People rely on their plumbing systems to supply them with fresh, clear water on demand. If you turn on your faucet only to find that no water comes out, you're stuck with a big problem. Fortunately, this problem can have an easy solution. Here are four things you should do if you realize there's no water in your house.

1. Test all the faucets in your home.

If you turn on your kitchen sink and the water comes out in a trickle or, worse, there's no water at all, that can indicate a lack of water pressure. You should find out if the problem is localized to that one faucet or if it's affecting your entire home. Go through your house and turn on all the faucets in every room. If the other faucets work, you know there's a problem with that one specific part of your plumbing. Check the shutoff valve for the water fixture that's giving you trouble. It's possible that another family member turned it off and forgot to turn it back on.

2. Check the hot and cold water.

Hot water and cold water come from the same tap, but they go through different processes to get there. Cold water flows straight through your pipes, while hot water must first be routed through your water heater. If water refuses to flow when you turn on the hot water but cold water flows just fine, the problem lies with your water heater. Water heaters can get clogged over time, especially if you live somewhere with hard water. The high mineral content in hard water can lead to buildups in your water heater or pipes; these mineral deposits will need to be manually cleaned. Fortunately, plumbers generally also handle water heater repairs.

3. Find out if there is scheduled water main maintenance.

Occasionally, a municipal water main bursts and maintenance teams need to do repairs. If this happens in your area, it's likely that the water will be shut off for the entire neighborhood until the problem is solved. If your whole house has no water, call your water supplier to find out if there is repair work happening in your area.

4. Call a plumber.

If you've checked to make sure your water hasn't been shut off but you're still having trouble with one or more of your faucets, you should call a plumber. They can take apart your pipes to find out if a blockage is to blame. If necessary, they can replace your faucet or fix any burst pipes that are leading to your water shortage.

For more information, contact a plumbing company like Roto Rooter.