Blowing Out Filter Tanks

**Flipperman2a2w** · 09-14-2011, 08:31 AM

I have a water softener, a Birm filter, and an acid filter in the garage of our vacation home that is not climate controlled. Summers get pretty warm and winters get extremely cold. The garage is really the only place I have room for these units, and I’m worried about the tanks freezing.

I was thinking about getting an air compressor to blow the water lines out under the house, and I was wondering if anyone has had luck with blowing the water out of their filter tanks. I know the water can be siphoned off, but that requires me to disconnect and open the tanks (which is a major pain in the butt and somewhat messy).

Once the water above the media is blown out of the tank, it doesn’t seem like you would be able to continue to press air through the damp filter media to completely clear all of the water?

**Akpsdvan** · 09-14-2011, 08:41 AM

It is one of the steps that is done on a number of summer places around here...Alaska..

The first time for a tank with what ever media will do water and then air, Wait about 5 minutes and to it again this time there will be some water then air.. wait again for 5 minutes and repeat.

The main key is waiting long enough and doing it often enough to blow the water out... if done right there will only be a little water left that should not break any thing.

What kind of valves are on the 3?

**Flipperman2a2w** · 09-14-2011, 09:05 AM

Thanks so much- I believe I have Clack valves on the two filter tanks, and the water softener is a Whirlpool.

**Akpsdvan** · 09-14-2011, 09:14 AM

It is going to be a bit of a challenge, but around the bypass un hooking the plumbing and then hooking or plugging the in with the air hose ...
Think with a really large box to find a way that works for you to push the air out of the media tanks.

**Flipperman2a2w** · 09-14-2011, 09:22 AM

Is it possible to hook the compressor up before the two tanks and water softener and just blow the water through the plumbing lines?

**Akpsdvan** · 09-14-2011, 10:21 AM

That is one way to do it, I would put them all in bypass and then start with just one at a time.
or close the second two and blow the first one, then close it and open the second one ..... and work through them one at a time.

One way that done at the time of installation was ... ball valve-snifter valve-softener-boiler drain-ball valve. then at the end of the season .. close the valves and start the blow down with the system's bypass staying open.