I have a mysterious issue that has gone on for years where completely randomly sewage will back up through the floor drain pipe thing in my laundry room. Someone is coming next week to cam down from the upstairs toilet and possibly up through the vent. But that’s for another post.

We had a new water softener installed a month or two ago. This is the first time the back up has happened since then. The water softener drains down that pipe. Now I’m paranoid that it backed up into the softener. I posted on Facebook an sos and one plumber saw my picture and said that it was not plumbed correctly snd to bypass the softener. But my husband called the people who installed it and they came out to look and said everything was done right and that there no way anything went into the softener. Now I’m a germaphobe spaz so this conflicting info is not sitting well with me.

How can I confirm we can use and drink the water and it’s not contaminated without getting the water tested?

I have a photo of the set up but have no idea how to post it here. But the softener has two parts. And then a skinny black tube leading to an air gap leading down to pvc when goes into the pvc coming out of the floor. The pvc to pvc is a snug fit but it steal seeped out around it. We “flushe” softener I think. Or we did the opposite and it recharged. (It’s new still not familiar with it) we also bypassed the softener for mental comfort but the plumber that came yesterday set it back and said “it’s fine I promise” but the other plumber said it wasn’t! Help!

if the softener drains via an air GAP you are safe (drain pipe ABOVE and separated by air from an open fitting)

an air break is not code compliant (drain pipe INTO an open fitting)


AIR GAP: GOOD


AIR BREAK: BAD

It is definitely the second one.

The tube going into the hole does then go up the wall has an air gap attached to the top. And then has a smaller pipe running from the air gap to the softener

the location of the air gap matters not


its EXISTANCE preventing a 'cross connection' between sewage and potable is the important thing


water and sewage flow downhill


picture a water main break and siphonage at the same time as a sewage stoppage - the air gap prevents backflow of sewage



your connection with an air gap on top AND an air break lower down sounds perfect

post a picture or else we are just guessing.

I cross posted it on Reddit. Here is that post with a picture. I don’t know how to post a picture here.

[www.reddit.com]

what they used looks very similar to this....

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/[s3.amazonaws.com]

Which is a code approved air gap for water softeners etc.

You have a code compliant air GAP.

Sewage can NOT enter the softener.

It is both compliant and safe.

however

The bottom fitting near the floor should NOT have leaked.


YOU HAVE UNCONTAMINATED WATER SAFE FOR DRINKING, COOKIN, BATHING

You ALSO have/had sewage on the floor.

soooo ...... both plumbers were correct