Air Lock Considerations

[Jupiter01]

Hi Guys,

I'm planning to cut into the 22mm pipe that goes from my water mains up to the hot water cylinder (megaflo) as I want to install a liquid softener and also include new pipe arrangements for water filters.

Q. When I cut into this, and then reconnect it all up, am I likely to have an airlock and how do I resolve this?

If your interested, I am planning to do the following..

 

[Doggit]

If I've understood your diagram, then you've got the water filter after the water softener, but it needs to be before it - that's assuming that the filters are for the drinking water.

You'd cut into the pipework, and fit a T piece to go to the water softener, then you'd fit a tap, then another T piece for the return from the softener. Now unless your softener has got isolation taps on it, then you need to fit these into flow and return pipes. In this way, you are able to turn off the original pipe and divert the flow through the softener, or isolate the softener, and open up the new tap when you need to do maintenance on it.

But you shouldn't get an airlock when you do it.

 

[Jupiter01]

Thanks. Someone mentioned that the softener should do the whole house and filters should be on drinking water. Hence the proposed design? I also though it would be good to filter the softened water before drinking.

 

[Doggit]

I also though it would be good to filter the softened water before drinking.

Now have I understood that properly, you're proposing to filter the softened water so that you can drink it. Not a good idea. You haven't mentioned the type of softener you're using, but as most are salt based, that's why you filter the drinking water (that's if you want to, as it's not necessary), and then soften it for the rest of the house.

 

[Jupiter01]

I'm planning to use a liquid based softener. It's called minidue. This is safe for drinking but I want filtered drinking water. Yes, this will mean that I am filtering softened water. Is there an issue with that?

it's very difficult for me to have a branch which delivers unsoftened water to the filters which then delver it to the drinking tap. The pipe run labelled for the "kitchen" in my diagram feeds the washing machine, dishwasher and the tap. I want the appliances to benefit from the softened water, albeit filtered too! How's that?


thanks for your help.

 

[Doggit]

I've no experience of the liquid based softeners, but I have heard they're expensive to run, and not so effective as the salt based type. A 1Kg pouch of softener will handle 44CuMetres of water, so have a look at your usage, and then work out how much it will costs you a year.

Nothing wrong with you filtering the softened water, if it's the liquid based, you just wouldn't do it with salt based softened water. No point in filtering the washing machine water whatsoever, that's a complete waste, and you'll go through filters much quicker.

 

[Jupiter01]

thanks for getting back to me. Based on my water usage, I estimate £90 worth of liquid. It may not be as effective as the salt based alternative but I have space constraints but have also read positive things about this.

I've also noted your point on filter use as the filtered water will be used by washing machine and dishwasher but the filters are cheap as chips from screwfix so not too concerned. Again, little choice due to how the pipe runs are configured.

Feel free to add to these thoughts and thanks for your advice