Pre-plumbed Vertical Drain

[Hartless1209]

Hello, I am getting ready to install an Aquasure Harmony system. The home has a pre-plumbed set up for a water softener system. The drain line is 1/2 inch PEX that runs up about 6 or 7 feet, through the attic, and then back down into the washing machine drain. Total length of line is approximately 30 feet.

I’m a little concerned because the instructions state “Each Harmony Water Softener comes with 10’ of a ½” drain line. If you need to run the drain line further than 20ft, you will need to to adjust the line from ½” to a ¾” line at the 20ft mark. If you need to run the drain line above the unit, you can go no more than 7ft above the unit from the drain line connection point on the side of the control valve”.

Is this anything I should concerned about?

 

[Bannerman]

Backwashing the softener's resin media, will cause the media to become expanded, thereby allowing physical contaminants to be eliminated to drain, while also increasing the spaces between resin granules, allowing the salt brine utilized to regenerate softening capacity, more complete contact with each granule. Backwashing will also reclassify the resin within the tank, thereby redistributing the resin's hardness removal capacity throughout the tank.

To ensure the desired backwashing results, each backwash requires a specific flow rate as determined by the media type, tank diameter and water temperature.

While the drain flow control flow restrictor will limit the flow rate to the specific rate desired, any flow restriction within the drain line can cause the drain flow rate to be less than the flow rate needed. PEX has a smaller internal diameter than most other pipe types, and extending the drain line length, will further increase the resistance to flow as a result of friction, which may result is the media backwash rate becoming lower than needed. Increasing the drain line diameter to 3/4" poly or 1" PEX, will reduce the amount of resistance to flow, helping to ensure the intended flow rate will be achieved.

You didn't state how far the drain line will drop before discharging into the laundry drain. If the laundry drain is lower in elevation that the top of the softener, the greater drop distance could potentially result in a negative pressure (vacuum) situation within the drain line. As softener tanks are designed to endure positive pressure, but will often collapse if exposed to negative pressure, suggest installing a vacuum breaker valve as a precaution, located at the highest point of your attic drain line..

While the image below depicts the softener being discharged externally, which is not applicable to your situation, it does show a vacuum breaker being utilized, for the same reason mentioned above.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

Is this anything I should concerned about?

Assuming your water pressure is 40 psi or more, I would go with the pre-plumbed setup using 1/2 inch PEX. I would not add a vacuum breaker unless this is is in the cold part of California. Softener backwash rate is low, and pressure drop through 1/2 inch pex will be small enough.

 

[Hartless1209]

Assuming your water pressure is 40 psi or more, I would go with the pre-plumbed setup using 1/2 inch PEX. I would not add a vacuum breaker unless this is is in the cold part of California. Softener backwash rate is low, and pressure drop through 1/2 inch pex will be small enough.I’m

Assuming your water pressure is 40 psi or more, I would go with the pre-plumbed setup using 1/2 inch PEX. I would not add a vacuum breaker unless this is is in the cold part of California. Softener backwash rate is low, and pressure drop through 1/2 inch pex will be small enough.

Thanks! I’m on the central coast, pretty mild climate. I’ll get a gauge to check water pressure. Changing the pex to a larger ID would be difficult for me to do.

 

[Hartless1209]

Backwashing the softener's resin media, will cause the media to become expanded, thereby allowing physical contaminants to be eliminated to drain, while also increasing the spaces between resin granules, allowing the salt brine utilized to regenerate softening capacity, more complete contact with each granule. Backwashing will also reclassify the resin within the tank, thereby redistributing the resin's hardness removal capacity throughout the tank.

To ensure the desired backwashing results, each backwash requires a specific flow rate as determined by the media type, tank diameter and water temperature.

While the drain flow control flow restrictor will limit the flow rate to the specific rate desired, any flow restriction within the drain line can cause the drain flow rate to be less than the flow rate needed. PEX has a smaller internal diameter than most other pipe types, and extending the drain line length, will further increase the resistance to flow as a result of friction, which may result is the media backwash rate becoming lower than needed. Increasing the drain line diameter to 3/4" poly or 1" PEX, will reduce the amount of resistance to flow, helping to ensure the intended flow rate will be achieved.

You didn't state how far the drain line will drop before discharging into the laundry drain. If the laundry drain is lower in elevation that the top of the softener, the greater drop distance could potentially result in a negative pressure (vacuum) situation within the drain line. As softener tanks are designed to endure positive pressure, but will often collapse if exposed to negative pressure, suggest installing a vacuum breaker valve as a precaution, located at the highest point of your attic drain line..

While the image below depicts the softener being discharged externally, which is not applicable to your situation, it does show a vacuum breaker being utilized, for the same reason mentioned above.

The laundry drain is about 2 feet lower than the top of the softener. Changing the pex would be hard for me to do.