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Why air gap use is important. Books, the use of air gap devices in the water conditioning installation is currently on a voluntary basis in many, it seems. System installers will typically dangle the end of the softener drain line above a floor. Water Softener Air Gaps (Gap-It) AG140-002 Water Softener Air Gaps (Gap-It) AG150-001 General Purpose Inline Air Gap (Gap-A-Flo) AG110-001 Reverse Osmosis Air Gaps (Gap-A-RO) ET109-XXX Reverse Osmosis Drain Line Adapters. ET112-XXX Reverse Osmosis Drain Line Adapters. ET116-XXX Reverse Osmosis Drain Line Adapter.
Fittings. Parts & Accessories. Pumps & Motors. Plumbing. Filter Housings & Components. More. The Mr Drain MD-10A Air Gap features the ability to share a 1-1/2' to 2' metal or PVC standpipe with a drain hose or metal drain hook.
This air gap is designed to work with water softeners and some kidney dialysis units. Air gaps are critical because they allow an 'air gap' between the drain hose and the drain itself to prevent back siphoning. The manufacturer recommends one MD-10A for usage between 1 to 7 GPM.
Two Mr Drain air gap units can be installed back to back in a 2' standpipe if higher GPM is needed. The Mr Drain Air Gap protects against backflow and back siphonage. The MD-10A is dual listed with NSF and UPC. Applications:. Water softeners & dialysis machines. Standpipes: 1-1/2' to 2'.
Inlet port fits 1/2' sch 40 PVC slip fittings. Housing Length: Approxiamately 5-1/2' (13.97 cm). Recommended Usage: 1 to 7 GPM (3.7 to 26.5 Liters/minute). Lab Tested: 15 G.P.M (56.8 Liters/minute). Certified: NSF and IAPMO (UPC) NOTE: MegaMicrobes MML Organic Waste Digester is ideal to have nearby the air gap for maintenance purposes. MegaMicrobes utilizes 'friendly' bacteria to eat through the grease, fats, oils, food, and waste that causes blockages in your plumbing.
This drain cleaner is all natural and meets the U.S. EPA Safer Product Standards. The Mr Drain MD-10A Air Gap features the ability to share a 1-1/2' to 2' metal or PVC standpipe with a drain hose or metal drain hook. This air gap is designed to work with water softeners and some kidney dialysis units.
Air gaps are critical because they allow an 'air gap' between the drain hose and the drain itself to prevent back siphoning. The manufacturer recommends one MD-10A for usage between 1 to 7 GPM. Two Mr Drain air gap units can be installed back to back in a 2' standpipe if higher GPM is needed. The Mr Drain Air Gap protects against backflow and back siphonage.
The MD-10A is dual listed with NSF and UPC. Applications:. Water softeners & dialysis machines. Standpipes: 1-1/2' to 2'. Inlet port fits 1/2' sch 40 PVC slip fittings. Housing Length: Approxiamately 5-1/2' (13.97 cm). Recommended Usage: 1 to 7 GPM (3.7 to 26.5 Liters/minute).
Lab Tested: 15 G.P.M (56.8 Liters/minute). Certified: NSF and IAPMO (UPC) NOTE: MegaMicrobes MML Organic Waste Digester is ideal to have nearby the air gap for maintenance purposes. MegaMicrobes utilizes 'friendly' bacteria to eat through the grease, fats, oils, food, and waste that causes blockages in your plumbing. This drain cleaner is all natural and meets the U.S.
EPA Safer Product Standards.
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This site is free, ad free, pop-up free and made possible. Air Gap Device for Water Softener Author: explorer716 (FL) I have purchased a new water softener. The softener is in the garage and the brine drain line goes through the garage wall and connects outside into a 4' clean out plug into the sewer line. The brine drain line is black and made of either hard rubber or plastic. The drain line is 1/2' ID and 3/4' OD. It connects to the plastic clean out plug using an adapter that fits between the brine drain line and the clean out plug. I need an air gap device and fittings to prevent vapor lock and backflow.
![Water Water](http://www.betterairgap.com/images/va2.jpg)
Any recommendations on what I should purchase and its installation will be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, explorer716. Re: Air Gap Device for Water Softener Author: hj (AZ) You are NOT going to get 'vapor lock' and unless the drain line is for some upstairs plumbing there is nothing which can 'backflow' into it. Even if there were backflow, the dynamics of drainlines would almost preclude any backflow to the softener, and if there were the design of the control valve would NOT allow the water to enter the water stream, (if for no other reason than that the water is under at least 50 psi and the drain line has almost NO pressure). Re: Air Gap Device for Water Softener Author: Wheelchair (IL) And to those who are overburden with lots of money to spend, such an air gap device does exist for your money. Any plumbing business that sells BackFlow Preventers, also have air gap devices.
The air gap should provide 2-1/2 times the size of the drain pipe. So with an 1/2 inch brine line, your air gap should no less than 1-1/2 inches of air gap.
Keep in mind that once the air gap device is installed. You will be exposing your storage area to natural sewer gases. Consider the worse of 2 evils. Re: Air Gap Device for Water Softener Author: vic (CA) Installing a direct connection from the brine discharge to a main drain is generally against plumbing code. Also something to recognize is that if you connect the discharge directly without an airgap and you have a complete or partial stoppage down the line that in the middle of the night (which is when most softeners are set to recycle) or when you aren't home you could end up seeing many gallons being discharged out of a different fixture such as toilet, sink, shower.
Generally the softener is installed in the garage (such as yours) or in other areas that should the drain overflow it might not be as damaging as water pouring inside of the house. One time a long time ago I was called out at 1 or 2am in the morning to a restaurant where water was gushing onto the floor in their men's bathroom. Honestly this really happened. The water was gushing out of the two urinals. It turned out to be that their newly installed water softener drain had been directly connected to a drain without an airgap and they had a partial stoppage in their drain.
A p-trap and vent (basically a standpipe similar to laundry) plus an airgap is 'best' for the discharge of a water softener. See at: Edited 1 times. Re: Air Gap Device for Water Softener Author: bernabeu (SC) yes - an air gap IS REQUIRED generally the drain would discharge into a funnel above the floor drain however, if you have a laundry service sink or a washing machine 'wall box' they could be used as the drain point any 'air gapped' connection to a sanitary drain would REQUIRE a trap to prevent the outflow of sewer gasses sorry - plumbing actually does require skilled tradespeople to be done PROPERLY the fact that it may cost more than you were told is NOT OUR ISSUE = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638 Measure Twice & Cut Once. Re: Air Gap Device for Water Softener Author: jblanche (WI) If I remember the terms correctly, code in WI requires either an air GAP, or an air BREAK and a vent. At one time I had a page of examples from a trade publication that a plumber had sent me. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find that.
In my case from the back of the softener there is a union to a CPVC tee oriented vertically. The top of the tee is connected to a standpipe about 12' tall. That's the vent part. The bottom of the tee connects to a 5/8 ID vinyl tube that discharges to a floor drain grate.
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