Newbie trying an install. - Plumbing Forum

Madnpc · 11-14-2011, 05:58 PM

Hello and thanks for your forum,

I'm trying to retro-install a whole house water softener. I have found the cold water inlet and hot water outlet pipes to the water heater inside the wall. They are very close to the floor. They each have another small copper pipe that branches off and goes back into the concrete. What is the best way to tie into the cold water supply before the water heater so I can soften the water for the whole house?

**havasu** · 11-14-2011, 06:45 PM

Don't forget that if you have front and rear spigots for yard irrigation, this will also be softened unless you bypass the cold water supply leading from the street.

**speedbump** · 11-14-2011, 08:45 PM

With what you are seeing, it's anybody's guess what those pipes are for. What you want to do is cut into the main cold water line before it branches out and put the softener there. Then, you can by pass around the softener for your outside spigots and drinking water if you like.

Madnpc · 11-15-2011, 01:06 AM

I appreciate your replies,

Havasu: Thanks for the heads up. So all my outside faucets will be softened water? I have an irrigation system and I think it is seperated from the house water. My house is 20 years old. I will check on this possibility.

Speedbump: Of course you wouldn't know what the pipes are for! I don't think ahead all the time but I do have you a picture this time:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos?tab=mq#photos/117253365167406361352/albums

You can click it to see a larger version.

The second pipe from the left is the cold-in from the street.
The far left pipe going up the wall is the cold-in to the water heater. The down portion(reduced) is supplying the house.
The 3rd pipe from left(reduced) is supplying the house.
The 4th pipe from left(reduced) is hot-out from water heater supplying the house.
The 5th pipe from left(reduced) is main hot-out from water heater. It extends up the wall to water heater on other side of the wall.
PVC pipe on far right is drain pipe from pressure nozzle on DWH.

I want to cut the 3 pipes on the left, add a loop for water softener to 2nd pipe(1"), and sweat connections back on.

Do you have an easier solution or suggestions in general?

**speedbump** · 11-15-2011, 12:56 PM

I signed into Google but didn't see any way to see your pictures. It wanted me to upload my pics.???

So without seeing the pic the easiest think I can say, is that all you need to do is plumb the softener in before the main line splits off anywhere except your sprinklers. Then if your outside spigots are putting out soft water, you can tie in ahead of the softener to feed just them, and drinking water if you like. That would mean running a new line to the kitchen sink and to a separate faucet.

**LiQuId** · 11-15-2011, 11:53 PM

you should NOT be drinking softened water it is bad for you as it leaches minerals from your body.. Remember water is the universal solvent, if your not getting minerals from it, it's taking them from you ..

**speedbump** · 11-16-2011, 12:50 PM

Quote:

you should NOT be drinking softened water it is bad for you as it leaches minerals from your body.. Remember water is the universal solvent, if your not getting minerals from it, it's taking them from you ..

I've never heard that before, but it makes perfect sense.

**LiQuId** · 11-18-2011, 02:48 AM

thats why ( though its not code ) it is typical to take off a cold line before the softener and pipe it to the kitchen sink as this is where majority of your drinking water comes from. lavs and such are usually piped after the softener as you usually dont drink much of this water.

Also we dont treat ( soften ) lawn irrigation for obvious reasons, mainly because it'd be more expensive due to wear on the system, but I wager softened water being mineral depleated would also be bad for plants.

**speedbump** · 11-18-2011, 02:02 PM

Quote:

( though its not code ) i

Why wouldn't it be code. It would be the same as not having a softener in the first place wouldn't it?

**DCPlumber** · 11-19-2011, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiQuId

you should NOT be drinking softened water it is bad for you as it leaches minerals from your body.. Remember water is the universal solvent, if your not getting minerals from it, it's taking them from you ..

I've never heard of that either. For the amount of water that a person actually drinks from their home in one day, if you are depending on getting a balanced diet of minerals from your water, you probably aren't eating a properly balanced diet. Plus wouldn't you have to just about drown yourself with water to flush you body of nutrients? Sounds a little extreme to me.

I was told that the reason for not drinking soft water was to avoid the extra salt in your diet if your have high blood pressure, plus some people actually like the taste of raw well water.

Can anyone actually quote a reliable source to verify how bad drinking soft water is for a person.

Isn't water from a distiller or reverse osmosis system soft, with virtually all minerals removed? I like ice in my mixed drinks to be tasteless and clear. Cloudy poor tasting ice is a good way to ruin good booze.

I presume that the removal of nitrates/nitrites and lead are the primary concerns with distillers and RO units.

Anyone have any facts?