Disabling Water Softeners and leaving it disabled.

[sat500]

I no longer want to use my water softener and want to disable it. I understand how to disable it with the top red levers but it has another valve on the side (see Picture), do i have to shut that one down too?

Since i will no longer want use my softener, can i just leave it disabled forever yet still hooked up to my plumbing? I dont want to mess with my plumbing trying to completely uninstall it. it.

 

[Geofd]

You could install a tee in front of the system ,and one after and a couple of ball valves

 

[TomFOhio]

On the back of your softener it should say Service and By-Pass. Put the lever on by-pass and you'll be good to go.

 

[sat500]

Thank you all

 

[Twowaxhack]

I’d remove it and drain all the water out of it if you don’t plan to use it.

There will be funk growing in that tank. If someone opens the valve then all that funk will enter your piping throughout the house.

 

[sat500]

I’d remove it and drain all the water out of it if you don’t plan to use it.

There will be funk growing in that tank. If someone opens the valve then all that funk will enter your piping throughout the house.

Is it a complex job to remove it?

 

[Twowaxhack]

Is it a complex job to remove it?

It’s an easy job.

 

[bowserb]

Just curious. