Purchased new H2O softener - couple of plumbing questions

[Finch85]

Good morning. I already have an older Culligan water softener that is on its last leg so I purchased a Fleck 5600SXT 48K softener. It arrived the other day and I'm making preparations for the install. My current supply plumbing is 3/4" Pex. My current softener was plumbed with 3/4" pex connected to the bypass assembly. I would like to use Falcon S.S. flex lines for my new softener just for ease of installation.

Question 1: A 3/4" polypropylene yoke was included with my softener. Am I able to connect a Falcon S.S. FIP connector to poly or does the FIP connector of the Falcon flex line need to be poly as well? I've seen them both ways but it seems the poly FIP connections are harder to find.
https://www.plumbingsupply.com/flexes.html#terms

Also, my current softener's drain line is connected to the adjacent bathroom sink p-trap (dishwasher p-trap). I actually remodeled that bathroom last year and just redid that p-trap when I replaced the vanity and sink. I decided that it had been like that for at least 10 years (previous homeowner) so I kept the drain line connected as they had. I knew this was incorrect but was planning to make it right once I bought a new softener. I've attached some pics to better describe my situation. Would a check valve be feasible to install into the drain line or does it truly need an air gap of some sort? Also, I should mention that this really is the only place for me to drain the softener water as I don't have a nearby floor drain, the laundry room is across the hall, I'm on a slab with newly tiled floors that I don't want to tear up, and I'd have to bore through several ceiling joists to get to the laundry room (no easy access to do so). I guess I could drain outside but the way my yard is sloped, water already collects where I'd be draining the softener outside.

Question 2: What are my options as far as correcting the softener's drain line at the bathroom sink? Per the pics, is there enough room to correct this? There is only a little bit of drain line protruding from the wall into the vanity's space.

I'm sure I'll have a few more questions as this goes on but these are my biggest questions at the moment. Thanks!

 

[Reach4]

Am I able to connect a Falcon S.S. FIP connector to poly or does the FIP connector of the Falcon flex line need to be poly as well?

Yes. Stainless FIP over plastic is good. You want to avoid plastic FIP.

I've attached some pics to better describe my situation. Would a check valve be feasible to install into the drain line or does it truly need an air gap of some sort?

There is supposed to be an air gap, although there is unlikely to be a problem if you did not have one. You could maybe fabricate something on the softener side of the wall. I would think you would want some vertical height between the gap and the hole through the wall to help provide some head to get the water flow through that little tubing. Maybe have a length of 3 inch PVC that you discharge above, and then reduce that down to the tubing. I am not a pro.

 

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[Finch85]

You could maybe fabricate something on the softener side of the wall. I would think you would want some vertical height between the gap and the hole through the wall to help provide some head to get the water flow through that little tubing. Maybe have a length of 3 inch PVC that you discharge above, and then reduce that down to the tubing. I am not a pro.

I'm trying to comprehend what you are describing here. For lack of better words - sort of like a funnel so to speak? Have the softener drain into the 3" pvc and then rely on gravity to drain it through the smaller tube? Seems like it could get overwhelmed and overflow. I'm not sure understand fully.

 

[Finch85]

Btw, I picked up some of that danco silicone grease you recommended in my other thread when thinking I might have to take my pressure tank union apart.

I'm safe to use that all throughout my softener install (connecting bypass and yoke together) as well as lubing whole house water filter o-rings? Just want to make sure.

 

[Reach4]

Btw, I picked up some of that danco silicone grease you recommended in my other thread when thinking I might have to take my pressure tank union apart.

I'm safe to use that all throughout my softener install (connecting bypass and yoke together) as well as lubing whole house water filter o-rings? Just want to make sure.

Yes. Wherever you have an O-ring or rubber seal. Very thin coat. Not everybody does it, but it is a good thing to do.

For tapered threads (no rubber seal) , you would use a pipe compound that is safe for plastics. This would not occur except for possibly the adapter to your pipes.

I use a nitrile glove to spread to make cleaning my hands easier.

 

[Finch85]

Any other ideas on the softener drain line issue?

 

[Bannerman]

Since your existing drain was initially intended for a dishwasher, I initially started searching for dishwasher air gaps. https://www.homedepot.com/b/Plumbing-Plumbing-Parts-Repair-Faucet-Parts-Repair-Air-Gaps/N-5yc1vZcf5k

Attached is a YT video which explains an air gap purpose and operation. Unlike a dishwasher, your water softener contains potable water so the potential for illness is increased if there was to be a backup of contaminated water into the softener.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T01Z6iWJ98

 

[Finch85]

Thanks. So I'm still stuck on how I should best plumb this though?

 

[Reach4]

Best, as measured by what?

Best would be to open the wall, and put in a proper standpipe near the softener. Yep, that's the best.

Easiest would be to do exactly what was done before. This has been done for years.

Maybe better, but not up to code is to add a check valve as you proposed.

Bannerman suggest that an airgap made for dishwashers could work. It may pass the 2.4 gpm for several minutes. I am not sure, and if you did that, which side of the wall would that air gap device be on? Those are made to spew water into the kitchen sink bowl if they cannot keep up for some reason. It meets codes without opening the wall.

 

[Bannerman]

Although the dishwasher air gaps shown at HD do not indicate GPM capacity, most seem to utilize 5/8" diameter inlet with 7/8" diameter outlet. They would normally mount on the sink, directly beside the faucet. If there is not an existing hole in the sink and if one can't be drilled, it could be mounted through the counter. Your existing dishwasher drain adapter could then continue to be utilized while the drain line from the softener would connect to the air gap device inlet.

The air gap device is not intended to discharge drain water directly into the sink but as there is often ground food debris and grease discharged from a dishwasher, some of that debris could accumulate in the air gap outlet which could cause a backup out from the air inlet hole, thereby indicating cleaning is required. Since there is no food debris or grease discharged from a water softener, the likelihood of blockage would be reduced.

The purpose of the air inlet hole is to allow air to enter into the drain tube, thereby preventing contaminated water from being syphoned back into the water softener. Even if the sink drain was plugged and the sink full of contaminated water, dirty water can not enter the tube directly from the water softener since the air inlet is located higher than the sink rim.