If you are a first time home buyer, you likely do not know a lot about some home maintenance areas. One of these areas may be plumbing. It is important that you learn about plumbing so that you will know if there are problems and know what to do if something does happen. To get you ready for potential issues, below are two plumbing problems you should know about.

Bathroom Sink Clogs

Clogs can happen in your bathroom sink. If the sink clogs, the water will not drain quickly or may not drain at all. Clogs in sinks are generally due to things like hair and leftover soap pieces. To take care of this problem, you need to clean the drain. 

First remove the stopper from the drain. You may notice a lot of residue on the stopper itself. If so, clean this off. Next, purchase a drain cleaner at a store. Natural drain cleaners do not use chemicals. Follow the directions on how to clean the drain and then put the stopper back in. 

Problems With Toilet Flushing

If you flush the toilet and it will not drain, there may be a clog. Use a standard plunger to see if you can get the clog out. If the toilet will still not drain, then the clog may be much deeper than you can remove with a plunger. A plumber will need to be hired in order to get the clog out. 

Another thing that can cause a toilet not to flush correctly is a malfunctioning flapper. To address this issue, remove the lid from the tank. At the bottom of the tank there is a rubber gasket that is round in shape. This is known as the flapper. The flapper opens when the toilet is flushed and then closes back down. If the flapper does not open completely, this can cause the toilet not to flush correctly. You can take care of this problem on your own in most cases. You will see a chain that is attached to the flapper. Move the chain a little to make it shorter, and then flush your toilet. If it still does not flush, the flapper will need to be replaced.

Hire a plumber to come to your home if you cannot fix these problems on your own. The plumber can also tell you more about the plumbing issue and how to prevent it in the future. For more information about plumbing services, contact a local plumber.