Cheapest way to lower manganese

[Charrie]

Thanks for the links and info on the filter housing materials. I think that for now I will buy the blue one with the drain made into it.

As to the 300' of 3/4" pipe. That is buried in the ground from the house to the well.
The company that drilled the well, the father died and they are having trouble sorting out paper work. He did say that the average in this area is 180' deep but a neighbor across the street has a 100' deep well.

My pump is a 1/2 hp with a 3/4" drop pipe and the casing is 5" PVC.

So there is a 300' run of 3/4 pvc from the well to the house with the well being slightly higher then the house. Then one would need to add what ever the length of the drop pipe is.

How do I know the drop pipe is 3/4?
The white PVC is 3/4" and there is a grey colored barbed fitting that is screwed into the white 3/4 pvc female fitting.

Just thinking why they might have used a 3/4" drop pipe besides cheaper.. If one uses a 3/4' drop pipe on a 1/2 HP pump, could they get a little more depth because the pump would not have to push a so much weight up to the top?

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Much cleaner up there now and there is a union that can be loosened and the pump lifted up. If I could find the exact union that was used then perhaps I could make a hose adapter on the female side of the union. Raise the pump and prop it up with 2x4 boards under the well seal and be able to drop a hose down in the well to flood it with?
Could I run a hose directly off of the outlet side of the pump to use for flooding the well?
Maybe one of you guys know what that grey union is. I have never seen a grey PVC union before.
Also if youlook at the chain, that is a fairly thick chain as it fills the hole in the well cap.
Is there a 6" well casing? Notice the cap is a bit small for the pipe.

Thanks
Charrie

 

[Taylorjm]

So I'm not sure why you are concerned about the iron chain holding your pump. Your iron was only .73ppm. That's nothing. I can't believe it's all coming from a rusted chain. The amount of rust that's actually getting into the water from that chain is negligible. I wouldn't bother changing it out. If you did, I highly doubt your iron amount would change. Sure they say iron should be under 0.1ppm but with yours the water softener can handle it, but if your doing peroxide injection, that would handle the iron anyway. So don't worry about that chain. You would probably get into something you would regret by trying to change it.

Clear or opaque housing? It's up to you. I have the clear and they are rated to 90psi. I agree that the opaque are stronger and I've actually though of changing mine out.

As for changing the motor windings on your stenner pump. That's a pretty interesting idea, and I think it would work. I would probably contact stenner to make sure to get the right part and see if they say it would work. That would probably be the cheapest and easiest way to perform the peroxide injection.

If you wanted to go with the 4.5x10 housings, I have two GE GXWH40L housings with the clear sump that take any 4.5x10 filters. I can't remember if they are 1" or 3/4". I changed to the 4.5x20 big blue because I needed more capacity and flow. Our well will put out 15gpm and depending on what appliances are running we have actually come close to that, so I wanted bigger filters. Message me and I'll make you a good deal on them if you wanted to go that route. They have been sitting in my garage for a couple years.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Taylorjm]

Bannerman, Where exactly does the CSV need to mount if I use just the valve? And which valve do i need? Am thinking to leave room to add it later.

Reach4 I was thinking about using a control transformer but believe it would take a 500VA at minimum to tun the 120v motor that pulls 1.7A. The cheapest I found was around $200 BUT then I came across Steeners web site and they sell a 220V "motor service kit" for just over $112! So I should be able to change out the motor and run it at the well without a transformer.

Stenner Classic Motor Service Kit 220V 60Hz | MSK220

Get the authentic Stenner Classic Motor Service Kit for Series 45, 85, 100, & 170. Ensure longevity & performance with the genuine MSK220 (220V 60Hz).

www.stennerpumpparts.com

Taylorjm , you might be interested in that motor info also in case yours was to go out one day.

Okay, now to filters again. I guess all companies call their filter housings "Big Blue". Looking at reviews, the pentair are the same as pentek and seem to have the highest reviews. Years ago they would have sold the filter housing, wrench, and mounting bracket all together but that seems to be different today! $73 on sale but $44 for the bracket and wrench kit!

Pentek 20

Pentek 20" Big Blue Filter Housings are large capacity housings constructed out of durable polypropylene. All housings include a 3/8" drain valve and can be used in high flow and heavy sediment applications. Pentek 20" BB Housings utilize 4-1/2" diameter filter cartridges and have temperature...

www.freshwatersystems.com

So one 20" big blue housing between the supply line and water softener and then a 10" filter after the softener? Both using the 4.5" diameter filters?

