OldSalt
Member
This question picks up on an old thread, with a few replies from @ditttohead
ref: Can brine tank be placed farther from the softener
I'm planning an install a Fleck-valve based water softener system for a 2400 sq foot house, in 4 season Idaho. The location available for the install is a water heater closet, which has extra room by virtue of a space saving tankless water heater. I have the footprint for a 10" or 12" (round circumference) mineral tank, but would need to relocate the 14" x 14" brine tank elsewhere, preferably in a downstairs garage. That would require me to run the brine line perhaps 20 feet horizontally through a crawl space away from the mineral tank, and about 12' below to the next floor down. From ditttohead's response, in his experience "up or down 10 feet", no changes are needed, and up to 15' horizontal is OK (which seems to be the published limits), but also that he has made runs up to 70'.
1) In practical experience, will a Fleck valve (5600 SXT for 64,000 grain, is the target) successfully draw brine though a tube extended 20 feet, plus a 10' to 12' drop?
2) Would I need to make modifications to the injectors and settings?
3) Would an alternate Fleck valve be better for this purpose?
4) I've read conflicting information about whether the mineral tank flush discharge can be drained into a septic system. (The point of view seems to depend on what someone is trying to sell.) Salt discharge seems to be less the issue, than water overloading. We have a drywell septic system, 500 gal waste, 1000 effluent by spec, though I was told during an inspection that the tanks installed are actually much larger than that. I have a drain in the water heater closet which would be ideal for the discharge. It would not require me to auger through a concrete foundation wall to route a drain pipe to an existing French drain system. More important than that, it would eliminate the worry about the discharge drain pipe freezing in winter.
Edit:
5) I just read a thread that indicates that there is a significant drop in household service rate, i.e. 15 to 17 GPM, which is concerning. My water pressure is anemic, i.e. about 50 PSI at best from city water, and though I'm not sure what the GPM rate is, it can't be more than 10 GPM based upon the fill time for a 5 gallon pail. Will a water softer end up decreasing the household water pressure flow rate to the point where the system is basically unusable?
All in all, if I can place the brine tank in the garage, the mineral tank in the water heater closet (which is also where my main enters the home, and which also houses separate irrigation pipes), and discharge to the existing household drain, I have a pretty easy solution.
Comments, guidance, and/or directions to available sources in North Idaho (Kootenai County) would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Scott
Aside: I had two different professional plumbing crews working my original house build. I later spent months retrofitting/repairing plumbing both before and after move in. So, though I'd rather make a phone call and get this "done" professionally, experience tells me I'm better off learning the facts, and just doing the install on my own.
ref: Can brine tank be placed farther from the softener
I'm planning an install a Fleck-valve based water softener system for a 2400 sq foot house, in 4 season Idaho. The location available for the install is a water heater closet, which has extra room by virtue of a space saving tankless water heater. I have the footprint for a 10" or 12" (round circumference) mineral tank, but would need to relocate the 14" x 14" brine tank elsewhere, preferably in a downstairs garage. That would require me to run the brine line perhaps 20 feet horizontally through a crawl space away from the mineral tank, and about 12' below to the next floor down. From ditttohead's response, in his experience "up or down 10 feet", no changes are needed, and up to 15' horizontal is OK (which seems to be the published limits), but also that he has made runs up to 70'.
1) In practical experience, will a Fleck valve (5600 SXT for 64,000 grain, is the target) successfully draw brine though a tube extended 20 feet, plus a 10' to 12' drop?
2) Would I need to make modifications to the injectors and settings?
3) Would an alternate Fleck valve be better for this purpose?
4) I've read conflicting information about whether the mineral tank flush discharge can be drained into a septic system. (The point of view seems to depend on what someone is trying to sell.) Salt discharge seems to be less the issue, than water overloading. We have a drywell septic system, 500 gal waste, 1000 effluent by spec, though I was told during an inspection that the tanks installed are actually much larger than that. I have a drain in the water heater closet which would be ideal for the discharge. It would not require me to auger through a concrete foundation wall to route a drain pipe to an existing French drain system. More important than that, it would eliminate the worry about the discharge drain pipe freezing in winter.
Edit:
5) I just read a thread that indicates that there is a significant drop in household service rate, i.e. 15 to 17 GPM, which is concerning. My water pressure is anemic, i.e. about 50 PSI at best from city water, and though I'm not sure what the GPM rate is, it can't be more than 10 GPM based upon the fill time for a 5 gallon pail. Will a water softer end up decreasing the household water pressure flow rate to the point where the system is basically unusable?
All in all, if I can place the brine tank in the garage, the mineral tank in the water heater closet (which is also where my main enters the home, and which also houses separate irrigation pipes), and discharge to the existing household drain, I have a pretty easy solution.
Comments, guidance, and/or directions to available sources in North Idaho (Kootenai County) would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Scott
Aside: I had two different professional plumbing crews working my original house build. I later spent months retrofitting/repairing plumbing both before and after move in. So, though I'd rather make a phone call and get this "done" professionally, experience tells me I'm better off learning the facts, and just doing the install on my own.
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