Plumbing for a water softener

[proudpapa]

I installed a water softener / iron filter in a dry basement (no sump crock). When I installed it, I was not aware that I needed to run a line to a drain for the backflushing of the unit. Challenge: I don't have a drain.

I read in the instructions (horrible, they were) that I needed to be careful in where I run this in relation to the sewer line... concerns with bacteria, but don't recall the specifics.

My thought is to create an above ground crock and sump, punch a hole through the basement wall and then pump this water from this crock out of the house. Is this a bad idea? Is there a better way to do this? How much water can I expect to backflush?

Lots of questions... sorry. Thanks for concsidering responding.

R Thatcher

[Tony Hwang]

Hmm, No drain(sewer) on the floor of your basement? My softener drain is going into laundry washer drain stack. Basically salty water that is. I have a drain on the floor but it's located further from the softener. Typical floor drain had P trap and back flow check valve.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

This is done all the time. For a tank, you can use a steel or poly drum, or you can buy a sump tank. Most any sump pump can be made to fit and will work well. A plumbing supply can fix you up with everything you need.

The real problem is where to pump the water. It is salty water and not good for your lawn or garden. It cannot be pumped to an open sewer. If you have freezing weather, you don't want to pump it any place outside.

It is best pumped into a drain, laundry tub etc. Do you have a drain line running through the basement? A laundry room above the basement? It may also be possible to run a hose from the softener to the drain pipe tap. There is not a huge volume of water. Our softener at work is huge compared to home installations (we soften about 10-12,000 gallons a day) and the backwash goes to a drain pipe via a simple 5/8" garden hose and gravity.