Water softener sizing

[Jarniscipus]

Hi everyone,

I am relocating a softener and iron filter in my house and as this is part of a complete redo of my mechanical room, I am having everything inspected and I am hung up on something.

My area code if I am reading it correctly (below) states that I need a 1" softener connection for my house because it has 3 bathrooms. Here is my dilemma. My house is plumbed right off the 1" well inlet with 3/4" - I have 3/4" going to the softener and the inlet on the softener is 3/4", it goes out to the rest of the house also in 3/4". I don't have 1" plumbing in my house, but the code says I need 1" on the softener....how do i deal with this issue? I am very happy with my 3/4" plumbing in my house, I have no issues with anything. Do I need to upgrade my plumbing from the well to the softener to 1" to pass inspection on my softener? Or can I just have a 1" on the softener reduced to 3/4 immediately? If my house is all 3/4, I don't understand why 1" would do me any good, other than passing inspection. or should my house have 1" distribution in it? The other problem is my softener and iron curtain do not even have 1" connections on them, they are both 3/4" - would I need a new softener system to satisfy code for 3 bathrooms. I may be able to order a 1" outlet for my softener.

Thanks!

 

[ditttohead]

Code is written to accommodate all fixtures being in use simultaneously without dropping the pressure below a certain point but code can only accommodate so many variables so some codes are written with assumptions in mind. We all know you can put a 1" or even an 1-1/4" connection on a 3/4" softener with no increase in the softeners or filters flow rate. It is purely an aesthetic change. Is your softener a 1" design? What make/model is it?

Did your 3/4" plumbing pass inspection?

Velocity is key when it comes to plumbing. Cold water through pex is typically suggested to be below 10 feet per second, copper is 6-8 feet per second.

If the 3/4" plumbing passed inspection, then you should be fine so long as you can show the inspector that the softener is technically 1" and that the plumbing connector was reduced to accommodate the plumbing. You could even order a matching 1" plumbing connection to show the inspector that the system is technically 1".

Otherwise you will probably be required to replace the plumbing in front of the softener with 1" if your inspector is going to go by the book. Some inspectors are more thoughtful and can show a bit more common sense.

 

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[Jarniscipus]

These are great questions and I like your proposed rational for reducing to 3/4. I assume from the rat's nest of my plumbing that whatever originally passed inspection has changed since then. Because I am moving everything from the well inlet to the house existing supply, my guess is that the inspector may want to see 1", which is not a big deal for me to do, just more expensive and pointless with everything downstream being 3/4, but a good idea for me to do it anyway. It is a Hellenbrand and I can probably order 1" for it - I rent it so I can probably ask the water company to give it to me for free because they should have installed 1" anyway knowing I have 3 bathrooms. I have a suspicion that someone added a third bathroom and left it at 3/4, when perhaps they should have bumped up the size. I will probably just plumb it as 1" - what I have going for me is that my inspector really likes me because I have everything I touch inspected and they appreciate my willingness to pay them and not mickey mouse things skirting the system, so they give me a lot of latitude.

 

[Reach4]

Are your existing pipes and new pipes both copper?

 

[Jarniscipus]

Are your existing pipes and new pipes both copper?

My existing pipes are copper going into the walls, but I have so much new work to do from the well to the existing runs in my mechanical room, that I can do the first part in copper, CPVC or PEX, I have not decided yet, what I want to do - what is best in this case?

 

[Reach4]

I don't have a particular recommendation. Note that 3/4 PEX or CPVC is smaller inside than 3/4 PVC or 3/4 copper. So if you increase the new pipes to nominal 1 inch, that would more than compensate.

Also, note that in copper, your area may or may not find type M (red ink) copper suitable. They might want you to use type L (blue ink), which is a little thicker copper.