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Cleanout question

833 Views 6 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  ron45
Recently moved into a new home and wanted to install a water softener. I need a drain line and the only solution I see is a clean out pipe outside.

If I drain the water softener there, would there be any unforscene problem?


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Just run it to a floor drain usually by your furnace and hot water tank.
The cleanout will not have a trap. You need to drain into the trapped drain line and have an air gap so there is no chance of back flow in the softener.
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I was thinking of putting a check valve on the drain line coming out of the softener. That way if it ever builds up, water won't make it to the softner. It's a 3/8" flexible pipe, and it's being run 30'. The cleanout pipe already has a backflow escape, and if it does, I don't think it will go 30' and up about 3-4' higher than the cleanout pipe.

Ghostmaker, This is a water softener. I can't drain the waste water on water pan, as it will kill any living plant or organism.
A floor drain should be attached to your sanitary drainage. Are you on a septic system?

If you are just route it to the storm drain for the down spout.
Here in Ontario, Canada, usually when a water softener is installed the discharge water from the softener goes to a nearby floor drain usually close to the furnace/water heater. If your discharging outside the home like you would with a sump pump you run the risk of freezing water as you would with a sump pump discharge and overall just a pain to deal with. I would just run it to a nearby floor drain. Don't think this water is anymore harmful then what you would flush down a toilet.
Are you talking about the back wash.?
Just run it to the sump pump.
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