Tips and Tricks for Backwashing Carbon Filter and Water Softener Install?

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Qualispec

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I'm planning to have a local water professional install a whole house backwashing carbon filter and water softener, but am wondering if there are any tips and tricks of what I should request in the installation that may not be standard?

From my research so far, I've come up on the following:

- Include a soft water hose bib after the softener for washing the car.
- Maybe add some piping and space after the water softener that can be connected to a utility sink?
- Add stainless steel bypass valves because the plastic bypass valves built into the Fleck or Clack valves tend to break? (I will want to bypass the carbon filter occasionally to flush the pipes with chlorinated water.)
- Add a boiler drain valve after the water softener that can be used for sampling water or adding a pressure gauge later on (?). I'm not sure if I would derive that much value from this if I have the hose bib.

Any thoughts on those, or any other tips and tricks that I missed?
 

Reach4

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1. City water?
2. Where will these drain to? Sewer? Via dedicated p-trap or shared with washing machine? Carbon tank drain could drain to the yard.
3. Do you have a link that tells about a Fleck or Clack plastic bypass valve failure?
 

Qualispec

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1. Yes, I am on city water.

2. On second thought, I'm not sure if a utility sink that is supplied by the water softener would make sense in my situation. It would only get cold water, and there's no washing machine nearby, so it would have to share a p-trap or drain with the backwashing carbon filter and water softener?

3. I don't have good evidence that the Fleck or Clack plastic bypass valve failure is a problem. But, I have read a few posts from folks suggesting that a stainless steel bypass valve would be better. Is there any truth to that? Why would people be paying up for SS vs plastic?

Thank you.
 

Bannerman

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But, I have read a few posts from folks suggesting that a stainless steel bypass valve would be better.
The 'plastic' bypass assembly utilized by both Fleck and Clack, is 'Noryl' or a similar composite material which is also utilized for the valve body for most of their models of control valves. A SS bypass offers no benefit over a Noryl bypass.

Many big box store and most offshore produced brands, do not necessarily utilize the same quality of materials as Fleck and Clack.


so it would have to share a p-trap or drain with the backwashing carbon filter and water softener?
Not an issue. A single tank softener and a back washing filter are usually programmed to cycle during the night when there is little if any water being utilized. A filter is to be programmed to cycle at an alternate time from the softener so both devices should never discharge at the same time.
 
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