Need help about a parallel pipe with the main pipe

[nk_aspire]

Need some help to understand an additional pipe and its reason which comes out from the main pipe and then joins back in to the same pipe but with a service valve in between .
I am looking for a good place to connect the water softener in my main pipe. I would like to keep the drinking water connected to main before softening .
I hv uploaded a picture also.
Any advice would be much appreciated.

nk

 

[Stoney Ground]

Looks like someone has had a water softener connected via the washing machine connections either side of balofix valve. Replace that hose with softener connections and close balofix bypass.

 

[Chester]

water softener? would expect ballerfix to be closed. where does the comes out here labelled pipe lead to? if it just loops it looks like there was a water softener piped up.

 

[Darren Jackson]

Another possible explanation is that the washing machine "T" valve may be faulty and does not shut off properly! And somebody may have just looped it back to prevent it from dripping instead of just putting a 3/4" blanking nut on it.

 

[nk_aspire]

Thanks for all your comments. The "comes out" and "goes in" is a loop and there is no appliance connected in between. Now it looks like I should be able to connect the softener with this loop . Just making sure I am not disturbing any vital mechanism with the water flow. Also in this case do I need to worry about the , would be, softener outlet being so close to the drinking outlet ?
Tx,
Nk

 

[jtsplumbing]

Take it your only using filter for drinking water ? all other cold taps will pass through softener, no problem drinking softened water unless you have certain problems or age, see instructions with unit.

 

[nk_aspire]

Most time we use from the drinking water pipe for drinking . But use cold water from other taps for other things like cooking. I wouldn't worry consuming softened water for the same purpose as now. But what i wasnt quite sure is whether the softener would leave anything unwanted back in its input pipe.
Tx,
Nk

 

[jtsplumbing]

Not quite sure what you mean ? any water in the mains water pipe will be untreated until it passes through the softener the untreated water will pass through the filter for drinking, but not every install requires a filter for drinking water it depends on your requirements , medical or age related things will determine if you need a filter or not.

 

[nk_aspire]

I think I am a bit over worrying but my concern is whether the softening system releases anything unwanted back in its input side particularly when water in its input pipe is still. And then this gets into the drinking water outlet upstream . Just a thought.