Water Softener Questions

[amateurplumber1]

Hello,

I will be purchasing a Fleck 5600SXT 48,000 grain capacity water softener. However, before I order, I've got a few questions:

1)What place do you guys think is the best place to order from? I've been recommended qualitywatertreatment.com, ohiopurewater.com, and qualitywaterforless.com. They're all within the same amount of money, and they all seem to be pretty good.

2)I can use this for a bypass valve, there is no need for another one, correct? http://i.imgur.com/9vhiQnZ.jpg

3)This drain is ok for the drain and overflow lines, right? http://i.imgur.com/CSXWX3b.jpg

4)Since my valves are not threaded, and I don’t know how to solder, I can just use sharkbite fittings, right?

5)Is it very difficult to assemble and install the water softener?

6)I’d appreciate any tips you may have (what materials the lines should be made out of, precautions to take, stuff like that)!

Thank you guys SO much!

[ditttohead]

PM sent.

The byass, I would recommend buyint the valve mounted bypass. Gate valves are not considered the most reliable design. If you had a high quality 3 valve (Apollo, nibco, etc) ball valve bypass, then I would not be concerned. Shark bites will work, but you are still going to have to solder out of the gate valves to get it to either threaded or a piece of pipe.


The drain... anyone else want to comment on that? Not my preferred drain. Since an air gap is required. Not to sure about how well these work, someone posted what appeared to be a better design a while back.

[amateurplumber1]

Thanks a ton for the info! Question, some guy on another forum gave me advice that appears to involve no soldering, and is definitely doable by me. How do you feel about this?

I saw the photo you have of the piping in the basement. Mine looked very similar when I started. What I did was cut that all out, so I just had two cut copper pipes hanging there. Then I got two gatorbite ball valves like these:

Shop GatorBITE 3/4" x 3/4" Removable Ball Valve at Lowes.com

Stuck one on each pipe. Then you'll have threaded ends on the softener side and gatorbite ends on the wall side. You can just go to Lowes then and buy PEX tubing and any elbows to join it all together.

[ditttohead]

I like that idea. But with this little twist. Order the system with 3/4" MIP plumbing connectors, the 5600 and the 7000 have them available. And use the Falcon Flex by John guest fitting. Very simple and quick. Dont forget to consider code for your grounding.

[amateurplumber1]

Yesssssssss thank you so much for vetting that idea! I can definitely do what you say. The MIP plumbing connectors...my options are 3/4" (or 1") noryl or stainless connectors with matching bypass valves. Would the MIP be the noryl, then?

[ditttohead]

Correct, be sure they spec the system with the 18706-02 3/4" noryl MIP plumbing connector. It will make for a very simple installation.

[amateurplumber1]

Thanks for the advice. Ok, so let me get this straight...i get the MIP plumbing connector, stick it in one side of whatever tube i use, and that side goes to the bypass valve, and the other side (non threaded) goes into the sharkbite connector, is this right? If i cant find any of that falcon flex tubing, should i use PEX? Or some other kind of tubing? Some guy on another forum suggested this:

You might be better off with 3/4 shark bite x 3/4 female iron pipe thread. This way you can screw on a 3/4 male adaptor PVC.

Thoughts?

Really, thanks a ton for helping me with this, you are a life saver!

[ditttohead]

Thanks for the advice. Ok, so let me get this straight...i get the MIP plumbing connector, stick it in one side of whatever tube i use, and that side goes to the bypass valve, and the other side (non threaded) goes into the sharkbite connector, is this right? If i cant find any of that falcon flex tubing, should i use PEX? Or some other kind of tubing? Some guy on another forum suggested this:

Thoughts?

Really, thanks a ton for helping me with this, you are a life saver!

The suggestion of a shark bite and the falcon flex seems kind of silly and redundant to just using the john guest falcon flex part. The shark bite is also a push to connect style fitting. Here is a link to the connector at a reasonable price.

http://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-7...-fip-x-18.aspx

I am not endorsing this company, just googled the part number and it came up.

[Tom Sawyer]

That drain will probably work but it is not an approved receptor. Shark bites et.al. are never recommended for installing appliances. At least not recommended by me anyway.

[amateurplumber1]

The suggestion of a shark bite and the falcon flex seems kind of silly and redundant to just using the john guest falcon flex part. The shark bite is also a push to connect style fitting. Here is a link to the connector at a reasonable price.

http://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-7...-fip-x-18.aspx

I am not endorsing this company, just googled the part number and it came up.

Wow, that's kind of amazing. I have to check the bypass valve to see what kind of connection it is, but if I could use that hose, it'd save me a ton of time! Hopefully the softened water won't damage the stainless steel.

[amateurplumber1]

Anyone know if they make this with a threaded end? That'd work pretty perfectly.

[Gary Slusser]

Falcon comes any way you want it, threaded male or female with a push type other end.

[amateurplumber1]

Falcon comes any way you want it, threaded male or female with a push type other end.

Ah, thanks. Just two questions:

1)Do I need a separate tool to push it on the copper?

2)Is it available in stores?

[Gary Slusser]

this link should tell you all you need to know but, you don't find Falcon in all stores, or that many probably, so order online.
http://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-7...-fip-x-18.aspx

[ditttohead]

ummm, that was posted already. LOL Post #8