# Does a water softener discharge enough condensate to fill the trap? **URL:** \ **Category:** Plumbing Inspections\ **Created:** [December 6, 2007, 6:37am UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592 "2007-12-06T06:37:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kshepard](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/user_avatar/forum.nachi.org/kshepard/32/59504_2.png) [@kshepard](https://forum.nachi.org/u/kshepard)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 6:37am UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/1 "2007-12-06T06:37:19Z")
Does a water softener put out enough condensate to keep the trap of a 3" ABS pipe filled (the seal intact)? ---
**Author:** ![klott](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/user_avatar/forum.nachi.org/klott/32/59_2.png) [@klott](https://forum.nachi.org/u/klott)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 6:50am UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/2 "2007-12-06T06:50:27Z")
I don’t know about that Kenton. How are you? Have you made any progress with the Log Home Inspection course yet? Merry Christmas, Ken ---
**Author:** ![kshepard](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/user_avatar/forum.nachi.org/kshepard/32/59504_2.png) [@kshepard](https://forum.nachi.org/u/kshepard)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 7:02am UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/3 "2007-12-06T07:02:52Z")
Doing well thanks, Ken. Four-page rough outline, a honkin’ big pile of downloads, books here and on the way, photos to organize/find and a dozen people to call when as the time comes. The slower you write, the faster the piles and lists grow and the bigger the project gets. It’s a race. The faster you try to write, the more the phone rings for inspections. Not complaining about that, though! Spose to be done by the end of December, but I don’t know about that… ---
**Author:** ![jpope](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/user_avatar/forum.nachi.org/jpope/32/59425_2.png) [@jpope](https://forum.nachi.org/u/jpope)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 7:03am UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/4 "2007-12-06T07:03:14Z")
Most of these systems produce large quantities of waste water, especially the RO type. ---
**Author:** ![kshepard](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/user_avatar/forum.nachi.org/kshepard/32/59504_2.png) [@kshepard](https://forum.nachi.org/u/kshepard)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 7:12am UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/5 "2007-12-06T07:12:59Z")
I don’t think any of these were RO, RO requires a separate tank to store filtered water, and that tank to the left is the pressure tank for the well. It was impossible to tell for sure what they were. One was certainly a silt filter and one was probably a charcoal filter, neither of which produce any extra water, so it all has to come from the softener. ---
**Author:** ![klott](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/user_avatar/forum.nachi.org/klott/32/59_2.png) [@klott](https://forum.nachi.org/u/klott)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 7:38am UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/6 "2007-12-06T07:38:38Z")
> [@kshepard](#): > > Doing well thanks, Ken. Four-page rough outline, a honkin’ big pile of downloads, books here and on the way, photos to organize/find and a dozen people to call when as the time comes. The slower you write, the faster the piles and lists grow and the bigger the project gets. It’s a race. The faster you try to write, the more the phone rings for inspections. Not complaining about that, though! > Spose to be done by the end of December, but I don’t know about that… take your time,better to be done right than fast, if there is anything I can do to help let me know, I’m looking forward to it. ---
**Author:** ![mlarson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/user_avatar/forum.nachi.org/mlarson/32/89225_2.png) [@mlarson](https://forum.nachi.org/u/mlarson)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 11:44am UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/7 "2007-12-06T11:44:00Z")
> [@kshepard](#): > > Does a water softener put out enough condensate to keep the trap of a 3" ABS pipe filled (the seal intact)? Yes they do Kenton. Each cycle: ( Backwash, Brine, and Rinse) Sends multiple gallons of waste water down the drain. ---
**Author:** ![fcarrio](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/user_avatar/forum.nachi.org/fcarrio/32/1571_2.png) [@fcarrio](https://forum.nachi.org/u/fcarrio)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 12:19pm UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/8 "2007-12-06T12:19:46Z")
> [@mlarson](#): > > Yes they do Kenton. Each cycle: ( Backwash, Brine, and Rinse) Sends _ **multiple gallons** _ of waste water down the drain. \*\*I have one in my house so I agree with Mikey!😛 \*\* ---
**Author:** ![mlarson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/user_avatar/forum.nachi.org/mlarson/32/89225_2.png) [@mlarson](https://forum.nachi.org/u/mlarson)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/9 "2007-12-06T15:32:05Z")
> [@fcarrio](#): > > \*\*I have one in my house so I agree with Mikey!😛 \*\* OK Frankyboy:p:p My dad installed water softeners for what used to be Lindsay(now Ecowater) for years. I used to ride along and learned to install and repair them too.😃 ---
