water softener brine pump

[maddog62]

Does anyone know what company makes a small pump and reservoir I can put next to a water softener to pump out the brine and backwash? I am trying a stainless steel sump pump made by Wayne but they do not recommend it for softeners/brine discharge. Tried searching the net but did not find an answer.
Normal cast iron pumps just rot away.

[Probedude]

How often do you need to do this? Does the softener not siphon out the brine during a recharge?

Oh, I think I figured out why. Does it matter how long it takes? What height do you need to pump to?

What comes to mind are marine fish tank pumps that are completely sealed and have a ceramic or stainless steel shaft with a thermoplastic impeller and magnetic drive.

[maddog62]

There is not a problem with the softener functions, just a need to use a separate reservoir and pump to send the brine discharge up about 8 feet to where it can be dumped out. The salt/brine really chews up the sump pump and that is what I am trying to correct. The softener runs about 3 times a week and discharges through a 5/8" ID hose so I need a system that can handle that kind of output and pump out through a 3/4" or 1" discharge pipe.

[Chris75]

What about a simple condensate pump? Might overflow with the high rush of the backwash though.

Here check this site out. http://www.libertypumps.com/products.asp?MainCat=2

[Probedude]

There is not a problem with the softener functions, just a need to use a separate reservoir and pump to send the brine discharge up about 8 feet to where it can be dumped out.

After I typed my 2nd sentence I figured out why you needed it.

How big is your reservoir? Does the pump need to keep up?

Iwaki is the name of the pumps I've seen used in marine fish tank applications and what I was going to recommend but it doesn't look like they're submersible which is what you likely need.

Chris's link - those are submersible but the GPH rating may not be high enough for your 8' head.

Question - have you looked into bolting a sacrificial anode/metal to your pump? Google "boat sacrificial anode"

Dave

[hj]

The water softener's drain is under pressure and will discharge up onto the roof if necessary. You do not need a pump to do it.

[Gary Slusser]

With one continuous piece of PE drain line, you can go up 6-7' above the drain line connection on the control valve and then sideways 20-30' and if you come back down some, 40' with Autotrol, Clack or Fleck control valves. If you want to go farther you need to go to a larger ID drain line or change the DLFC (drain line flow control) in the control valve. That may not be the same for other brands.

[hj]

IF the softener pressure can raise the water to the highest point, and there is no reason any of them cannot, then the critical dimension is the distance between the height of the drain connection and the height of the END of the drain line above that point. The lower the end is extended the less resistance there is at the softener. Once the drain connection and the end of the drain are at the same level, the effect is the same as if the line were going level between the two points.

[Gary Slusser]

All softeners and backwashed or regenerated filters are flow controlled to a psecific and in tenths of a gallon, so the pressure is not the concern, maintaining the correct gpm is. To little and the resin or mineral will not be cleaned properly and the softener or filter will fail. Hence the restriction for the height and length of the drain line. If you don't go up in the ID of the drain line, you must increase the DLFC (drain line flow control) gpm to compensate for the flow reduction.

[maddog62]

Well, I never thought about all the combinations to solve this. I am in northern IL so just like a vent stack, I would have to pump up and then discharge through a pipe large enough not to freeze. I really appreciate everyone's suggestions and will follow through when weather permits. Thanks again for all the inputs.