There were several aspects of the original water softener installation at the Little House in the Woods that I didn’t like, but when several of the fittings started leaking I knew it was time to re-do the entire installation.
The original installation was clearly installed at the convenience of the plumber literally without ANY consideration of the impact on the Homeowner. In the original installation the Salt tank, which needs to be loaded periodically with heavy bags of salt was positioned inside a wall formed by the Water Softener drain pipe – inexplicably plumbed at knee level an stretching across the region in which both the heavy bags of salt needed to be transported, but also the access to service the Water Pressure tank and pump fittings.
But the most ridiculous aspect of the installation is that the control panel, from which the home owner can make adjustments to the Water Softener cycles or even do something as mundane as correcting the time of day after a loss of power, was positioned directly behind the supporting wood post! You couldn’t read the panel or make any adjustments! TOTALLY STUPID!!!
Anyway, the fact that the system was leaking, caused by even more stupid or careless installation practices, was motivation enough for me to replace it. So, here we are, the original with all its warts and the new setup…
-
- Original Installation. Note the water softener drain pipe barracading access to the Salt Tank and the Pressure Tank.
-
- Here is how the Water Softener Control panel was positioned! Yes, the panel is about 1/4″ from the wood post holding up the water softener!
-
- Close up of the stack up of plumbing fittings connecting the Water Softener. There’s a reason code doesn’t allow metal male fittings connecting to plastic female fittings… THEY LEAK!
-
- Here is the new installation! Salt Tank is now closer to the door and isn’t barracaded by the drain pipe.
-
- Front of Water Softener is now accessible and the fittings meet code.
Finally, if you look closely at the new photos, you’ll notice a few additional items:
- A water meter just past the pump cutoff – this meter has an electrical contact to register each gallon of water used…
- A Water Filter to clean up the sediment from the silty well we have here. The previous installation didn’t have a filter and the Salt Tank was absolutely filthy with sediment!
- A tap to electronically measure water pressure just after the Water Softener. Will help monitor pump performance and if the filter is getting clogged.
- A couple of additional taps that will be used to monitor the water hardness so that we can cycle the water softener when its needed, rather than some arbitrary timing cycle… More on these new features in a later post.
Pingback: Water Monitor Project Completed | TWStud's Musings