Hi there my house water filter backwashes every night into the sump,
which then pumps it out of the basement through a wall and out. I was
wondering if there is a reason why it doesn't just empty into the exit
pipe, instead of the sump. Is this to 'exercise' the sump pump? Or just
plaine wrong?

Thanks

Dean

On 10 May 2005 14:09:20 -0700, "dean" wrote:

Hi there my house water filter backwashes every night into the sump,
which then pumps it out of the basement through a wall and out. I was
wondering if there is a reason why it doesn't just empty into the exit
pipe, instead of the sump. Is this to 'exercise' the sump pump? Or just
plaine wrong?

Thanks

Dean
It all depends on where the sump pump is putting the water. If you have on site
septic, you probably don't want the backwash filling it every night. I used to
send the backwash into an old unused shallow well in the basement of the house
I lived in.

As far a public sewerage is concerned, I cannot attest as to how the
"authority" likes handling the extra water.

One thing that I did learn, after many years with that system was that it was
not necessary to run it every night. I think by the time we sold the house, the
backwash ran twice a week.


____________________
Bill Waller
New Eagle, PA

Sorry - I do have a septic system, but its completely independent of
that. The sump emptys down a hill onto the roadside, nowhere near the
septic field.

On 10 May 2005 18:16:14 -0700, "dean" wrote:

Sorry - I do have a septic system, but its completely independent of
that. The sump emptys down a hill onto the roadside, nowhere near the
septic field.

That is why the system evacuates the way it does. If it were piped into the
septic system, you would have real problems with the amount of water dumped
every night. As long as it does not have a negative impact on your yard, let it
be. :-)
You may, however, want to look at the possibility of reducing the number of
times a week you backwash.

____________________
Bill Waller
New Eagle, PA

"dean" wrote:

Sorry - I do have a septic system, but its completely independent of
that. The sump emptys down a hill onto the roadside, nowhere near the
septic field.

As long as it is plain water, you will be ok. If for example, it is a
water softener that is recharging, the water discarded is salty, which
would eventually kill any plants the discharge ends up on.

That's the usual way to use a sump for the drain discharge. To go into
the line from the sump pump would mean it would have to have a check
valve in it or the water would want to run downhill into the pump and
sump. If there were a check valve, then the drain water would have to
be capable of going up the line and then outside wherever and the
discharge water can only go up from the control valve on the filter a
few feet; usually not more than 5-6'. If you put it into the pump line,
every time the sump pump came on it would pressurize the control valve
drain line back to the control valve... thta's not good.

Any restriction in the free flow of the drain water causes insufficient
backwashing of the filter mineral/media which then causes the filter to
fail. So no check valve in the filter/softener drain line. So does less
often backwashes as opposed to more frequent backwashing. So don't go
changing the schedule unless you want to assume the risk of that. Us
filter/softener guys don't just pick numbers or frequency out of our
ear, the frequency depends on what and how much of it is to be filtered
and then how many gallons of water can be treated before a backwash (or
regeneration) is required. That normally depends on the number of
people in the household.

Also, a septic system that is operating correctly, will have no problem
with the supposed "extra" (wasted!) water. The filter is making bad
water good, so how's that wasting water? So says the latest and
repeated EPA research on softeners specifically. Actually, all 3-4
studies of the subject have said the same thing....

Gary
Quality Water Associates