Water softener must have - backwash air gap
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ม.ค. 2020
- If you have a water softener then you must have an air gap installed on the backwash hose. Without an air gap you risk having sewage get into your drinking water. I’ll show you how to make and install one or you can just order one from the links below.
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Just brilliant idea, implementation
I wish I could take credit for it but some Greek dude figured it out a long time ago. Thanks for watching.
Wow that’s amazing, thank you for the tutorial. I see your running your discharge line up from the softener and across the rafters. My install would require me to run my discharge line approximately 20ft to the drain, do you think it would work at that distance?
Should be fine. The backwash uses water pressure so 20 feet is not a big deal.
Where did you find the metal fittings that attach to the PVC & water softener hose line? This video was very helpful!
Plumbing department of any hardware store will have them.
Cleaver, you did a good job but did you know that they sell air gaps that fit on the end of a stand pipe for about $9.00 and they are small enough that you can easily fit 4 of them on the end of a 2 inch stand pipe. Also, I am not sure so please verify, but I am not sure your trap and stand pipe length was in compliance with the UPC
You just need the air gap and then a dual gap adapter.
Nice job Ray
Thanks. Love the username.
can this be used on a horizonal drain pipe from a sink? I have no vertical runs in the basement
Your softener discharge should be draining into a vertical pipe with a p-trap at the bottom. Your air-gap should be installed at the top of this pipe.
Probably should have lowered the entire S-Trap so that the air gap is at least 20" above the trap. (Heard that somewhere once)
You may be correct. I didn't want to lower that trap because of an in house septic/macerator tank. Not much room to work with below that trap.
I tapped a hole into the washing machine drain stand. Technically there is air gap because I’m well above the trap and sewage would never backflow because I have have the line routed in a high gap but who knows?? It could possibly siphon if something failed. So I just made my air gap. I used your design but I only had one line so I made the air gap slot where I could put it in the second drain opening of my washing machine box. And there is a wye in the stand so I can go to both drains. So if for some reason the air gap overflows from the backwash it should run out in the box and got down the other drain????? Lmao
Whatever works. As long as any backup in the drain can't reach the end of the discharge hose from the softener.
@@HouseDoctorRay right. Technically backup could reach the hose with my tapped hole in the stand pipe. Like you said in the video. That back wash circuit has a check valve in it at the pump but it’s mechanical it could fail! Plus if anyone comes after me working on something I want it to be correct . There is a company out there that just does air gap drains but honestly your design is much more rigid . I’m going to put another one on my moms water softener this weekend. You should patent this design! There aren’t a lot of options out there for air gaps.
If you check the description underneath the video you'll see some links to some factory made air gaps that are fairly decent.
I do not see a backwash airgap installed on mine. I have been having problems with sewer smell inside my house, I called two plumbers they claim there is nothing wrong with my plumbing. They never checked my water softener system. After researching on youtube, I learned that sewer can back up into the system without the backwash air gap. I checked the drain line, I think they connected it from my garage to the outside wall, directly into the sewer drain outside my house . There is no pvc pipe with p-trap either, just the hex line coming from the water softener directly to the sewer line outside. Is that backwash airgap required? Thanks for the video!
There are lots of reasons you could have sewer smell in your house. Keep your interior doors closed for a day or two to try and isolate where it is coming from.
Check sink drains for gurgling sounds when flushing toilets or draining your tub. While uncommon, a blocked vent pipe can cause p-traps to empty allowing smell into house. A bad wax ring on a toilet can let gas in even if the toilet isn't leaking. Cast iron drains can rust through. Check under your sinks for an 'air admittance valve', they can fail and allow gas in. Search on Terry Love's plumbing forum, lots of good info there.
You absolutely need an air gap on your softener's discharge hose.
House Doctor Ray Thank you very much! I really appreciate your video.
An air gap is actually required by code.
Will the air gap opening serve as the vent also ?
No, the air gap is only there to prevent fluid from flowing backwards. The pipe going up through the roof to outside air is the vent.
Thats not an air gap! That would never pass a cross connection inspection!
Wouldn't that make the area near the air gap smell of sewer gas?
No. There is a P-trap right below.
So, what's stopping the bacteria growth from entering the water softener and dehumidifiers discharge lines?
The constant flow of water through them flushes out any bacteria that may enter from the air.
so your saying, just water can sanitize and kill Bacteria?
@@johnnyrodriguez2774 salt water discharge can
@@johnnyrodriguez2774 not sanitizing, just pushing it down.
Or just spend a few bucks at home depot, get the adapter you need, and save yourself a shitload of time...add a directional valve
Thats what hes teaching people how to replace and bypass bc they fail.
What a hack job, just buy a air gap fitting
I would if they made one with two ports.
Why? You spent more in pipe, fittings and time. You could of bought the kit cheaper than this.
I couldn't find one that would allow me to hook up two hoses.
@@HouseDoctorRayyou don't need more than 1. The water softener shouldn't drain anymore than 7gpm. You could of plumbed the two drain lines together before the air gap fitting. 3/4 inch is more than enough to handle that.
No thanks. I'm not connecting a condensate pump directly to softener discharge and taking a chance of syphoning condensate water into my softener.
@@HouseDoctorRay that's not how the softener works. There's no syphon on that line. That's why there's a restrictor on the drain line. I work on water filtration systems.
That drain line is outlet only. It's not even open but only in the backwash function. The worst that can happen with the drain line is either a clog or the restrictor fails and it blows the resin out through the drain line.
@@HouseDoctorRay the only time that tank will create a siphon is when it does a brine draw from the salt tank. That's an entirely separate line.
Also if your piston in the softener fails that controls these functions it still will not create a siphon on that line. It will actually continually drain.
This to much time and waste of money they simple part you can but for 10$
I mentioned that at the beginning of the video and have a link to the part you speak of. I needed a custom solution to handle water softener and condensate pump together.
This is totally bogus. The fact that the small gray tube is already going into a large 1.5" or 2" pvc pipe is already an effective air gap. There's NO WAY water could back up into the water softener. All you've done here is spend a lot of time and money on brass fitting to accomplish what you already had before you started. How dumb!!!
Archimedes and I disagree with you. You can drink out of a cup with a tiny straw.
If your softener loses pressure it can suck the sewage out of the p-trap. This is why air gaps are even required on dishwashers in many locations.
Please stop commenting on stuff you don't know anything about. Actually, that gray tube is NOT an air gap. I hope you're not a plumber.
The softener can not suck up anything through the drain line. There is zero siphon ever on that line.
but according to my plumbing inspector do it or he won't pass me..cant fight city hall
Dude.... They sell air gap fitting... You don't have to make them
I know but they don't sell them with two separate inputs. I didn't want my softener discharge and my AC condensate drain connected together.
@@HouseDoctorRay they do.. I have 1
Post a link. I'd rather have that than the monstrosity I built.
Where did you find the metal fittings that attach to the PVC & water softener hose line? This video was very helpful!
they are per fittings..look up on line