Water Softener Bypass Valve Operation & Repair Guide
InspectAPedia® -
What is the bypass valve on a water softener, where is it?
How to use the water conditioner (softener) bypass valve
How to shut down or turn off a water softener - avoid leaks, wasted water when not in use
Which way do I push or turn the water softener bypass valve?
How to take a water softener temporarily out of service
Culligan water conditioner bypass valve operation
Kinetico water conditioner bypass valve operation
Questions & answers about how to put the water softener or water conditioner into bypass mode.
The water softener bypass valve: This article explains how to use & repair the water softener or water conditioner system bypass valve.
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Also see our advice on using the water conditioner bypass valve during winterizing or de-winterizing a water softener when taking steps to protect building plumbing from freezing. See these details on water softener bypass valve use at Winterize Water Softener & Treatment Equip and at Restoring Water Softener & Treatment Equip.
The articles at this website will answer most questions about freeze protection for piping and other building plumbing and heating system components: how to winterize a building to avoid frozen pipes, and how to thaw frozen water supply & drain piping, wells, & water tanks.
The water softener bypass valve is normally included as part of the control valve assembly on top of the water softener media tank (the smaller tank that handles the actual ion exchange that is the real work of a water softener).
If your water softener has a manual bypass valve (photo at page top and sketch at left), you can temporarily take the water softener "out of operation" - that is, you can put the the valve into bypass position so the water softener is not in the piping loop at all.
In the Culligan sketch at left the water conditionre bypass valve is that horizontal tube at the left side of the sketch. Culligan calls this the Cul-Flo-Valve® and suggest that when you are using the valve it should be pushed slowly. Pushing "in" the blue knob on the valve is turning the water conditioner "on" and allows water to enter and fill the media tank.
When the water softener is on "bypass" water used in the building is not passing through the water softener.
Bypassing the water softener and turning it off when the building water supply is not going to be in use removes one more possible source of freeze and or leak damage and it also isolates the water softener equipment from the rest of the building water supply piping.
The bypass valve shown above is operated simply by pushing in on the valve end whose valve stem is visible - or in the "out" position. Our pen is pointing to the valve stem. When you push horizontally on this bypass valve end (the black knob in our photo) the valve slides - in this case from right to left. You will see that a corresponding valve or knob on the other end of the bypass valve will move "outwards" at the same time.
Most water softener models using this "push-push" style of bypass valve include colored knobs on each end of the valve as well as text on the knob that indicates whether or not the valve is in "on" position or "bypass" position.
Restoring the water softener to use or operation
To restore the water softener bypass valve back to its prior position (such as restoring the water softener to in-use) simply push on the now protruding knob found on the other end or other "side" of the bypass valve.
Leaky or "Stuck" Water Softener Bypass Valves
In our experience these manual bypass valves work pretty well on most water softeners, but on occasion we find one that is leaking. Usually the valve was just fine (not leaky) until we disturbed it. You may need to ask for bypass valve repair assistance from a water conditioner service company, but a few repair details below may help.
Lubricate the water softener bypass valve? The bypass valve on a Culligan™ water softener (and probably most others) connects to the back of the main control valve assembly with two screws.
If the valve is difficult to operate it may need lubrication. Inside are o-rings that permit the valve to operate without leaking.
If these parts appear to need lubrication, use a silicone-based lubricant, not a petroleum-based lubricant which could damage the control.
Leaky Water Softener Bypass Valve? the bypass valve shown in this sketch from a Culligan water softener installation manual includes replaceable o-rings that may be needed if your bypass valve is leaky.
Rotating Bypass Valves on Water Conditioners - Water Softeners
Other water softening equipment may not use the Push-Push type of bypass valve we illustrated above on Culligan Equipment.
The Kinetico water conditioning equipment Mach Series uses a rotating bypass valve shown in our photo (left).
Look closely at the photo (click to enlarge) and you'll see red and green labeling instructions that explain which way this valve is turned to place this water conditioning equipment on "bypass" and which direction the valve is turned to restore it to operation.
See that white arrow to the right of the valve handle (the handle is in a "vertical position)? The tiny green arrow showing in the window pointed-to by the white arrow shows that this unit is in operation.
If the bypass valve is turned until the yellow arrow is showing in the indicator window, this water softener is in "bypass" position.
