don’t get burned by hot water. 

So, when your shower is not getting adequate hot water from your sink, the issue might be that your anti-scald unit is not properly adjusted.

You should contact a professional plumber that can help you fix this issue by; 

  • Take off the handle or head of the shower from your Fauset. 
  • Locating the anti-scald unit. 
  • Turn your anti-scald unit until he sets it in the correct position. 
  • Testing the water, and if it eventually gets hot again, your anti-scald was the issue. 

#2. A Damaged Mixing Valve 

A mixing valve helps you maintain the proper water temperature you need at any point in time by creating a balance between the mix of hot and cold water.

If your shower doesn’t have n anti-scald unit, then this is what you should be checking out for. A few problems that can affect your mixing valve, causing it not to work correctly, are; 

  • A broken valve. 
  • A worn-out valve. 
  • The plastic part of the valve is deteriorating. 
  • Improperly positioned valve. 

Most homeowners do the specific thing to conclude that the shower is the primary reason for all these, but your shower might be innocent in many cases.

The best way to check this is to check all other water sources like the sink, and if it only provides you with cold water, then the problem has to be from the water heater. 

For you to confirm if your heating system is the case and not the shower, you should check for some of these issues; 

  • Check if the thermometer in your water heater isn’t set high enough; this is one of the most common reasons why this happens. 
  • Check for technical issues with your water heater
  • Check if the fuse blows and if it’s a case with a gas unit, check the pilot light
  • If the heating system uses an oil burner, check if the oil burner ran out of oil. 

After fixing these potential causes and it still doesn’t supply water, you can be sure the issue is from the shower. Get a professional plumber to fix this because it can be complicated. 

No Cold Water in Shower but Sinks Are Fine 

Hot water not coming out of your shower is a clear sign of a faulty faucet, and if there is anything worse than a cold bath, it is a scalding hot one!

But, of course, you can never be sure if you do not find the exact problem, which is the first thing you should do. 

You should check if the problem is just within the shower in the kitchen or if it is all around the home, and if you realize that it is a general issue, it is most likely because someone switched off the valve. 

When turned back on, your shower should go back to normal. If it doesn’t go back to normal, then you should get your pressure-balancing valve checked because it is a problem. 

Other times, The two primary purposes of the pressure-balancing valve are regulating the hot water pressure and cold-water pressure and the ratio of cold and hot water flowing in the faucet. 

As time goes on, these minerals build up, and then corrosion starts to inhibit the cartridge’s effectiveness, which usually happens if you do not use the shower regularly. 

The solution to this is replacing the valve cartridge, and it is not all that difficult, even if it involves disassembling the faucet.

Many people would want to do this alone, but before trying this, you should know that removing the old cartridge is the most challenging part.

The steps involved in replacing an old shower carriage are listed below; 

  • Shut off the water supply from the shower. 
  • You should completely cover the drain underneath your shower to prevent small materials like screws and pins from falling in and disrupting your work. 
  • Remove the shower handle and every other metallic component you need to work on. 
  • Please take a quick snap of the disassembled parts as a reference when reassembling them back. doing this is an essential step for you if you cannot quickly identify the components.
  • Remove all the parts inside the Fauset, and then if there’s any dirt build-up, you can use a commercial cleaning solution to get rid of it. 
  • You can use a needle nose plier to remove the retainer clip and use a cartridge puller to pull out the cartridge. 
  • After installing back, the retainer clip and assembling every other part with the reference photo you’ve taken, you’re good to go. 

Why Is There No Hot Water in My Shower but My Sink?

You’re having trouble getting hot water in your shower, but then water is being supplied to your sink and probably other water outlets, so what is the primary reason why this is happening?

Well, if you are getting water in every other part of the house but the sink, then two issues are most likely to be occurring either; 

  • Your anti-scald unit is set too high 
  • Your shower valve is faulty. 

What To Do When No Water Coming Out My Shower but Sinks Are Fine? 

There are many reasons why water is not coming out of your shower faucets ranging from not paying water bills to a leak from somewhere.

Having a shower that works the right way is critical, so you need to attend to this fast, and fortunately for you, there are a lot of ways you can troubleshoot this issue; 

#1. Find The Problem 

In every situation, the first step to fixing a problem is narrowing it down to its source. So firstly, you should establish if the problem is from the water in the shower or the water outlets in the whole house.

If you realize that the issue is just from your shower, you can now know the next step to take instead of being confused if it was a general issue. 

#2. Check The Valves That Control the Flow of Water 

After confirming the issue traces back to the shower valve, the simplest information you can get is that something bumped into the water supply valve, causing an obstruction.

Next, you can locate the valve that supplies water to the shower; a few times, it is directly under the bathroom. 

When you locate the valve and notice it is off, turn it back on again, and the water should start running again.

If this works for you, then there is a high possibility that the same thing happened to the other water supplies. 

#3. Examine The Showerhead 

After checking the water supply valve, you should move to your showerhead if you realize it is not the case.

For example, several rusts and mineral deposits may block the water from getting through. 

You can check the showerhead by disconnecting it from the shower pipe, and if it is stuck, you can use a cloth to pull it out while you use the wrench or plier to attain leverage.

If the showerhead is the case, you can now clean it using a suitable cleanser. 

Most Common Reason Why There Is No Water in Shower, but There Is in Sinks 

The reasons why this might happen are very few and, if taken care of properly, can be fixed in no time. these reasons include 

  • Faulty shower valve. 
  • An obstruction in the pipes. 
  • A leak in the water tanks. 
  • Showerhead problems. 
Reasons There Is No Water in Your ShowerWhat To Do To Get Water Running Down Your Shower 
Faulty or worn-out shower valve Get a professional plumber to check your shower valve
The anti-scald unit has been set too highLocate the anti-scald unit and reduce it
An obstruction in the pipes Check your pipes for the obstruction and get it out 
Problems with the shower head Clean your shower head with an adequate cleansing solution. 

Conclusion 

You can permanently fix a faulty shower in the most straightforward ways when the issues are identified quickly.

You can handle most of the problems you face from a faulty shower, but consult a professional when the shower valve is faulty.

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