Help needed with installing a water softener
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2022 10:44 pm
Hello all,
I’ve just moved into a new house with extremely hard water (437 PPM CaCO3), and I’m looking to install a water softener. I’d like to do this myself, not only to save money, but to become more self-sufficient with managing domestic jobs like this. I’ve done a bit of research on how to do it, but wanted to confirm my plan of action before I go wrecking my plumbing system.
I’ve bought a W2B800 (https://www.water2buy.com/shop/w2b800-water-softener/). This will be stored in a location within a metre or so of the kitchen sink (it’s way too big to put under there). In terms of plumbing in, image 1 shows what I am working with (ignore the letters for now). I’ll be drilling some holes in the kitchen cabinet to connect hoses and an overflow pipe from the under-sink plumbing to the water softener.
I need to place the softener down-stream of the kitchen sink cold water tap so that this can remain as the drinking water tap, which is problematic at the moment as the kitchen tap feed is downstream of the dishwasher, washing machine, and the spur which goes off to the rest of the house! I would need to move the kitchen tap feed to just after the stopcock. At the moment the kitchen tap feed has a hose that attaches to a terminal of copper pipe (image 2).
Issue 1
Once I remove the hose to the kitchen sink cold tap would I simply connect the washing machine feed directly to the tee at point A in image 2?
Issue 2
How can I best attach the kitchen tap hose just after the stopcock? At the moment there is a pipe piece (I don’t know what this is called or what its purpose is) just after the stopcock, and on here there is a small hole that would seem to offer the potential to feed something (image 3) How would I do this?
I would then propose to attach a hose feeding the water softner at point A in image 1. The pipe at this point is an inch thick, and the water softner inlet uses this size, so we are fine. I would feed the water from the softner with a hose back to the main line at point B.
Issue 3
The water softner uses 1 inch hoses, but at point B in image 1 the pipe is 3/4 inch. Would I use a pipe reducer part for this?
Issue 4
Finally, I need to arrange the waste pipe and overflow pipe from the water softner to go somewhere. Looking at image 1, would I be able to take out part C to lower the whole u-bend, whilst getting another part D (single or twin connector for hoses) that could sit below the existing part D? In essence this would mean the whole u-bend would be shifted downwards (there is space for this). I would then attach the water softner waste pipe to the newly installed waste connector.
I’ll drill a hole in the wall to an outside drain for the overflow pipe.
Does this sound like a reasonable plan?
I’ve just moved into a new house with extremely hard water (437 PPM CaCO3), and I’m looking to install a water softener. I’d like to do this myself, not only to save money, but to become more self-sufficient with managing domestic jobs like this. I’ve done a bit of research on how to do it, but wanted to confirm my plan of action before I go wrecking my plumbing system.
I’ve bought a W2B800 (https://www.water2buy.com/shop/w2b800-water-softener/). This will be stored in a location within a metre or so of the kitchen sink (it’s way too big to put under there). In terms of plumbing in, image 1 shows what I am working with (ignore the letters for now). I’ll be drilling some holes in the kitchen cabinet to connect hoses and an overflow pipe from the under-sink plumbing to the water softener.
I need to place the softener down-stream of the kitchen sink cold water tap so that this can remain as the drinking water tap, which is problematic at the moment as the kitchen tap feed is downstream of the dishwasher, washing machine, and the spur which goes off to the rest of the house! I would need to move the kitchen tap feed to just after the stopcock. At the moment the kitchen tap feed has a hose that attaches to a terminal of copper pipe (image 2).
Issue 1
Once I remove the hose to the kitchen sink cold tap would I simply connect the washing machine feed directly to the tee at point A in image 2?
Issue 2
How can I best attach the kitchen tap hose just after the stopcock? At the moment there is a pipe piece (I don’t know what this is called or what its purpose is) just after the stopcock, and on here there is a small hole that would seem to offer the potential to feed something (image 3) How would I do this?
I would then propose to attach a hose feeding the water softner at point A in image 1. The pipe at this point is an inch thick, and the water softner inlet uses this size, so we are fine. I would feed the water from the softner with a hose back to the main line at point B.
Issue 3
The water softner uses 1 inch hoses, but at point B in image 1 the pipe is 3/4 inch. Would I use a pipe reducer part for this?
Issue 4
Finally, I need to arrange the waste pipe and overflow pipe from the water softner to go somewhere. Looking at image 1, would I be able to take out part C to lower the whole u-bend, whilst getting another part D (single or twin connector for hoses) that could sit below the existing part D? In essence this would mean the whole u-bend would be shifted downwards (there is space for this). I would then attach the water softner waste pipe to the newly installed waste connector.
I’ll drill a hole in the wall to an outside drain for the overflow pipe.
Does this sound like a reasonable plan?