Wanted to DIY a whole-house water softener but this looks like a mess

[DIYinATX]

The three pipes running upward are for my water heater (cold, hot & blowoff). Ignore the adapter mess at the top, I'm cleaning that up today.

I'm guessing the mess at the bottom-right is where I'd have to tap into if I want to install a whole-house water cleaner.
My pipes run under the slab and there's nowhere else that they pop up for access like this.
Not much room to work with. I've done a lot of Sharkbite, PEX & solder work in my house before but I'm no pro.

The pipe setup *should* be all original from when the house was built in the 90's. It's a KB Homes house.

 

[hj]

That is not enough information to deternine the softener's location, but the photo does show the relief valve line going UPHILL which is NEVER pernitted.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[DIYinATX]

Hi, thanks. I don't have a softener yet. I was looking at where I should tap into for access to the incoming cold water supply (pre water-heater).

The water heater was several feet tall and would feed down into that line.

 

[DirtyJerz]

Since you have soldering experience, sounds like you should take apart the cold water tee at the bottom near the floor.

I would probably then add a union to give yourself a little more room to play with, take up new pipe to the softener, then add a tee on the softener outlet with one outlet going to the water heater and another outlet going back to the two cold pipes at the floor going to the rest of the house. Add a 90º elbow to the existing tee there.

So this

↑
│
├ ┬ ┐
│ │ │
↑ ↓ ↓

Turns into

↑ ↓
│ │
│ └ ┬ ┐
│   │ │
↑   ↓ ↓

Assuming I'm interpreting the direction of flow correctly here.