Do you think PVC is okay to use to plumb everything in with?

What do you all think about the 220v motor kit?

I have a Square D disconnect with a double pole 20/30 piggyback breaker in it that I used when I installed a small heater in the old well cover when we moved here. That should work for the well pump and injection pump.

Speaking of injection pump Taylorjm , is there a reason that you have the pump pointed downwards in your setup? I also guess that I should mount the pump higher then the H202 storage tank? Trying to figure out how to fit everything under the well cover.

Thanks
Charrie

I just mounted my pump that way because that's where it fit best. I don't think it matters if it's higher, lower, or which way it goes.

 

[Charrie]

Thanks for the reply Taylorjm ! As a matter of fact, I want to thank everyone here that has helped with this thread that has become very long. Your efforts have not been in vain as with the experience you guys have shared along with my own research, I have learned a great deal of valuable information that I had no clue to just a couple of weeks ago. When I get this system set up and working properly I will not only know how it should have been set up but also how and why it works. So again a big thanks to all of you guys for taking time to share your professional experience!

I went back and re-read the thread in the pump section about the chain and believe Valveman's concern may be more about the chain rusting and falling down inside the casing preventing the pump from being pulled up.

That said, I want to correct a past post about my PVC casing being 5". It actually measures 7" OD. The camera was at an angle. If you notice, the well cap does not actually fit correctly it is almost too small as there is about 1/8th PVC sticking out around the cap.

Taylorjm, I watched several videos from Stenner and one of them explained why one should mount the pump with the pump head point downwards if possible. If you have a leak in the tube anywhere, the chemical will drain out without getting into all of the parts and possibly the motor itself. Some diagrams show a 3rd tube from the pump cover back to the chemical tank in case the pump tube was to spring a leak.

As to changing out the motor from 120v to 220v, Very good advice to call Stenner first. According to their parts list, it shows the motor parts fitting "all classic pumps" IT shows the motor cover and gear cover being the same for "all classic pumps". I think that for the price of the pumps, one should buy some of their "aqua shield lubricant" and perform yearly maintenance on the pump. After watching 5 or 6 videos, they are really pretty simple.

As to the GE filters, I will try to send you a message. I have never done that here on this forum.
15GPM is a lot of water compared to what I use. Now my children come to visit often and then there are 6 of us. Also have a couple of families from where I used to live that come to visit a couple of times a yer during the summer since I now live in the N GA mountains. I have had 9 of us here before for a week at a time.
You seem to have a very good idea of what my system requires with the iron and manganese levels I have so I thought I would throw in the company I keep sometimes. Also I have noticed over the past 4 years that the water seems to change somewhat in smell and taste from year to year.

Two other issues i will need to cover are the injection nozzle and anoid rod in the hot water heater. When I first moved here and the peroxide system was working, the cold smelled fine but the hot water was the issue. As to the injection nozzle, I haven't used the pump in 3 years. one of the videos shows that in many cases it can be cleaned. I will be relocating it and may have to find the correct fittings. Right now it looks like a standard 3/4" PVC tee with some type of adapter glued into it that must be threaded inside.

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After looking at this a bit closer, the injector goes into a cut off valve and the valve is glued into a tee using a very short nipple so that it cant be cut from the tee. Perhaps I can cut the Tee out though. The pipe coming out the top of the tee goes to the contact tank that i will be removing. below the tee is an electric shut off valve which is part of a flood stop system.
If I were to cut out the tee with the cut off valve and injector, i should be able to use it at the well just a head of the pressure tank inlet where the PVC connects to the brass pipe?

Again a BIG thanks
Charrie

 

[Reach4]

Regarding the casing outside diameter, you can measure the circumference, and divide by pi (3.14). A sewing tape measure would be good, or other material that does not stretch too much could be used.

A smaller steel tape measure would be fairly good, but the markings would be on the wrong side if the tape measure is curved across, as most are.

https://www.cresline.com/uploads/pvc761pc.pdf lists various PVC casing sizes.

 

[Charrie]

Reach4 , Not much seems to be standard up here in the mountains so here is some information.

I used a string to measure the circumference of the well casing. Taped one end to the casing and carefully made sure the string was even around the pipe before cutting it.

