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Plumbing water softner

1K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  2Quiker 
#1 ·
Hi, i am building a new house. The house will have a septic and well. I am planning on installing a water softner. The builder expressed installing a floor drain in the garage. My question is, is this the best location for a drain for the water softner? I question the build about it and contacted my local health dept to see if there is any laws or known issues, they said no but indicated it may not be the best option. Any thoughts, how has people plumb the water softner for discharge?
 
#2 ·
is garage acceptable location for water freezing?
where is well tank located? & Where is well piping entering house?
while drain in garage is good idea it must drain to daylight not septic...
same applies to softener discharge- does not drain into septic
so discharge will need to be piped off & protected from freezing
either by insulation or indirectly into larger gravity drain to day light

Peace
 
#3 ·
I am not sure if the garage acceptable location for water freezing but the garage will be insulated. The well tank located in the garage next to the furnace, water heater. So are we talking about a french drain system? any examples of some with how to connect the water softener to the drain system?
 
#4 · (Edited)
sounds like you will need a floor drain/sink or two any way with all those appliances/equipment involved... what's another softener added into equation...

how are you protecting these appliances & equipment from impact/crash damage? in a separate room with heat capability involved would be ideal...

unless your code is different; no garage, condensate, back wash or relief discharge goes into septic... personally I would slope main garage flooring to daylight also, rather than install garage drain/pit... but that - said how big is garage?

Edit: indirectly drained to floor sink; floor sink drains to daylight outside with proper sized piping to accommodate major flow from future failure potentials. I'd say 3 - 4 " PVC
Peace
 
#5 ·
It sounds like you are not in an area subject to freezing temperatures. I don't see a problem running the discharge to a floor drain, but if is on an outside wall I would be inclined to simply dump it to daylight. If you do discharge it into a drain/sump/pit, leave an 'air gap' to prevent the risk of siphoning or backup (check installation instructions).

I'm not that familiar with practices in warmer, drier, sunnier climes, but if I was installing a garage floor drain I would be inclined to install a pit drain to allow for the trapping of dirt, debris, oils, etc.
 
#6 ·
I am have trouble picturing how this would be installed. Would the floor drain plumbing run under the foundation wall into to the gound? If it went to daylight bow would plumb, pictures? It doesnt have to be a floor drain. I just want to make sure it done right.
 
#7 ·
without a diagram of your:
well set up, HVAC system, water heater, & softener design
along with surrounding enclosures, topography & landscaping
really impossible for anyone to intelligently comment

HVAC, if 90+ will produce condensate when operating - needs drainage
water heater will eventually fail - needs drainage
well tank has relief safety & also will fail eventually - need drainage
softener backwashes fair amount of water when operating - needs drainage

if all this equipment is located in garage,
it at least needs crash protection,
freeze protection and flood protection...
ask questions but end of day
you need to trust your builder
to make it all work out for you

isn't that what you are paying them for?

Peace
 
#8 ·
You could install an ejector pump (a sump pump in a bucket) under a laundry tub and link your various drains up to that - that's what I do. Installing a floor drain in a pre-existing slab is a world of pain... have you installed the slab yet?
 
#9 ·
Mine is installed in the basement near the HVAC and uses the Floor drain next to the HVAC, which dumps into the sump. The sump pump then sucks it up and pushes it out into the yard. After a bit of doing this I could see where the grass was being killed by the brine...and cut out and area maybe 3' x 6' and lined with sand then rocks. There has to be an air gap between the drain and the water line from the softener.

I've attached an image showing it...bit of rust after 8 years of installation.
 

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