Can you flush food down the toilet?

It is a question that has led to countless pub arguments, political tension and hours of marriage counselling.  We are of course talking about the age old question – can you flush food down the toilet?

We are of course joking about the amount of disagreements that it can cause but it is a good question nonetheless.

And the answer is that you SHOULD NOT flush food waste down the toilet.  The simply reason is that the toilet drain pipes in your home are designed to carry human paste (aka poo) and are simply not wide enough to transport food waste.  A toilet is for human waste and water as well as biodegradable toilet paper.  Food waste can block your toilet and does not easily disintegrate.

Obviously food is a very broad category.  If you flushed a liquid soup down the toilet for example, you can get away with it.  And other smaller, more delicate foods can be flushed with only a minor chance of catastrophe.

But if you want to ensure that you don’t get a blocked drain from your toilet, don’t flush food down the drain pipe.

Here is a list of food that should 100% NOT be flushed down the toilet:

• Grains like oats, rice etc which expand in water.  All it takes is for a small blockage to be made a lot worse by expanding risotto rice and you have a full blown blocked toilet.
• Hard foods like corn on the cob and apple cores which, while biodegradable, take a very long time to do so.  They can easily get caught in the drain pipe and form a blockage.
• Sticky/starchy foods like mashed potato.  The gelatinous nature of this type of food can slow the drainage flow in the pipe and easily create a blockage.
• Fats, oils, butter, cooking oile and heavily oil based foods.  when fats and oils become cold, they harden in the drain pipe and can then block the drain completely. Have you heard the name ‘Fatberg’?  Imagine an iceberg made of fat.  It may not be big enough to sink the Titanic but it will certainly be mighty enough to stop a few poos and block the toilet.

So what can I do instead?

Simple – use the food recycling bin if you have one and if not, use the general bin.  If things can be composted, do that in the garden.  Fats, and oils can be put into used containers and leak proof bags before being put in the bin. There are other options than simply flushing it down the toilet.

What if I have ignored your advise, flushed food down the toilet and now have a blocked drain?

The simply answer is that you need to call a drainage contractor.  Luckily, if you are reading this, you have already found one.  We are JSL Drainage.  One of the leading local drainage companies in Glasgow.  Call us today for all your blocked drain solutions.