Do all water softeners have a bypass?

Every softener we install has a bypass valve. It allows the water coming into your home to “bypass” the softener should you have a problem or want to use hard water to water your lawn or garden. Most home softeners will have either a “Push to Bypass” valve or a “Turn to Bypass” valve.

Should I unplug my water softener when I go on vacation?

A timed water softener will regenerate when its pre-set time says to, and without water it can damage parts of the unit. So, if your softener is not metered and you’re planning to be gone for a long period of time, unplug it. Your water softener system should not be on your mind when away from your home.

Can a bypass valve be opened on a water softener?

If your water softener uses an external bypass valve (the lower plumbing design in our sketch), CLOSE the inlet and outlet valves and OPEN the bypass valve that in essence is a shunt that bypasses the water softener. Watch out: put the water softener in bypass mode only when repairs are needed.

Do you need to close an external manual bypass valve?

Watch out: 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”).

What kind of bypass valve does a water conditioner use?

Some water conditioners 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 above shows the optional Autotrol Series 255 Valve / 460i bypass valve.

How is the Culligan bypass valve in a water softener valve operated?

The Culligan 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.

If your water softener uses an external bypass valve (the lower plumbing design in our sketch), CLOSE the inlet and outlet valves and OPEN the bypass valve that in essence is a shunt that bypasses the water softener. Watch out: put the water softener in bypass mode only when repairs are needed.

Watch out: 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”).

Some water conditioners 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 above shows the optional Autotrol Series 255 Valve / 460i bypass valve.

The Culligan 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.