ASK ELIZABETH PLUMBING AND DRAIN SERVICE: CAN YOU FLUSH FOOD DOWN THE TOILET?

Toilets are one of the essential appliances in our houses. Since most are used numerous times daily, it’s no wonder they might be picky. Clogs are one of the most common issues with toilets. Various factors may cause clogs, but individuals attempting to flush food down the bathroom are the most common. Although flushing food may seem quick to eliminate unwanted leftovers, it may create large obstructions and costly repairs.

Elizabeth Plumbing and Drain Service, Elizabeth, NJ’s skilled plumbers, explain why dumping food down the toilet is not a brilliant idea.

CAN I PUT FOOD IN THE TOILET?
Although it’s fair that only some have trash disposal and no one wants their kitchen to smell like old food, flushing the food down the toilet is never a brilliant idea. The pipes that enable waste to exit the bathroom are too tiny to accommodate food and may cause clogs or sewage backups. Toilet blockages caused by food waste are common because it does not degrade as rapidly or readily as human waste.

THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER FLUSH
Flushing food down the toilet regularly is unlikely to do serious harm, but if you must, proceed with care.

The following foods should never be flushed:
FATS AND OILS
Fats and oils should never be flushed, just as they should never be rinsed down your kitchen (or any) sink. Is there an easy method to memorize this? You’re breaching the flushing regulations if the material hardens as it cools.

Said, fats and oils are harmful to your toilet and sewage system because they harden and adhere to the walls of the pipes, causing enormous toilet backups. Fatbergs, a more significant accumulation of fats and oils that accumulate debris, may form within the sewer and create serious sewage problems for whole cities.

GRAINS AND STARCHES
Cereals, oats, and rice should never be flushed. Because of the tiny grains, many people believe they should be fine. That, however, is not the case. As grains get wet, they grow in size. This growth may create major blockages and backups in your toilet and sewage system. Starches like spaghetti and potatoes have a similar impact but pose problems due to their thick, gelatinous nature.

LARGE, HARD SCRAPS
Most individuals know that dumping huge food items down the toilet is terrible. Many people don’t realize that even if it’s tiny, hard food waste takes a long time to decompose. Hard scraps include bones, maize cobs, and apple cores. The primary concern with flushing hard waste is that it may cause substantial obstructions. If they somehow enter the sewer, they may become the detritus that feeds the famed fatbergs.

WHAT CAN I DO INSTEAD?Even if you don’t have trash disposal, there are better alternatives than dumping food down the toilet.

They include:
Put undesirable leftovers and old food scraps in freezer-safe plastic bags and dispose of them on trash day.

Think about composting! Virtually all food leftovers may be recycled into nutrient-rich, organic fertilizer to improve the health of your plants or gardens.

Use empty cans or sealable bags to dispose of fats, oils, and other liquids.
Make use of leftovers. Make today’s chicken salad using leftover baked chicken from yesterday night. Peels and vegetable scraps are excellent additions to soups and stocks.

EXPERT PLUMBERS IN ELIZABETH NJAlthough it is now evident that you should not flush food down the toilet, mistakes sometimes occur. If your bathroom has a backlog or blockage that you believe is caused by food or any foreign item, contact the specialists at Elizabeth Plumbing and Drain Service. We are well-known plumbers in Elizabeth, NJ.

For skilled plumbing services, call Elizabeth Plumbing and Drain Service at (908) 304-9983 or schedule service online now!