**Author:** ![jgilleland](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/user_avatar/forum.nachi.org/jgilleland/32/1326_2.png) [@jgilleland](https://forum.nachi.org/u/jgilleland)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 7:02pm UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/10 "2007-12-06T19:02:15Z")
Is (and it looks like it) this 4" line indirectly discharging into the trap? If so the line should have a trap where the waste water enters the sanitary. Since it is indirect is there anything else dumping into it? ---
**Author:** ![mlarson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/user_avatar/forum.nachi.org/mlarson/32/89225_2.png) [@mlarson](https://forum.nachi.org/u/mlarson)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 8:02pm UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/11 "2007-12-06T20:02:17Z")
There should also be an air-gap at the drain line discharge to waste connection. ---
**Author:** ![kshepard](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/user_avatar/forum.nachi.org/kshepard/32/59504_2.png) [@kshepard](https://forum.nachi.org/u/kshepard)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 10:22pm UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/12 "2007-12-06T22:22:09Z")
Black rubber (1" I think) flexible tubing went from water softener to the ABS waste pipe (which I thought was 3") and was just stuck into one end (see photo). Waste traveled to above-ground septic and had a trap installed in-line just before it entered the tank. Not knowing what kinds of water filters (in photo in post #6) were installed, I was afraid the softener might not discharge enough to keep the trap filled. So it’s not condensate but by-product of backwashing filters? ---
**Author:** ![mlarson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/user_avatar/forum.nachi.org/mlarson/32/89225_2.png) [@mlarson](https://forum.nachi.org/u/mlarson)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 11:03pm UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/13 "2007-12-06T23:03:31Z")
Yes. [SEE THIS](http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/how_your_house_works/1275126.html) ---
**Author:** ![kshepard](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/user_avatar/forum.nachi.org/kshepard/32/59504_2.png) [@kshepard](https://forum.nachi.org/u/kshepard)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 12:27am UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/14 "2007-12-07T00:27:45Z")
> [@mlarson](#): > > Yes. [SEE THIS](http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/how_your_house_works/1275126.html) Thanks Michael, I understand that negatively-charged calcium and magnesium bond to positively-charged plastic beads in the mineral tank, but it looks like sodium is required to make them release their hold on the beads so that they can be backwashed away down the drain. The sodium comes from a brine tank, but I didn’t see a brine tank connected to this softener (same situation with other homes here occasionally). Just the softener and 4 filters. Is it possible that the mineral tank gets backflushed with fresh water from the well and that’s it… no brine involved? ---
**Author:** ![mgratton](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/user_avatar/forum.nachi.org/mgratton/32/58251_2.png) [@mgratton](https://forum.nachi.org/u/mgratton)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 2:43am UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/15 "2007-12-07T02:43:14Z")
> [@kshepard](#): > > The sodium comes from a brine tank, but I didn’t see a brine tank connected to this softener (same situation with other homes here occasionally). Just the softener and 4 filters. Is it possible that the mineral tank gets back flushed with fresh water from the well and that’s it… no brine involved? Its two tanks in one; the brine tank is on the outside of the pellet tank where the chemical reaction occur. It uses use about 75 gallons of fresh water to regenerate and some say that discharging into the septic could cause the septic to fail prematurely. The jury is still out on that one… ---
**Author:** ![kshepard](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/internachi/user_avatar/forum.nachi.org/kshepard/32/59504_2.png) [@kshepard](https://forum.nachi.org/u/kshepard)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 3:12am UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/16 "2007-12-07T03:12:29Z")
It’s not a normal septic. It’s an aerobic, above ground, sand filter tank. still, I guess it’s a matter of what effect calcium and magnesium have on bacterial action. It uses air entrainment to encourage bacterial action. ---
**Author:** ![fnewman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/90db22/32.png) [@fnewman](https://forum.nachi.org/u/fnewman)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 3:27pm UTC](https://forum.nachi.org/t/does-a-water-softener-discharge-enough-condensate-to-fill-the-trap/22592/17 "2007-12-21T15:27:32Z")
From the picture, it definitely looks like a softener, but like you, I am puzzled about the apparent lack of a brine tank which would definitely be required for softener regneration. Did you find one in another location?