Oz07 Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 Excuse the laziness Plumber will be here in the coming week. Want to set pipework up for a softener to be added in future. Does anyone have a diagram or can tell me which parts I need. I think I see something on here recently. Was it something like a lever tap with a valve both sides so you can effectively divert the water through the softener? Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpmiller Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 yep, exactly that. Oh and don't forget you need a drain below it's overflow level too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone West Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreadnaught Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 What's the pipe through the exterior wall for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 33 minutes ago, Dreadnaught said: What's the pipe through the exterior wall for? Could be a pressure relief overflow 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 34 minutes ago, Dreadnaught said: What's the pipe through the exterior wall for? It's the overflow pipe from the brine tank. It won't normally have anything flowing through it, and can be plumbed to a drain, rather than out through the wall (ours is plumbed to a drain, well above the connection from the normal drain pipe to the same drain). 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 wonder why it’s not into the drain then ..? What’s the other drain pipe for..? Wash back ..?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 5 minutes ago, PeterW said: wonder why it’s not into the drain then ..? What’s the other drain pipe for..? Wash back ..?? The reason they don't share the same pipe is that the brine over flow is very low pressure, just the head of brine in the outer tank if the fill valve starts letting by (in essence it's just like a ball cock). The drain from the back wash is at close to mains pressure. Because of the need for no obstruction to flow from the brine overflow, it can't easily be fitted with a non-return valve, so can't be combined with the high pressure back wash drain. Ideally, the brine overflow also needs to be visible, so either fed outside or have a tundish if connected to a drain, but it's easy to see if the level of brine is too high, as you can see it when you check, or replace the salt blocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz07 Posted March 15, 2020 Author Share Posted March 15, 2020 Thanks all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz07 Posted March 15, 2020 Author Share Posted March 15, 2020 So drain point can be higher just like washing machine. Brine out through wall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz07 Posted March 15, 2020 Author Share Posted March 15, 2020 What size are those connections I tried zooming in but no joy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 6 minutes ago, Oz07 said: So drain point can be higher just like washing machine. Brine out through wall To an extent, yes. 4 minutes ago, Oz07 said: What size are those connections I tried zooming in but no joy The brine overflow is about 19mm/3/4" OD, maybe 12mm/1/2" bore, IIRC, the back wash drain is about 10mm OD, so probably about 7mm bore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz07 Posted March 15, 2020 Author Share Posted March 15, 2020 Sorry I meant to water connections. From memory they are 3/4" connections? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 15 minutes ago, Oz07 said: Sorry I meant to water connections. From memory they are 3/4" connections? Yes, they are 3/4" connections. The flexible pipes that came with the softener were very small bore, and I replaced them with full bore flexible pipes. Not sure how much difference this made, but it just seemed daft to connect it up with what looked to be washing machine hoses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz07 Posted March 17, 2020 Author Share Posted March 17, 2020 Ok I got one lever tap and 2no. 3/4 threaded connections. Not sure it's right i'll post a pic tomorrow. Should I of gone for 2no. washing machine taps to the water softener? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyt Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 What size is your main plumbing? 15mm or 22mm? if you can you should get full bore lever valves with either 15 or 22mm x 3/4” male threads as the standard Washmac valves and ballofix tend to restrict the flow some what and you will get a small pressure drop across the resin bed of the softener . If you can’t find those then regular full bore lever valves then small piece of pipe then fit a 15 or 22mm x 3/4” Male Iron to connect the hoses to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz07 Posted March 17, 2020 Author Share Posted March 17, 2020 I think thats what i've got on 22mm mains. Why do I need 3 lever taps? If I have 1 tap and capped ends on the male irons when softener not connected isn't this the same? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyt Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 Inlet valve to softener, Outlet valve from softener & A Bypass tap. If you need to turn the softener off for maintenance or a fault you just turn all three valves shutting off the water in/out to the unit and opening the bypass. Thus feeding untreated water to the house. In an emergency though you could just loop a hose from the inlet to the outlet if you don’t fit a bypass tap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz07 Posted March 18, 2020 Author Share Posted March 18, 2020 Good thinking batman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz07 Posted March 18, 2020 Author Share Posted March 18, 2020 This is what I got but as @tommyt sa6s really I need 3 taps. Do i just get 2 more of what I got or is there anything less bulky? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 I used three full bore 22mm ball valves for mine, like these: https://www.screwfix.com/p/full-bore-lever-ball-valve-yellow-22mm/30584 Not too bulky. I arranged them on a straight run of 22mm pipe along a wall, pretty much exactly as in that diagram, with a tee to the inlet valve that feeds the softener, an inline valve to the next tee that acts as the bypass then another tee to a valve that takes the outlet from the softener. With the inline valve closed and the other two open water flows through the softener. With the two valves connected to the softener closed and the inline valve open the softener is bypassed, really just for allowing a water supply if the softener needs maintenance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz07 Posted March 18, 2020 Author Share Posted March 18, 2020 Look to be same as mine then? Is the male end on these sized for softener or so I drop it down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 Just now, Oz07 said: Look to be same as mine then? Is the male end on these sized for softener or so I drop it down? I used a short bit of 22mm pipe on the softener end of each valve, fitted with compression 22mm to 3/4" BSPM fitting, to accept the fitting on the end of full bore 3/4" flexis. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz07 Posted March 18, 2020 Author Share Posted March 18, 2020 Cheers so I'll end in 3/4 bspm if the guy on counter can translate. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz07 Posted March 18, 2020 Author Share Posted March 18, 2020 Got this set up now ending in 3/4 male is this right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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