Is my backwash Drain from Softener OK? -Pic included...

When I was in my early teens I drove around in an El Camino that had no front brakes at all, and I had "no problems"

This has deteriorated into another "you have to be kidding me" thread but is fairly typical of the nonsense that not only goes on in peoples homes but on the internet as well. Bottom line. The installation meets NOBODY's code, is potentially hazardous to the potable water system and the air quality in the home...

Tom Sawyer said:

When I was in my early teens I drove around in an El Camino that had no front brakes at all, and I had "no problems"

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I was a bit older but drove all but a million miles in my 4 18 wheelers that had no front brakes. Neither did the probably 100+/- I drove as a teamster for a national trucking company.

Back in the day before anti skid brake systems it was a bad idea to have front brakes on truck tractors but... I'm sure even back then there were some calling for front brakes regardless of the fact that they were the cause of many loss of control type accidents.

Tom Sawyer said:

This has deteriorated into another "you have to be kidding me" thread but is fairly typical of the nonsense that not only goes on in peoples homes but on the internet as well. Bottom line. The installation.... is potentially hazardous to the potable water system and the air quality in the home...

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I will take care of the nonsense replies but...

Your claim of potential contamination of the potable water due to this drain set up is impossible. It can't physically happen.

I suspect this house was inspected when built and the attic vent was approved by either a building or plumbing inspector or both.

Gary Slusser said:

I was a bit older but drove all but a million miles in my 4 18 wheelers that had no front brakes. Neither did the probably 100+/- I drove as a teamster for a national trucking company.

Back in the day before anti skid brake systems it was a bad idea to have front brakes on truck tractors but... I'm sure even back then there were some calling for front brakes regardless of the fact that they were the cause of many loss of control type accidents.


I will take care of the nonsense replies but...

Your claim of potential contamination of the potable water due to this drain set up is impossible. It can't physically happen.

I suspect this house was inspected when built and the attic vent was approved by either a building or plumbing inspector or both.

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Ahhhhh El Camino ............Tractor trailer..............not zactly the same thing. Try driving your pick up without front brakes sometime.


Ok, I see your point so I suppose all those indirect waste dishwashers and restaurant prep sinks might as well dump the air gap altogether. Because YOU claim that it can't physically happen then I guess it can't.

Tom Sawyer said:

Ahhhhh El Camino ............Tractor trailer..............not zactly the same thing. Try driving your pick up without front brakes sometime.


Ok, I see your point so I suppose all those indirect waste dishwashers and restaurant prep sinks might as well dump the air gap altogether. Because YOU claim that it can't physically happen then I guess it can't.

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We aren't talking about dishwashers or prep sinks.

All you may need to do, hobie, is to tee in a mechanical vent (sometimes called a cheater vent) after the trap but before the stack on the drain from the washer but making sure it rises completely above the fixture itself, this will provide separate venting for the washer so as not to siphon out the trap in the attic. The other way would be to run another vent from after the washer trap but before the stack to a point on the stack above your attic trap, and thus it would be an acceptable wet vent, of course this may not be feasible depending on construction of the home. But definitely check with an inspector to see if this is acceptable. Some places mechanical vents are ok so long as they are not behind a wall, some require quick access if they are behind a wall, some do not allow at all. All any of us can tell you is what the code says for our areas, your best bet is to call a city inspector and just ask, you will be sure to get the correct information that way. And never be afraid to go beyond code requirements if you can.

AAV's can not be used on washing machines

You can only wet vent bath room fixtures or a bathroom group.

And let's stop screwing around here. You can not, drop a waste line (and that's what the softener and filter lines are) into a vent stack (and that's what that pvc pipe is) under any conditions other than fixtures (sinks) being dumped into a stack vent system and there are very specific codes and conditions that need to be met to do that and nothing there meets those conditions. Plain and simple the installation is not to code and it is wrong and whether or not it works is immaterial. When you start listening to and considering the advice of people that are not licensed plumbers and who would rather fluff their own ego's in an attempt to appear helpful you are setting yourself up for problems. Call a licensed plumber in and have the drain done the right way. An AAV here is not a solution to anything.

I am a licensed master plumber. Have been for over 35 years now. I teach plumbing and I have been a plumbing board member as well as a member of the code review board. I'm not telling you the piping is wrong just to be a pain in the ass and I have no personal stake in your situation one way or the other but it really frosts my nads when unlicensed folks give their uneducated advice on a topic they know nothing about. You don't see me on the medical forums giving half assed diagnoses to people just to fluff my ego.

Baill, the best advice you gave there was to call the local inspector and ask him. That's very helpful and a damn good idea