Water softener Check valve needed?

[DaveY]

So I'm just an average DIYer so treat me like an idiot. My water softener and sulfur machine both discharge vertically, run along the wall in a 5/8 (inside diameter) pipe and then tie into an 1 1/2" pipe. Sulfur remover is extremely loud when it goes off but I'm more worried about the discharge running back into the tanks.

I'm installing a new water softener since the other one never worked since I bought the place. Even if the water got pumped up into the line, wouldn't at least a small portion of it flow back into the softener/sulfur tanks? Where they tie in, there that ABS pipe terminates just outside of the pic. Should I add a 1 1/2" check valve (with spring) after the two connect to the plumbing? OR should I add check valves on each hose, right off of the softener and sulfur tank if I can.

Water softener is a Whirlpool WHES33 and sulfur i'm not sure.

Thanks guys!

Dave

 

[Bannerman]

Is the 1.5" ABS pipe actually connected to the home's sewer or septic system??

 

[Sponsor]

 

[DaveY]

Is the 1.5" ABS pipe actually connected to the home's sewer or septic system??

correct. They go to the septic system. Also the the sump pump goes to the septic system. The softener and sulfur are on the total opposite of the basement and its a pretty long stretch. Ideally I would drain them outside right away via a PVC pipe but I'm in Canada and don't know enough to start that project for the cold. I have to redo the entire house plumbing from copper pipe failure so now could be a good time to put the hot water, water softener and sulfur near the septic sump pump and then plumb it so the sump puts it away from the septic. But for now I wanna get my softener running before my pipes have even more pinholes

 

[Bannerman]

With those drain connections, the risk of cross-contamination from the septic system into the water treatment system is extreme.

Every fixture or device that drains into a septic or sewer system, must drain through an approved 'P' trap. There are no 'P' traps incorporated.

Because your water treatment equipment process potable water (safe to drink), due to a risk of bacterial cross contamination, those devices are not to connect directly to a sewer/septic drain. Physical separation is performed by use of an air gap above the 'P' trap.

As the drain line from each device is pressurized, it remains potable until discharged into the home's drain system where the discharge will flow by gravity into the sewer/septic system. Currently, if there was to be a malfunction or power loss during regeneration/filter backwash, water in the device drain line may flow in reverse back into the device, which may draw contaminated fluid from the home drain system, also into the device.

A check-valve is not an approved isolation device since the device drain line and home drain system remain physically connected. If there was to be loss of flow, a vacuum will remain within the device drain line so any leakage through the check-valve could continue to cause contaminated fluid to enter the device.

With an air-gap in-place, a reversal of device drain flow will cause air to enter the device drain line thereby preventing contaminated water from the drain system from being drawn into the water treatment device.

 

[DaveY]

Thanks for the reply! So sounds like it needs a P trap AND an air gap? I'm pretty limited in vertical room but I'll try to make both fit. So does this mean I need two air gaps? I suppose combining the drain hoses right off the machines might have one blasting stuff back at the other.

Also even if I get this set up with the air gap, once the pump stops discharging won't the remainder of the line go back into the water softener? Its a maybe 25 foot length of hose before it enters the ABS pipe and future air gap.

Thanks!

Edit: the red things are the air gap devices

 

[Bannerman]

The other requirement when installing a new drain is to ensure it is adequately vented to prevent water within the 'P' trap from being siphoned out.

There is not usually an issue with combining two pressurized device drain lines into one, but we don't know which sulfur filter system you are using and currently can't be certain on how the two devices will react together. The softener and filter should be programmed so they will regenerate/backwash at alternate times with no overlap.

Pressurized water treatment drain lines can often be extended to discharge to an existing drain connection on the next higher level such as sharing a main floor laundry machine standpipe.

https://images.app.goo.gl/gQjwa8SeifhtAwVc6

 

[DaveY]

Thanks Bannerman I think I can work with this, a second level connection allows a lot more room!

 

[Bannerman]

Although the water within the device drain line may flow back into the device, when that water remains potable, there should not be any issue. The physical gap between the contaminated drain system and the device drain lin, and the air that enters through the air gap at the end of the pressurized device drain line, is intended to ensure no contaminated fluid can be drawn into the treatment device.

When a device drain line is routed overhead and is extended, the usual recommendation is to increase the tubing diameter to reduce the flow restriction through that drain line. The backwash flow rate for each treatment device is specific for each media. When the flow rate discharge at the end of the pressurized drain line is lower than required, the backwash flow rate may need to be re-configured higher for each device.