Recently moved into a mid 70's built house in south Texas. The house was plumbed for a water softener with the connection in the garage.

Evidently this was a planned event as the structure has exterior spigots for both softened and regular water.

Am concerned by the lack of a drain anywhere in the garage. Would a drain not be required 10, 20, 30 years ago? Might there be an alternative method?

Seriously considering adding a water softening system to the house. Any dangers doing so after a previous unit that was removed perhaps decades earlier?

On Mon, 20 Jul 2015 16:43:35 -0700 (PDT), Chiefjim
wrote:

Recently moved into a mid 70's built house in south Texas. The house was plumbed for a water softener with the connection in the garage.

Evidently this was a planned event as the structure has exterior spigots for both softened and regular water.

Am concerned by the lack of a drain anywhere in the garage. Would a drain not be required 10, 20, 30 years ago? Might there be an alternative method?

Seriously considering adding a water softening system to the house. Any dangers doing so after a previous unit that was removed perhaps decades earlier?

Two places to look for a discharge drain line. One is if the softener
has a line through the garage wall that ties into the external sewer
line. A small sized line. Just barely covered outside by soil. The
other is if the discharge line is above the clothes washer drain where
the washer drains.

Chiefjim wrote:

Am concerned by the lack of a drain anywhere in the garage. Would a drain not be required 10, 20, 30 years ago? Might there be an alternative method?

If you are on a septic system, your local code may prohibit discharge of a
softener into the septic system. A dry well outside is the traditional solution.
Since they never installed a softener, they probably never drilled the well.
Surface discharge is a really bad idea if you wish to preserve nearby
vegitation.

Seriously considering adding a water softening system to the house. Any dangers doing so after a previous unit that was removed perhaps decades earlier?

What makes you think a previous system existed? The presence of separate taps
for hard and soft water is a pretty standard practice in new construction and
has been so for decades.

They only concern I would have is lime buildup on shower fixtures. That's easily
treatable and has no bearing on installation of a softener.