Autotrol Water Conditioner Bypass Valves
Some water conditionres such as the Autotrol Series 255 use a different (and optional) bypass valve that has two individual knobs that must be turned to switch between in-service and bypass modes - shown at below-left.
The sketch at above left shows the optional Autotrol Series 255 Valve / 460i bypass valve. Adapters are available to permit connections to various sizes of copper, NPT (threaded), plastic, and brass water piping.
The second sketch (above right) shows the position of the Autotrol bypass valve handles when the water softener is placed in service "Not in Bypass" and "out of service "In Bypass".
Remember that if an additional external manual bypass valve is "open" (on bypass or in bypass) you will need to also close that valve when the water softener is returned to service ("off bypass"). See Piping for Manual Water Softener Bypass Valves
Piping for Manual Water Softener Bypass Valves
As this sketch from a Culligan water conditioner installation manual shows, a water conditioner, or any water treatment equipment for that matter, can be installed with piping that includes a manual bypass valve (top center in the sketch). We use this piping arrangement at water filters, for example, not just water conditioners.
The small cost of installing that extra manual bypass valve (and the two service valves shown as outlet valve and inlet valve in Culligan's sketch) means that you can service, repair, or even completely remove the water softener (or other water treatment equipment) when needed, without interrupting water supply to the building.
The Outlet valve and Inlet valve are both closed (turned clockwise) and the bypass valve is opened to achieve this condition.
Watch out: do not leave off the water softener indefinitely. As we explained at SOFTENER ADJUSTMENT & CONTROLS, a water softener is not there just for fun.
If your water is hard and you leave the water conditioner off completely, you can expect to face expensive plumbing repairs when the water supply piping, water heater, or tankless coil become clogged with minerals.
[An exception might be if your building is converted from using a private well with hard high-mineral content water to a municipal water supply hookup whose water is low in mineral content. In that case you might no longer need the water conditioner.]
What About Turning off Electricity to the Softener to put it temporarily out of service?
What's the difference between using the water softener bypass valve and simply pulling the (electrical) plug to turn off power to a water conditioner?
Functionally either step is about the same, but when you turn off electrical power (or pull the plug) to a water softener, water is still passing through the equipment. So, for example, if your water softener is leaky and needs repair, or if you are shutting down the system in order to clean it, you might be better off using the bypass valve to stop water from flowing through the system.
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Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.
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North Dakota Standards for Water Softeners, North Dakota General Authority Law, Chapter 62-04-08, Water Softener Units http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/62-04-08.pdf. "The objective of this chapter is to provide a standard of quality, capacity,
and performance for water softener units. Water softener performance
is to be based upon referee tests procedures described in section
62-04-08-09."
Culligan Mark 10 Water Softener 1994-1998 Installation and Operating Instructions (covering models manufactured after 1995) (1-96) 01881948.pdf available from www.culligan.com
Water Softeners, CMHC, Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/maho/wawa/wawa_005.cfm - October 2008. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation acknowledges the contribution of Health Canada to the development of this document. For further questions regarding water treatment and water quality, contact Health Canada at watereau@hc-sc.gc.ca or call 613-957-2991 or 1-866-225-0709.
"Commercial Water Softener Installation and Operating Instructions", IBC Filtration & Water Treatment Products (Australia) for commercial, industrial and residential application www.ibcwater.com.au (07) 3219 2233
"Non electric water softener,
Installation and Operating Instructions", IBC Filtration & Water Treatment Products (Australia), op.cit.
"Water Softener Twin Tank Installation and Operating Instructions", IBC Filtration & Water Treatment Products (Australia), op.cit.
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
Advanced Onsite Wastewater Systems Technologies, Anish R. Jantrania, Mark A. Gross. Anish Jantrania, Ph.D., P.E., M.B.A., is a Consulting Engineer, in Mechanicsville VA, 804-550-0389
(2006), Advanced Onsite Wastewater Systems Technologies.
Outstanding technical reference especially on alternative septic system design alternatives. Written for designers and engineers, this book is not at all easy going
for homeowners but is a text we recommend for professionals--DF.
