Direction of Barbed Drainage Fitting?

[Threehappypenguins]

We are going to be draining our softener to a drain that is above. We have a barbed fitting elbow for the drainage from the softener. Do we have to point the fitting downward, essentially creating a p-trap? Or can we point it upward? We can't point it to either side because there's not enough room with the inlet/outlet there.

 

[Reach4]

I presume that the elbow will have a tube connected to both ports. The elbow can be oriented any way you like, because that water is pressurized.

At the far end of the path, you could have an elbow with one open end to direct the liquid down to the sink basin or whatever.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Threehappypenguins]

I presume that the elbow will have a tube connected to both ports. The elbow can be oriented any way you like, because that water is pressurized.

At the far end of the path, you could have an elbow with one open end to direct the liquid down to the sink basin or whatever.

Thanks. We just ended up orienting it down so it's sorta like a p-trap and then it goes up to the ceiling, across, and into a pipe in the wall that leads to an air gap outside and to a 4" pipe which leads to a drywell we dug.

 

[Reach4]

Thanks. We just ended up orienting it down so it's sorta like a p-trap and then it goes up to the ceiling, across, and into a pipe in the wall that leads to an air gap outside and to a 4" pipe which leads to a drywell we dug.

No need for a p-trap or equiv. You are not pressure-feeding that into a sewer pipe are you? It should go into a sink, floor drain, standpipe, or something else with its own trap.

 

[Threehappypenguins]

No need for a p-trap or equiv. You are not pressure-feeding that into a sewer pipe are you? It should go into a sink, floor drain, standpipe, or something else with its own trap.

Sorry, I didn't mean I put an actual p-trap, but that putting the barb elbow in the down direction forces the hose to go down until I can loop it back up to go toward the ceiling (without kinking it).

It doesn't go to a sewer. It goes to a 1 1/2" ABS double wye (other one is a sump pump), which goes down to a 90 degree elbow, which then goes outside, to another 90, then down to a 4" sewer pipe with an air gap (1.5" pipe to 4" is the air gap). That goes underground 30 feet away from our house to a drywell we dug.

 

[Reach4]

If going outside into the cold, I would consider running it high indoors, tee in a vacuum breaker at the top, and then go all down-slope after the vacuum breaker. That way, during freezing, the pipe clears before it has a chance to freeze.

 

[Threehappypenguins]

If going outside into the cold, I would consider running it high indoors, tee in a vacuum breaker at the top, and then go all down-slope after the vacuum breaker. That way, during freezing, the pipe clears before it has a chance to freeze.

For reference, here is what I was referring to with the barb fitting going down and then the tube looping up:

As for the drainage going outside, here is what I was referring to. I don't know how I would put a vacuum breaker onto a hose or if it would even be necessary?

I said double wye, but it's actually a triple wye, and just the one is used for now. This is how it's sealed:

Then it goes down part of the half wall on the insulated side of the house, and then outside, and down the 4" pipe. When it's light out, I can take a picture of it tomorrow, but it basically looks something like this (except it's coming out of the siding and not concrete like the picture shows):

So would I really need a vacuum break?

 

[Reach4]

Maybe since the pipe is big enough into the cold, it would not stay full of water at the end of the process.

But a vacuum breaker on a tee would go up at the joists just above your exit. That would let gravity clear that whole line past the tee.

Think of putting a straw into a drink, and blocking the top. You lift, and the water stays in the straw.

Now if the straw is 1.5 inches diameter, I expect the water would run out of the straw anyway.