Drain question and whole house filter questions

[Sacman]

Need help in figuring out a drain for a water softener that I would like to have a plumber install in a new home being built. I have a loop for a water filter (along with a 20amp electrical) that will be installed. The whole house water filter is a Aquasana (model EQ-AST-WH) that I chose just so we have the loop to make it a bit easier/less expensive for softener install. Plus I figured it would be a good idea to have a wh filter in case the softener for whatever reason does not work out. So here are my questions if anyone would be kind enough to answer them.

1) Per the Aquasana the website, it says to install on the cold-water line before the water heater and AFTER any water softener. I thought the wh filter would go before the water softener?

2) Would both the filter and softener cause the pressure to be low in the home? The home will be receiving city water and not well water.

3) About the drain which is the main issue I am having. I have been reading that it would be OK to drain into the clean out of the home. I took pictures but it seems like the distance the drain has to travel is a bit long measuring about 50ft. Would this be an issue?

4) Are there any issue with draining into a clean out? Do I have to worry about cold weather freezing the pipes under the home that is in the California Central valley ie not too cold weather but still concerns me. Please see pics with and without foundation showing the clean out.

5) Another option I have for the drain would be to go through the 1st and 2nd floor of the home to tap into the drain of the sink which seems like a lot of work so that option is not the best.

Thank you much in advance!

 

[ditttohead]

If you look into the size of the porting on that unit you will find that the riser tubes are a mere <13/16 of an inch with the actual porting being much smaller. These units tend to reduce flow obviously. I would recommend against that unit. Why would it go after the softener? 50' for a drain is fine. As to freezing, not sure, if freezing is a potential problem your plumbing should be protected regardless.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

1) Per the Aquasana the website, it says to install on the cold-water line before the water heater and AFTER any water softener. I thought the wh filter would go before the water softener?

I used to think as you did. Now I have mixed feelings. With city water, after the softener seems best, because the filter can catch broken and disintegrated resin.

Most sediment that enters from city water will either pass through the softener or get backwashed out.

My current thinking is that something that could catch stuff bigger than course sand before the softener makes sense, and a 25 to 5 micron filter after the softener makes sense. You would be surprised what pebbles I found in my WH that had been pumped up from the well.

2) Would both the filter and softener cause the pressure to be low in the home? The home will be receiving city water and not well water.

Pressure gauges are good at showing pressure loss. This can help know when the cartridge needs changing, or if the softener is having a problem.

A boiler drain valve can serve to let you sample water at a point, or to mount a garden hose thread pressure gauge. Your outdoor hose spigot could serve as a place to monitor, but one between the softener and cartridge filter would be handy for diagnostics. Your pressure gauge can be permanent also. The most common pressure gauges have a 1/4 MIP thread.

 

[Bannerman]

A point-of-entry filter system that contains activated carbon is usually placed before a softener so as to remove chlorine from the city water as chlorine will degrade softening resin.

Most media used for filtration including carbon, will perform best and last longer when backwashed periodically. The unit you are considering does not utilize a backwashing control valve.

 

[Sacman]

Thank you everyone for your reply and help with this! Hopefully this works out.

 

[Sacman]

I am leaning towards doing the drain through the clean out from the outside as shown in the picture. Can someone please help with showing a picture of what I would expect it should look like with it being split off, p-trap, airgap and the drain line itself. Does the p-trap and airgap have to off the ground at a cretin height?
Also, is it better to use white pvc or the cheaper black flexible line that I usually see when a drain line is added to something like this? Thank you much!