Next after cutting the string, I tap[ed it to the top of the well cover and took a measurement.Now this is nylon and there could have been a 1/8 more stretch perhaps

could have stretched to 21 7/8"

Next is the letters on the casing itself

the lower letters a bit closer

Now for the upper letters

NSF-wc-All products with this mark meet all applicable performance standards for well casing as required by NSF/ANSI Standard 14, including NSF/ANSI Standard 61 for health effects. An example of products that would bear this mark would be PVC pipe listed against ASTM F480.

NSF Special Section-NSF/ANSI Standard 14: 40 Years of Service to the Plumbing Industry

In 2005, NSF/ANSI Standard 14: Plastic Piping System Components and Related Materials celebrates 40 years in existence.

www.pmengineer.com

So according to my research, it is in fact a well casing

If I divide 21 7/8 x 3.14 = 6.966 so just about 7!

Maybe an old casing no longer used?

Question for the day. So I was sitting there at the well putting the string around the casing when I noticed the tell tell signs of fire ants as about 6 unhappy ones had found my left hand. What do you use right around your well to kill them? They are just getting started.

Thanks
Charrie

 

[Taylorjm]

You’re right about mounting the stenner pump down in case it leaks. I remember reading that somewhere now that you mentioned it. It’s not required though, it will pump in any direction. I also remember the issue with the chain rusting and losing the pump and not the contributor to your iron issue. Not sure what I was thinking there. Like you said, it’s a long thread with lots of good info!

 

[Reach4]

So according to my research, it is in fact a well casing

If I divide 21 7/8 x 3.14 = 6.966 so just about 7!

Maybe an old casing no longer used?

The link I posted was not comprehensive.

There is PVC well casing... 6 5/8" ID - 7" OD but it does not seem common.

For ants, I have a pitless adapter, which uses a well cap, rather than a well seal. I supplemented my vent screen with a finer screen. I also used duct seal to supplement the gasketing.

For ants, I do well with bait. I mix my own with fipronil. I could talk recipes. But they also make baits that are premade. The bait made for cockroaches is a lot stronger than for ants. For ants, you want them to survive to take food back to the queen.

So I am thinking that a plastic bag with the end cut out to make a tube. Bind one end around the casing. Extend the vent and bind the other end around the vent riser and wires. Maybe use Duct Seal around the wires and squish that as you tighten your binding (maybe Scotch 66 or 33+ electrical tape.

Some ants like sweet. Some like protein. So I see what they like, and mix the bait.

For a well seal, maybe you could get a better fitting well seal, and not use the wrap? Or be the only one of your neighbors that puts in a pitless.

 

[Charrie]

I just wanted to update an earlier post in this thread about swapping motors in classic Stenner pumps. I have a classic Stenner pump motor that is 120 volts now need a 220 volt motor instead. Stenner sells 2 different motor kits.
MSK120 and MSK220. The 120 or 220 denotes the voltage. These two motor kits interchange between all of what Stenner calls "classic pumps".
The motor kits are around $95 to $120 while the replacement motor varies from $220 to $320. Stenner has a great section of youtube videos that detail replacing the motors and other maintenance.

Every situation is different but in my case I plan to install a 220 volt outlet that will serve as a disconnect for the injection pump. The outlet will also come in handy when pump maintenance is required as one can just unplug the pump and take it to their shop if needed. I provided a link below and one can shop around for lower prices. When shopping around though be careful as some companies are not authorized distributors and the warrenty may not apply if you needed it.

Stenner Classic Series motor service kits

Stenner pumps official part numbers 45 85 100 170 Classic motor service kits; chart with Works With column to match motor service kit to pump

stenner.com

Thanks for all the help!
Charrie

 

[Charrie]

Thanks to Taylotjm I now have 2 Ge GXWH40L filters with a clear sump. I also received the Stenner 220v motor service kit. While my son in-law was here this weekend, we removed the tall contact tank from the laundry room. I had already removed the H2O2 tank so now there is a lot more room in there.

There are 2 threads I found about the Ge GXWH40L filters having a "check valve" in them. I guess to keep water from back flowing when you take the sump off. below is one of those threads.

https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/pipes-bang-with-water-filter-turned-on-not-run-of-the-mill.27227/page-2

After disconnecting the contact tank and while waiting for the pipes to dry so i could glue them back together, the water heater kicked on and water began to run out of the pipe that supplies the house and tank. This got me to thinking about the check valve since I do not have an expansion tank. I am guessing that since there is no check valves or back flow valves from the well pressure tank to the house, that the pressure tank serves as an expansion tank? I mentioned earlier that my house still has polybutylene water pipes so i don't want to increase the pressure in any way. I really don't want to ad an expansion tank right now if I don't have to. So I was thinking to remove the check valve in the filters. Instead of just breaking it out, I was going to use a hole saw to make a nice neat hole.