Builder's Guide to Wells and Septic Systems, Woodson, R. Dodge: $ 24.95; MCGRAW HILL B; TP;
Quoting from Amazon's description: For the homebuilder, one mistake in estimating or installing wells and septic systems can cost thousands of dollars. This comprehensive guide filled with case studies can prevent that. Master plumber R. Dodge Woodson packs this reader-friendly guide with guidance and information, including details on new techniques and materials that can economize and expedite jobs and advice on how to avoid mistakes in both estimating and construction. Chapters cover virtually every aspect of wells and septic systems, including on-site evaluations; site limitations; bidding; soil studies, septic designs, and code-related issues; drilled and dug wells, gravel and pipe, chamber-type, and gravity septic systems; pump stations; common problems with well installation; and remedies for poor septic situations. Woodson also discusses ways to increase profits by avoiding cost overruns.
Country Plumbing: Living with a Septic System, Hartigan, Gerry: $ 9.95; ALAN C HOOD & TP;
Quoting an Amazon reviewer's comment, with which we agree--DF:This book is informative as far as it goes and might be most useful for someone with an older system. But it was written in the early 1980s. A lot has changed since then. In particular, the book doesn't cover any of the newer systems that are used more and more nowadays in some parts of the country -- sand mounds, aeration systems, lagoons, etc.
Design Manuals for Septic Systems
US EPA Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Manual [online copy, free] Top Reference: US EPA's Design Manual for Onsite Wastewater Treatment and Disposal, 1980, available from the US EPA, the US GPO Superintendent of Documents (Pueblo CO), and from the National Small Flows Clearinghouse. Original source http://www.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/Pubs/625R00008/625R00008.htm Onsite wastewater treatment and disposal systems,
Richard J Otis, published by the US EPA. Although it's more than 20 years old, this book remains a useful reference for septic system designers.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water Program Operations; Office of Research and Development, Municipal Environmental Research Laboratory; (1980)
"International Private Sewage Disposal Code," 1995, BOCA-708-799-2300, ICBO-310-699-0541, SBCCI 205-591-1853, available from those code associations.
"Manual of Policy, Procedures, and Guidelines for Onsite Sewage Systems," Ontario Reg. 374/81, Part VII of the Environmental
Protection Act (Canada), ISBN 0-7743-7303-2, Ministry of the Environment,135 St. Clair Ave. West, Toronto Ontario M4V 1P5 Canada $24. CDN.
Manual of Septic Tank Practice, US Public Health Service's 1959.
Greywater System Books
The New Create an Oasis With Greywater, Art Ludwig; Buy New: $14.25. Ludwig is one of the most thoughtful, prolific, and sometimes controversial writers on gray water systems and alternative designs. We recommend his book as clear, easy-to-understand writing aimed at property owners who want or need to consider a graywater installation to conserve water, recycle water, reduce water use, or to reduce the load on their septic system. This is the latest edition of this Art Ludwig's greywater design book classic.
Builder's Greywater Guide, Art Ludwig; Buy New: $10.17. Installation of Greywater Systems in New Construction & Remodeling; A Supplement to the Book "Create an Oasis With Greywater" (Paperback).
Quoting a review from Amazon: I recommend that you get the 3 companion books on greywater treatment "Create an Oasis", "Branched Drain Greywater Systems" and "Builder's Greywater Guide". The information in these volumes will keep most of us far more informed than most of the regulators, the system builders, and the experts-in-theory. These volumes are real-world gems.
Art Ludwig has cut to the core of wastewater issues. He's obviously done all of his homework, mulled-over the variables, and come up with a common sense, economically reasonable, environmentally responsible approach to wastewater. I expect to save money that I would have spent on a post-septic tank, aerobic unit that would seemingly have been ecologically responsible; but because of the technological overkill, ultimately that system would have defeated my altruistic environmental concerns.
... These books talk the talk and walk the walk better than anything else that I've seen. Buy a set for yourself, a set for your neighbors, and a set for the regulators.
Branched Drain Greywater Systems [superseded by "The New Create an Oasis with Greywater"], Art Ludwig. If you already have this book but are in the process of installing new gray water systems you should take a look at the newer
edition listed first above in this section of our Greywater book recommendations.
You may prefer the newest edition, but there is great information in this older version, perhaps all you need, and these copies are
sold at very low prices - an aid to people of limited means.
Rainwater Catchment Systems for Domestic Supply: Design, Construction and Implementation,
Erik Nissen-Petersen, John Gould. (Mr. Ludwig, while much appreciated, is not the only author providing really useful design guides for graywater systems--DF)
Quoting from an Amazon review: This book reviews the art of roof and ground catchment systems for rainwater. The water collected can be used for household or other purposes. The designs are aimed for individuals with limited access to electricity and/or civic water utilities. The text includes drawings, photographs and step-by-step instructions.
