Where is my water softener bypass valve and how do I use it?

There are two layouts, and you can usually tell which you have in about ten seconds.

• A single bypass valve on the control head. Two short stems or handles sit on the back of the head, where the house pipes connect. Morton's manual shows this design as a valve that you "pull out for 'Service' (soft water)" and "push in for 'Bypass'." Water-Right's version uses two plug valves with red arrow-shaped handles, one on the inlet and one on the outlet.
• A three-valve bypass piped in by the installer. Morton describes this as a system with an inlet valve, an outlet valve and a bypass valve in the pipe between them. The Fleck manual calls it a "three valve" bypass and treats it as one of several acceptable arrangements, alongside an integral bypass on the softener and a plain shut-off valve near the inlet.

If you see only a shut-off valve and no bypass at all, the Fleck manual has a line for that case too: "Always provide for the installation of a bypass valve if unit is not equipped with one." A softener with no bypass is an installation gap worth fixing, because you will want it the first time the softener needs service.

The plumbing may not be at the tank end of your house. If your softener sits at the garage wall or on the far side of the lot from where the main line enters, the inlet and outlet you are tracing are still the two pipes attached to the control head. Our page on where a softener can go when the main is on the far side of the house explains why installers pick those spots.

A bypass is a maintenance tool, not something to switch every day. Morton says bypass valves "allow you to turn off water to the softener for maintenance if needed, but still have water in house pipes." Water-Right says the bypass "is typically used to isolate the control valve from the plumbing system's water pressure in order to perform control valve repairs or maintenance." The common reasons to use it are:

• Servicing the softener. The Fleck manual's service steps start with putting an integral bypass in the Bypass position, or closing the inlet and outlet valves of a three-valve setup, before any parts come off the control valve.
• Cleaning out a fresh install. The Fleck manual's start-up steps have the installer put the unit in bypass, run a nearby tap "until the system is free from foreign material (usually solder)," and then slowly return the bypass to service.
• Watering the yard or using hoses. Penn State Extension says softening makes it "easy to bypass toilets and outdoor faucets," and it suggests that toilets, outside spigots and basement sinks can be left off the softened line. That is normally done by piping those fixtures ahead of the softener, not by leaving the whole house in bypass. Bypassing the whole system to water a lawn would mean hard water at every tap while you do it.
• When something is wrong. If a tap suddenly runs hard, salty or slow and you want to isolate the softener while you decide what to do, the bypass takes it out of the picture. Water-Right's troubleshooting table lists the reverse problem too: if hard or untreated water is being delivered, one cause is a bypass valve that is "open or faulty," and the fix is to "fully close bypass valve or replace." Check the bypass position first if your water suddenly feels hard. Our guide on why a water softener stops working covers the rest of the usual causes.

Always follow your manual for the exact motion. These are the patterns the manufacturers describe.

### Single bypass valve (pull-and-push stem)

1. 1Note the "Service" and "Bypass" labels on the valve.
2. 2To bypass, push the stem in. To return to service, pull it back out slowly.
3. 3Morton's start-up steps have you move the stem "slowly toward 'service,' pausing several times to allow the water softener to fill with water," then open a hot water faucet until the flow is steady and free of air bubbles.

### Two-handle plug bypass (Water-Right style)

Water-Right describes four positions:

• Normal operation. The inlet and outlet handles point in the direction of the arrows engraved on the control valve, and water runs through the unit.
• Bypass. The handles point to the center of the bypass. Water-Right says the system is "isolated from the water pressure in the plumbing system" and "untreated water is supplied to the building."
• Diagnostic. A technician position that lets untreated water flow to the building while the unit is pressurized for testing. Water-Right notes "the system must be rinsed before returning the bypass valve to the normal position."
• Shut off. Water is shut off to the building, and Water-Right says the treatment system will depressurize when a tap is opened.

### Three-valve bypass

This has an inlet valve, an outlet valve and a bypass valve between them. To bypass, open the bypass valve and then close the inlet and outlet valves. To return to service, Morton says to "fully close the bypass valve and open the outlet valve," and then "slowly open the inlet valve, pausing several times to allow the water softener to fill with water." Follow that order and go slowly, because the tank has to fill with water before it is under full pressure.

• Hot water during regeneration. Morton warns to "avoid using hot water while the softener is regenerating, because the water heater will refill with bypass hard water." Morton's note applies whenever the softener regenerates. Hard water reaches the heater during that time, so save your hot showers for after the cycle finishes.
• Plastic parts. Do not force a stiff plastic bypass. Morton warns not to solder with plumbing attached to the single bypass valve because "soldering heat will damage the plastic valve."
• Do not leave it in bypass. Whole-house hardness in Phoenix is high, so a softener left in bypass is a softener doing nothing. If your water is suddenly hard after a repair or a plumber's visit, make sure the bypass was returned to service.
• Leaks at the stem or nuts. Water-Right notes the internal O-rings "can easily be replaced if service is required," so a drip at the stem is usually a seal job, not a new softener. Have a plumber replace them rather than forcing a plastic body.
• Do not confuse it with the main shut-off. The bypass takes the softener out of the loop. It does not shut off water to the house. If you need to stop the water entirely to change a fixture, our page on shutting off water to a single fixture covers that.

Call one if you cannot find any bypass, if the handles will not move without force, if a valve leaks after you operate it, if you have a three-valve bypass that was never labeled, or if the water is still hard after the valve is in the service position. HQ Plumbing & Air offers free estimates and upfront pricing, and can install a proper three-valve bypass so the next service visit is simpler.