On Feb 2, 9:51*pm, Puckdropper puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:
" wrote :
On Feb 2, 7:34 pm, "Bob F" wrote:
Puckdropper wrote:
"Bob F" wrote in
:
Puckdropper wrote:
I've done some Google searching, checked the archives of this
group for relavent recent discussion, and have thus far come up
with nothing useful.
We have a water softener and dehumidifier that drain in to the
sump pump. The sump pump output pipe froze, causing the discharge
from the softener regeneration to back up into the basement.
I'm looking for a high water alarm that can cut the power to
these devices in case something happens again.
Does anyone know of such a thing?
Since it has plenty of pressure behind it, why not plumb the
softener directly out with its own downsloaping drain? Make sure
that any pipe exposed to freezing temps is as short as possible
and flows only downward to the outlet, and is well insulated.
The output froze up outside, where a length of PVC takes the water
out away from the house, and for whatever reason a lengthy flexible
hose extends the output well in to the yard. The flexible hose
froz
e up
and the ice dammed the PVC pipe.
The idea about plumbing the softener directly out is a good one,
but in the case the same thing would have happened.
You really need a continuously downslopeing drain, so that all the
water
drains
out after the flow, before the pipe has a chance to freeze up. As
long as
*there
is very little ice in the pipe, the next water flow should quickly
melt i
t and
the pipe should not plug up. Non-metal pipe should help (low thermal
mass
),
insulation should help (more time to drain before it freezes). Avoid
corr
ugated
pipe that will hold water, and any up slope along the way.- Hide
quoted t
ext -
- Show quoted text -
*had this problem from a sump in garage near garage door. sump
collects driveway water
Solved permantely years ago, at least 10
Removed check valve from pump, ran sump exit line 2 inch to 4 inch 3
feet deep underground line.
Water goes up and falls a foot into the underground line sloping to
street.
At NO POINT can any water lay where it ever freezes.
The key is oversized lines
I'm not sure an underground line would be feasable at this point, but
transitioning to a 4" pipe immediately after the 2" pipe exits the house
would be. *The natural heat of the house would keep the pipe from
freezing at that point, and the larger pipe wouldn't fill with water
after one or two pumpings.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Puckdropper
--
On Usenet, no one can hear you laugh. *That's a good thing, though, as
some writers are incorrigible.
To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
This or similar may be a good and easy solution. It's a device that
provides an alternate emergency path for the water near where it exits
the house in the event that the regular line becomes blocked.
http://www.basementsystemscolorado.c...ceguard_denver
Also, if I had a sump that was also the discharge for the water
softener, or a sump that is essential to keeping the basement dry, I'd
have a backup sump.] pump set at a sligthly higher level. Possibly
battery backup deoending on situation. I think all these are better
than a system to shut down the water softener, as it gives you
coverage for groundwater too.