Do All Water Softeners Need A Drain

Here s how to drain it.

Do all water softeners need a drain.

In some communities home water softeners drain to municipal wastewater treatment plants which are not designed to remove chloride. A softener drain line must not be connected directly to the waste system but must be emptied into a laundry tray floor drain or properly trapped special outlet preserving an air gap of at least two times the diameter of the drain line but in no case less than 1 1 2 above the top of the receptacle used. One of the drain tubes connects to the control valve and is used to void the backwash water during the regeneration cycle. Why your water softener needs a drain.

If the water inside is still relatively clean you can scoop it into a large container or your laundry tub so that you can use it again once you have fixed the problem. Turn on the water supply. Water softeners remove hard water minerals and to some degree they also remove small amounts of dirt and debris from your water. Add salt into the brine tank.

Is your water softener full of water. By code water softeners must be emptied into a laundry sink floor drain sump hole or properly trapped special outlet preserving an air gap of at least two times the diameter of the drain line but in no case less than 1 1 2 above the top of the. After placing the brine inside its tank add salt to up to its maximum capacity. There are a few different methods that you can use to drain your water softener s brine tank.

According to most plumbing codes a water softener drain line must not be connected directly to the household waste system. You can simply scoop out all of the water in your water softener by hand with a bucket. The chloride passes through the treatment plant and ends up in our lakes and streams. Most water softeners require two drain tubes.

The other drain tube connects to the brine tank and serves as an overflow drain. Most water softeners recommend that you fill 2 3 rd of them with salt and in some cases water. Cabinet style softeners however do not need you to install a brine line.