Softener hook up

Hello all,

I have been trying to install a water softener and have come up with several items of concern. To explain the previous setup:

To lead off: I live in Indiana, UPC '97, well/septic.

My main drain to the septic system is on the north side (centralized) of the house, the bathrooms in the middle and south side of the house centralized in relation to East/west. My water enters on the north west side of the house (I live in a rectangle =-) ) The softener is by that water entrance, basically a utility room in that area with the geothermal hvac, electric panel, and pressure tank for the well. They extended what (*at a glance*) looks to be 2" PVC from where the plumbing from the bathrooms meet up to where the softener is installed. The previous owners had a p trap and a short vent (8", no auto air vent) on that trap installed where the water softener enters. Since all this takes place a couple of inches below the joists there isn't much room there. To connect the softener and another line from a mini-sump from the geothermal unit condenser they put a horizontal line from the P trap with an end cap and both drain lines stuck in there. I would take pictures, but its hard to see (they roughed out some walls in the basement too...).

My question: I am tempted to replace the softener exactly as it was, but I know there are things fundamentally unsafe. I would like to put a air gap in, but the only one I THINK may work is the gap-a-flo, and I would have to be creative (can handle being at most 45deg. angle). I would have to put in one of those automatic air vents in what looks like is essentially an open vent (the plumbing is on the other side of the house, no vents nearby (20' or so). I could draw a picture if my description is lacking. There is no way to put in a standpipe, no clearance with the floor above. The only airgap I can see working is the one I listed, unless there are other ideas.

2 things about the situation... I doubt I am ever going to have a neg. pressure and a sewage backup at the same time. If my pump is out, I'm not running anything into the sewer. My houses plumbing is all essentially above grade by about 1.5 ft, so very doubtful any storm water related septic backup would happen (We're also high, the basement walks out to the south and is at grade and higher than a good part of the land back there.)

This seemed to work for the previous 12 years, seeing as the water softener I am replacing is that old and placed when the house was built.

Any solutions or suggestions would be appreciated.

Here is a quick drawing if you are short on space. Your piping will need to be installed horizontally and yet have the air gap. Cut the pipe off at an angle to help create an air gap. A couple of hardware store items and you can create a good solid clamp that will keep the pie in place when the softener is cycling. That air gap is very important. Softeners used to get hooked up direct to a drain creating a cross connection with the effluent and the potable water supply. The other thing I would strongly suggest is installing filtration before the water supply goes to your softener. I installed two .5 filter cartridges (that is 1/2 micron filtration). one particulate, one carbon. This may seem to be going overboard, but this is the only filter size that will remove microbial bugs in the water. It will also protect all of your plumbing fixtures from the WHAT IFS!. I am on a city water system, WHAT IF there is a water main break and a lot of small rocks and dirt get in the line and it ends up in my water supply? Do you think I want to deal with tiny stones and debris getting into my softener and faucets and other appliances? I have over 30 years of plumbing experience. I try to keep problems at a minimum. It will also make your softener work better as there will be less junk getting in. Got kids? You will want to help protect them as much as possible. Install those filters and you might be surprised what they will catch as far as the particulate filter getting dirty looking.
When I first moved to Glendale, AZ I installed such a filter set up and it did not take long for the particulate filter to turn brown. About a year later the city sent out a water quality pamphlet and it stated that the city had gone to membrane technology to supply the cities customers. Membrane filtration to me is reverse osmosis filtration. Very expensive undertaking as far as my knowledge is concerned when done on a very large scale. My filters do not get nearly as dirty as they used too. Even with two .5 X 10 inch whole house filters, I still have plenty of water pressure and flow at my faucets. Don't let that small number scare you. It only means that it is capable of removing particles this small from your water supply.

The softener discharge can go to any existing trap, such as the clothes washer's drain, as long as it stops above the drain and does not enter the standpipe.

As I think about it it may be more feasible to run the drain to the washer stand pipe on the ground floor (Softener in the basement). The drain, following the joists, is about 24' away and 7' up. I have 1/2" drain line, and a Clack WS-1 valve. I was wondering if I could get away with that sort of run and rise with the 1/2" line. Otherwise, I will draw what my problem is with the current setup. Thanks for the help!

I suggest you make an air gap (as in the drawing above) in the location of the original softener drain using the drain line I sent you with the softener. I would have told you that on my forum had you mentioned the existing softener drain.

And no filters ahead of the softener. Filters reduce water flow during backwash which prevents proper cleaning and expansion of the resin bed.

Hello all,

I put together a picture looking at the north wall of my basement plumbing, this is how the current softener is setup, and my dilemma - Since I already have a trap should I just put a 90deg elbow on the existing end, and set up an air gap in the few inches I'll have? Also I noticed I wrote 1 1/4" on the PVC after the trap towards the softener, its really 1 1/2" I think, also instead of "to water softener" should be "from" it is a drain line after all. The joists are 2x10, and the end of the pipe is strapped tight to the bottom of the joists, the short vent extends only to the bottom of the above flooring, not to the roof, its open to air, should I put an air admittance valve in correct?




Thanks for your help. My other choice is dragging a drain line up 3.5' to the joists, and horizontal about 24' and up another 3.5' to the washer standpipe on the main floor.

Thanks!