I do not have any filter cartridges right now. Does the filter cartridge fit inside the tapered ring or against it in the pic below?

it appears to me that the inner plastic piece with the slots is a separate part that is glued into the housing and holds the rubber check valve. A 3/4" hole saw will cut out the slotted area while a 1.5" hole saw fits inside the tapered ring. I do not have a 3/4" hole saw but can get one.

So what do you guys think?

I was surprised that the bottom of the contact tank didn't have more build up in the bottom of it. there was about a 1/4 cup of solids that came out when emptied the tank and you can see what is left in the bottom. The filter equipment plumbing was done with pex and pvc. The PVC has some slight grey staining inside that comes off on your fingers.

_
Can this tank be reused later if needed as a backwash filter tank? I know it would require a valve and new drop pipe with strainer.

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That's about it for now. I am still gathering parts and deciding how to mount and plumb the filter housings.
We had talked about one filter on the supply line before it goes into the softener and the second filter after the softener. The person who installed the softener and peroxide injection system used pex through the floor and then changed to PVC. I do not have the tools to work with pex right now so I have to sort out how to use the existing lines and make the plumbing look decent! .

In the pic below, there is a cut valve near the brine tank. I do not know if it was used to add water to the brine tank or peroxide tank if needed. I may leave the valve in case I decide later to add a hose or other fitting to it. I was thinking about mounting the filters up over top of the brine tank, Maybe 6 or 8 inches below the shelf. I should not have to access the top of the filter housings after they are installed should I? I plan to use unions o each side of the housings so they can be removed if needed.
The hot water tank is behind that wall so the left and the dryer has to be removed to access it. If you guys say that its best to install an expansion tank, I believe I read that it can be installed anywhere in the system as long as it is after the check valves in the filter housings.

Thanks
Charrie

 

[Reach4]

Not sure how those tabs are. I would guess that the cartridge fits inside of the tabs.. On my cartridge filters, I just place the cartridge, into the sump and then center it.

When I go to screw the sump in, I lift, and first turn CCW, as viewed from below. As I turn, I feel a click, as a thread drops. Then after that, I switch to CW. The purpose is to avoid cross-threading.

I sometimes do a couple of turns CCW, and note where the clicks occur. If I get my click at the same place, I am confident that I have the right place.

 

[Taylorjm]

After reading the post about pipes banging I would probably consider cutting out that check valve too. I don’t recall any banging when I used them but I’m sure every setup is different. If there’s a check valve then the pressure tank can’t absorb any water hammer. Take it away and it can. There are no check valves on the big blue filter housings I have now.

 

[Charrie]

Well I decided to remove the check valves. The valves are just a round rubber piece that has a stem in the center which you can see poking up through the center of the upper filter pic in the last post.
I used a 7/8" whole saw to cut out the center of the filter housing where the little slots are. After starting the hole saw and getting a solid line cut in the housing, I removed the pilot bit so as to not damage anything that might be below inside the housing. Going slow I could tell when I cut through. The plastic was almost a 1/4" thick there. The hole saw left a bit of a jagged edge but it cleaned right up with a pairing knife. I worried about small particles falling inside the filter but i had placed the valve in the OFF position before I started and so no plastic shavings should have been able to make it into the housing valve. The plastic shavings seemed to have a lot of static cling to them but once rinsing under water, they came right off.

Here is the cut out part as well as the check valve minus its little tab that I drilled out.

Well that's it for now. Next task is mounting and connecting the filters.

 

[Charrie]

Hi All,
Well I am starting on the install and needed to check my plans.. First the filters have 1" threaded openings and I have to reduce them to 3/4". i wanted to use brass reducing fittings but the store only had 1 so i opted to try PVC. The adapters threaded almost all the way in by hand with very little force. So I wrapped the PVC adapter threads with a heavy duty 3.5m grey Teflon tape called Mega Tape and then applied some pipe thread sealant over that. The adapters threaded in a good bit harder by hand and I turned them an additional 1.5 to 2 turns with channel locks. I may temporarily connecting them to a water supply to see f they leak before installing them. Brass reducers were about $10 each and brass close nipples were around $10 also. That wold be a bit over $40 bucks for 4 fittings. Any thoughts?

