How much flush water in regeneration cycle

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Treeman

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About how much water will go down the drain for a 1.5 cubic foot softener during the regeneration cycle? My workplace installed a first ever softener in our shop and I question if the dubious floor drain can handle the flush water.

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Reach4

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2.4 gpm for 4 to 10 minutes typically during backwash, plus 1 to 3 more 2.4 gpm cycles of maybe 3 to 6 minutes.
 

MaxBlack

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Note Treeman that a softener's discharge is neither high volume nor pressure, unlike for example a clothes washer discharge (that has a pump behind it).
 

Reach4

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Note Treeman that a softener's discharge is neither high volume nor pressure, unlike for example a clothes washer discharge (that has a pump behind it).
A softener drain discharge has pressure behind it, probably more than a washing machine drain... but not as much flow rate. It gets pressure from the incoming water. The softener media tank is pressurized. A softener drain line, before the air gap, can be run upward, potentially to even the floor above, to route to a handy drain place.

When draining to a floor drain, people often put an elbow to direct the flow toward the drain. There are fancier ways to provide an air gap, but having the drain line output elevated by a brick is a classic way of feeding a floor drain.

overflow_hose.JPG.png

image from https://rheemwatertreatment.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500003104922-Water-Overflowing-Tank
 
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MaxBlack

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>A softener drain discharge has pressure behind it, probably more than a washing machine drain...

Hmm sorry I don't buy that, and if it were true, the hose in the drawing would blow water over the drain and all over the floor!?
 

Reach4

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>A softener drain discharge has pressure behind it, probably more than a washing machine drain...

Hmm sorry I don't buy that, and if it were true, the hose in the drawing would blow water over the drain and all over the floor!?

How would you define pressure behind an open drain line? To me, that would be how much pressure you would measure if you block the line, and instead put a pressure gauge there. For a softener I expect that would be over 30 psi usually, and for a washing machine, I would expect less than 20 psi, although I have never measured it.

In the picture, the "overflow hose" line would have very little pressure behind it.
Maybe you are referring to what I would call velocity.
 
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bingow

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My 2 ft3 softener, with Clack WS1 control, discharges with a strong "jet". The drain hose is held firmly captive by the air gap device. Otherwise it would spray a mess.
 

Reach4

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My 2 ft3 softener, with Clack WS1 control, discharges with a strong "jet". The drain hose is held firmly captive by the air gap device. Otherwise it would spray a mess.
Yes, we can agree that the softener draining over the brick will probably overshoot some water. Some put a 90 in place to help direct the water down.

If you have an air gap, you could increase the pipe diameter. If you are using the brick as the air gap, then using a bigger pipe would mean that you would officially need a taller brick. :)
 

Zenon2cubed

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I used a 3/4" dishwasher drain adapter to send my 1.5 cu-ft kinetico softener to drain. It feeds into a p-trap and then to sewer. There's a clear 3/4" ID PVC piece of hose that connects the 3/4" OD PEX to the 3/4" OD ABS fitting.
During brining there's a nice little stream through my "sight glass". In flush there's a vigorous, forceful, boiling, complete firehose spray. If I did that with my softener there would be water everywhere.
 

MaxBlack

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I'd been thinking only in terms of well water, and not e.g. city water where the pressures might be significantly higher. Everyone's discharge is gonna be different then for different reasons...
 

LLigetfa

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>A softener drain discharge has pressure behind it, probably more than a washing machine drain...

Hmm sorry I don't buy that, and if it were true, the hose in the drawing would blow water over the drain and all over the floor!?
Don't confuse volume for pressure. A washing machine would discharge more GPM.
 
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