Water Softener Drain Line

Water softener drain line routing.

Water softener drain line.

Your water softener brine drain is kinked plugged or leaky. Often the drain lines are run to a floor drain but you can also extend the drain line into the standpipe that also drains a washing machine or into a utility sink or sump pit. A softener drain line must not be connected directly to the waste system but must be emptied into a laundry tray floor drain or properly trapped special outlet preserving an air gap of at least two times the diameter of the drain line but in no case less than 1 1 2 above the top of the receptacle used. The drain line must be of adequate diameter to handle the water conditioner s backwash flow rate.

The industry standard is a polypropylene drain line that is rigid yet flexible. Use a 3 4 diameter pipe if the drain flow is more than 7 gpm. Find water softener connector supply lines at lowe s today. This is to prevent non potable water from flowing backwards possibly mixing and contaminating potable drinking water.

By code water softeners must be emptied into a laundry sink floor drain sump hole or properly trapped special outlet preserving an air gap of at. In most communities it is illegal to connect the water softener drain directly to the home drain system without an air gap. Universal air gap for water softeners and filters with 1 2 inch od or 5 8 inch id inlet port and 1 1 2 inch or 2 inch drainpipe outlet ag100 001 mr. There are a number of causes of a water softener full of water.

You can contact a professional to do this for you. According to most plumbing codes a water softener drain line must not be connected directly to the household waste system. Keep the water softener drain piping as short and low as possible. Less than 30 feet in length and no more than 8 feet above the floor level.

On water softener service calls in minnesota we find a wide variety of drain line material being used.