Hercules® Megatape | Oatey

Hercules® Megatape is an all-purpose, professional-grade PTFE thread-sealing tape designed for use on a wide range of threaded pipes. At 3.5 mils thick, it provides more PTFE than most tapes to seal better with fewer wraps. Megatape is compatible with virtually any piping system to provide...

www.oatey.com

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Next and probably most important is how to plump in the filters. There is not a lot of space in the laundry room. To the right is the electrical panel and the supply line is about a foot from the panel cover but the door easily opens. To the left is water heater cabinet. Also the existing inlet and outlet pipe are already through the floor and are pex. I do not have the tools to work with pex right now. So below is a pic of what i was thinking to do with PVC but I am concerned about having too many 90 degree elbows.. As you can see, each filter would require 4, 3/4" elbows with this install. I guess if I have to I could buy a couple of shark bite fittings and move the pipes but after buying a couple of shark bite fittings, just a bit more money buys one the crimp ring tool! Of course there will be some ball valves and unions in there. This also leaves me room to install a shelf under the filters to sit a bucket to catch the water when changing cartridges.
What are your thoughts? Too many elbows?

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And then there is the injector fitting. I found a 3/4" Tee with a 1/2" threaded end and plan to install it at the well head where the red arrow arrow points. The pressure switch has a galvanized riser? pipe and i plan to change that out for a brass one as well as changing out the pressure switch. One contact looks slightly burnt where I found a centipede stuck in between one of the contacts the last time I lost water.

Well ,that's it for now and Thanks
Charrie

 

[Charrie]

What a dummy, I can really be a little slow sometimes. After giving it a bit more thought, I came up with a better idea.
The 2 pipes coming up through the floor are PEX and have crimped on 3/4" female brass adapters on their ends. The pipe on the RT is short while the pipe on the left comes up to the top of the brine tank. By shifting things around just a few inches and bending the PEX pipe on the left, I came up with this much simpler way!

 

[Charrie]

I may have a problem now.

I was reading a couple of threads here about installing unions and came across a post by Reach4 about using Rectorseal 5 pipe thread sealant on plastic pipe and recommended Rectorseal T-2 which i also read is made for PVC, ABS, and CPVC.
Then there is this thread that says not to use Rectorseal 5 on any plastics.

The problem is that I already used the #5 and assembled everything. Now i am a bit concerned about leaks or future leaks.

I plan to call GE tomorrow and see if they can tell me what material the filter housings are made of. From what i have found on the internet, most housings are made from polypropylene and/or polycarbonate. Then I guess I'll call Rectorseal and see what they say.

I didn't want to buy a can so looked at the yellow tube which reads:

In the red with white letters is clearly states For threaded metal and PVC, for CPVC and ABS pipe use RectorSeal T plus 2

From Rectorseal site, they state:

RectorSeal No. 5 1 3/4 oz. Tube

RECTORSEAL NO. 5 Premium Pipe Thread Sealant

rectorseal.com

For pipe made of galvanized steel, iron, brass, copper, aluminum, stainless steel, polyethylene, reinforced fiberglass, and PVC. DO NOT USE ON ABS OR CPVC.

Any thoughts? Am I over thinking this and worrying about nothing?

Here is what I did yesterday. i didn't want to finish until I resolved the thread sealant issue. I have no idea how one would even go about cleaning that sealant out of the female threads without damaging the threads. At least by using the unions i can take it apart easily! I plan to add a bypass incase I needed to remove a filter housing or repare something.

Thanks
Charrie

 

[Taylorjm]

I may have a problem now.

I was reading a couple of threads here about installing unions and came across a post by Reach4 about using Rectorseal 5 pipe thread sealant on plastic pipe and recommended Rectorseal T-2 which i also read is made for PVC, ABS, and CPVC.
Then there is this thread that says not to use Rectorseal 5 on any plastics.

The problem is that I already used the #5 and assembled everything. Now i am a bit concerned about leaks or future leaks.

I plan to call GE tomorrow and see if they can tell me what material the filter housings are made of. From what i have found on the internet, most housings are made from polypropylene and/or polycarbonate. Then I guess I'll call Rectorseal and see what they say.

I didn't want to buy a can so looked at the yellow tube which reads:
View attachment 91358
In the red with white letters is clearly states For threaded metal and PVC, for CPVC and ABS pipe use RectorSeal T plus 2

From Rectorseal site, they state:

RectorSeal No. 5 1 3/4 oz. Tube

RECTORSEAL NO. 5 Premium Pipe Thread Sealant

rectorseal.com

For pipe made of galvanized steel, iron, brass, copper, aluminum, stainless steel, polyethylene, reinforced fiberglass, and PVC. DO NOT USE ON ABS OR CPVC.