One might say the book is really written for the 'aid worker' since it also considers ethnic and gender issues that would be 'obvious' to the future owners of the the systems.
Guidelines on rainwater catchment systems for Hawaii, (CTAHR resource management publication)
Patricia S. H Macomber. This more technical document may be especially helpful for rainwater collection and recycling systems for climates
where there is heavy rainfall such as demonstrated for Hawaii.
Design for Water: Rainwater Harvesting, Stormwater Catchment, and Alternate Water Reuse, Heather Kinkade-Levario. Quoting from Amazon's review: Design for Water is an accessible and clearly written guide to alternate water collection, with a focus on rainwater harvesting in the urban environment. The book:
Outlines the process of water collection from multiple sources-landscape, residential, commercial, industrial, school, park, and municipal systems
Provides numerous case studies, Details the assembly and actual application of equipment, Includes specific details, schematics, and references.
All aspects of rainwater harvesting are outlined, including passive and active system setup, storage, storm water reuse, distribution, purification, analysis, and filtration. There is even a section on rainwater harvesting for wildlife.
In addition to rainwater, there are several affordable and accessible alternate sources, including cooling tower bleed-off water, air conditioning condensate, gray water, and fog collection. Design for Water is geared to providing those making development decisions and guidelines with the information they need to set up passive harvesting techniques. The book will especially appeal to engineers, landscape architects, municipal decision-makers, developers, and landowners.
Heather Kinkade-Levario is a land-use planner in Arizona and the author of the award-winning Forgotten Rain. She is president of Forgotten Rain L.L.C., a rainwater harvesting and stormwater reuse company.
The Toilet Papers: Designs to Recycle Human Waste and Water : Dry Toilets, Greywater Systems and Urban Sewage (Paperback) Sim Van Der Ryn, Wendell Berry; Quoting from an Amazon review: With a title like "Toilet Papers" and from a distinguished eco-architect like Sim Van der Ryn, I needed no intro or review to buy a copy of this little, but well researched historical over-view of effluent mitigation and current eco-friendly toilet design.
This book is filled with good line drawings and photographs to depict everything from the historical perspective to the current dry toilets and their construction..
Quality issues in harvested rainwater in arid and semi-arid Loess Plateau of northern China,
K. Zhu, L. Zhang, W. Hart, M. Liu, H. Chen (out of print, find by search and deferred order).
Amazon's description may be helpful: Loess soils cover vast areas in the arid and semi-arid regions of northern China. Due to the lack of reliable surface water and ground-water, rainwater harvesting has played a prominent role in farmers' domestic usage and agricultural irrigation. An economical and valid type of water storage cistern with optimum design of components has been introduced to rural areas in the Loess Plateau. Different collection alternatives showed apparent variations in rainwater quality. By using different catchments, such as mortar roofs and cement-paved courtyards, compacted land or road surfaces, rainwater can be effectively collected for storage in cisterns. This study focused mainly on the quality of rainwater harvested from the different catchment systems and stored for different periods of time. By analysis of the water samples stored in these cisterns, it was evident that rainwater quality could be improved significantly by self-purification during the storage. W
ith emphasis on rainwater quality affected by the
different catchment systems, it was found that the measured inorganic compounds in the rainwater harvested from roof-yard catchment systems generally matched the WHO standards for drinking water, while the concentrations of some inorganic compounds in the rainwater collected from land and road surfaces appeared to be higher than the guideline values for drinking water, but generally not beyond the maximum permissible concentrations. However, Fecal Coliform, which is an important bacteriological parameter for the three catchment systems, exceeded the limits of drinking water to a greater extend. Trace amounts of 55 organic pollutants were identified, including aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic compounds and phthalate esters, etc. The analytical results indicated that roof-yard catchments that included the ''first flush'' usually provided safe drinking water with low organic contents, even for rainwater collected immediately after rainfall. In contrast, rainwater harvested from road surfaces had poor quality
with respect to the organic constituents, regardless of stored time.
City eying home water-recycling technology; uses bath and washer water for irrigation., (ReWater Systems' equipment for greywater irrigation):
This is an article from: San Diego Business Journal [HTML] (Digital) available online in digital format. I have not (yet) reviewed it -- DF>
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