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My Apartment Complex Has No Water: What to Check First to Restore Water

If you are a New York City property owner or manager, one of the worst things you can hear yourself say is, “My apartment complex has no water.” To get water restored as quickly as possible, here’s a list of what you should check. Sometimes a lack of water is out of your control, but often it’s due to a problem with a pump or plumbing component in your building. By identifying the concern quickly, you can better notify occupants and either fix the issue or describe to experts for timely repair.

Hot AND Cold Water

Boiler or entire water supply?

The first thing to check is whether both your hot and cold water are failing. Depending on the size of the property and the way the plumbing has been set up, you may find:

• Only the hot water isn’t working. This points to a problem with the boiler system. It could be that the boiler is turned off or malfunctioning or that the hot water distributor pump isn’t working.
• The hot water works until the tank is empty. Your boiler gets its water from the cold water automatic water feeder. If once the tank is depleted the water runs out, you have a problem with both your hot and cold water supply (assuming the boiler feed pump is operating).
• Both hot and cold water are not working. This is generally a larger issue, for which you may find a solution below. Also, in smaller properties, if the cold water goes out, the hot water may not run either, as it depends on the cold water pressure to push water from the hot water heater.

Municipal Water Supply

Broken main or pressure problem?

Is your building receiving water from the city water main? If your water has not been intentionally shut off for some reason, this happens when there is a broken water main, which can occur because of construction or an accident. There may also be a sudden drop in pressure if there is a fire in the area and hydrants are in use. (This is why your backflow prevention device and annual RPZ test are so important.) There’s not much you can do in this situation until the city restores water.

Water Main

Shut-off valve or clog?

Once the main enters your building, it’s possible that the water inside isn’t going very far. Usually, this is due to one of three issues:

• Main valve accidentally shut off (turn it back on)
• Pressure too low (adjust your pressure regulator for higher pressure)
• Clog near the main (clear the clog and add a strainer or whole-building water filtration system)

Water Distributor Pump

No supply to units?

If water is flowing into your building and your boiler but not making it to your units, it may be that your water distributor pump is the culprit. Signs the pump is malfunctioning include:

• Pump not turning on or only running intermittently
• Loud or unusual noise coming from the pump
• Pump triggering circuit breaker
• Water leaking from the pump (may also have obvious worn, hardened, or cracked gaskets or seals)
• Pump encrusted with sediment, rust, mineral scale, or other undesirable particulate matter

This should prompt a call to Antler Pumps for a cleaning, repair, or replacement of the distributor pump. We can examine the pump components and ensure that key parts like the impeller and motor are working properly.

Booster Pumps or Low Pressure

Upper stories only?

If the lack of water supply is only a problem in the upper stories of the building, you have a water pressure problem, which can even happen in buildings with rooftop tanks. Gravity favors lower stories, leaving higher levels with less water pressure.

The solution here is a pressure booster pump or series of booster pumps to equalize pressure between floors and overcome the force of gravity. If you already have a booster pump, it may need repair or adjustment, as it’s not getting the job done. We’re happy to take a look at your booster pump for you to make sure it’s the right size, set up properly, and operating smoothly.

Clogged or Broken Pipes

Blockage or leak preventing water flow?

In older buildings with plumbing systems that haven’t been updated in decades, you may have a blocked pipe or a leak that is siphoning off your water supply. Signs that this is the problem include:

• Water is working in some parts of the building but not others.
• You have old pipes, such as galvanized pipes that are prone to narrowing and blockage over time.
• Your building has had problems with clogged pipes or other plumbing components in the past.
• You have had a history of frozen pipes that can make them vulnerable to leaking and breakage later.
• You hear or observe signs of a leak, such as water dripping, stains on walls or ceilings, or damp spots where it should be dry. Pressure may diminish over time, as what was once a small leak grows larger.

In this instance, because it’s not a pump issue, we’d refer you to our Omnia Mechanical Group partners at Sanitary Plumbing to address the issue and get your water supply back to where it should be.

Is your building experiencing problems with its water supply? Do you suspect it’s due to a pump problem, or are you overdue to have regular maintenance performed on your pumps? Don’t wait until you find yourself Googling “My apartment complex has no water” at the most inconvenient time. Call Antler Pumps today at 212-534-2500 to schedule a service call.