Any thoughts? Am I over thinking this and worrying about nothing?

Here is what I did yesterday. i didn't want to finish until I resolved the thread sealant issue. I have no idea how one would even go about cleaning that sealant out of the female threads without damaging the threads. At least by using the unions i can take it apart easily! I plan to add a bypass incase I needed to remove a filter housing or repare something.
View attachment 91359

Thanks
Charrie

I think your setup and plan looks fine. Don't worry about which thread sealant to use. That will work fine. Everything else looks fine to me.

 

[Charrie]

Thanks for the reply Taylorjm. I read it a bit late though. I could not get in touch with anyone at GE to find out what the plastic housings are made of but everything i read online said most filters are made with polypropylene and or polyethylene. With thehead normally being polypropylene.

I did get to talk with tech support at Rectorseal and that guy said that they just had a meeting last week about their products and comparability with materials. He said " we have not tested 5 with polypropylene" and recommended i take the joints loose and clean them with dish soap.

Well everything is drying right now and i will be out of town a couple of days. When I get back then its right back at it and this time I am going to use the MEGA tape as before but this time use Oatey Great White with PTFE. It says for all plastics and mentions both polys.

It wasn't a big deal to dissemble what I had installed because none of elbows point downwards had been glued on yet so it was just a matter of removing the 4 straight pieces. After cleaning them then I unbolted the filter head and cleaned it. I am glad I used your suggestion and installed unions also.

The threads were quite a mess when i removed the fittings and the grey tape had turned black. I am sure there was pipe sealant residue but for the most part it was all pushed up near the shoulder of the fitting.

It was surprisingly easy to clean. i used a dollar store denture brush that fit perfect inside the 1" female fitting and has brisels on both sides. Dawn works great on more then ducks! what seemed to work bet was the hot water caused the tape to soften and turn loose and i was able to just pull it right off. here is a cleaned one just stuck in a fitting so i could get a pic

I was also surprised how little was stuck inside the housing threads

In the end I agree with you Taylorjm, It probably would have been just fine like it was and 10 years from now i could have told Rectorseal that 5 works with poly!

Ok when I get back then its back to work again. It should go much faster now that I have some practice

Thanks
Charrie

 

[Charrie]

I finally made some progress today and am almost one step closer to having good drinking water!
I won't go into detail on why the 3 trips back to the parts store or how one needs to stay focused when gluing, especially those $8 unions!

I just finished all the connections tonight and will wait till morning to turn the water on.
I applied Danco 88693 silicone grease to the filter O-rings. Hopefully that was the correct lube to use. It says for faucet washers.
The PEX seems to have a memory to it. The piece on the left that I had to bend was really stiff. I managed to bend it and temporally hold it in place for a couple of hours before needing to glue it in place. I was surprised that it wanted to retain its shape. Its about 3 inches away from the wall and I do plan on adding a few more straps to keep it in place. I also want to come up with a way to fasten the softener tank in place so that if it gets bumped, it will remain in place.

Though the filters have a off, filter, and bypass valve built in, I decided to install my own in case I need to remove the filters for repair or some other reason. I need to add one more "BLACK" handled ball valve though on the supply line above the bypass tee. No one had any Black handled ball valves without driving 30 miles. What I learned is that the blue handled ball valves I bought from ACE, are for 3/4 PVC but the hole in the ball is much smaller then 3/4" and would reduce the water flow close to 1/2". The Black handled valves were full 3/4" inside. I went a head and used one of the blue handled valved on the lower bypass line just so I could get everything glued up and the water back on in the morning. The system shouldn't hardly ever be in bypass anyway.

BTW I forgot which filters to use.. 5 micron in the first filter and 1 micron in the second filter after the softener?

Also my brine tank was never connected with a overflow drain so it would just pour out on the floor is there was a problem. I think it has to have its own drain separate from the softener drain? If I just used a tee in the softener drain and the softener drain was to stop up past the tee, it would flood the brine tank.

Please let me know if you see anything that needs corrected or addressed.

Thanks
Charrie

Here is a pic showing the finished plumbing minus the brine tank and other ball valve.

 

[Taylorjm]

Once your softener is full of water I can’t imagine bumping it will move anything.