I have a few questions about my water treatment setup.

I currently have it set up with 3/4" copper > shut off valve (hard water) > sediment filter > water softener > shut off valve (soft water). Im using compression fittings for the filter and they have leaked in the past. If they leak again, I have to ditch the current setup.

Because of space and not wanting to solder in direct proximity to my softener valve it would be much easier for me to hook up the sediment filter a few feet from where the water enters the house... prior to the first shutoff described above. About 50' away from the softener.

Then instead of using compression fittings, sharkbites or a soldered union for the filter in the cramped setup above... I can simply use male adapters on a straight piece of pipe.

Is it acceptable or out of the ordinary to have the sediment filter so far aways from the water softener?

How long should the length of pipe soldered into each male adapter be to safely solder a coupling without melting the housing?

Is it standard to have a bypass around a water filter?

Its a large 10" or 12" housing. Is it a bad idea to have it support by the length of straight pipe? There would be nothing to attach the L shaped bracket too.

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.



Edited 1 times.

The distance of the filter is immaterial. You solder the tubing into the male adapters and THEN screw them in to the filter unit. If done correctly, it is always a good idea to have a bypass, assuming the filter does not have one built in, so it can be serviced or removed without disrupting the water supply to the house.

As Hj said, solder the male adapter first, then attach to your softener. When you attach the coupling, I would use a minimum of 4" of copper and attach a pair of vice grips next to the male adapter to act as a heat sink to protect the plastic. Obviously, a longer pipe is always better when it comes to heat loss because it has more surface area. As for your sediment filter, I would just attempt to place it somewhere that the excess spilled water will run to a drain. Make sure to support the weight sufficiently.

"attach a pair of vice grips next to the male adapter to act as a heat sink to protect the plastic"

I wished someone would have told me that before... I assume that's good advice for any soldering in proximity to valves, plastic etc? What about nearby solder joints... better wet rag in that case?

How would I support the filter head if its between two ceiling joists?

Adding structural lumber to provide anchor points would be the fastest, cheapest, and most effective way. This is normally in a basement and the floor joists are on a 16" center, so adding a couple pieces of 2x6x14.5" would be the way to go. Check with a tape measure first, don't take my word for it; crooked lumber and sloppy construction can get you some off the wall variations.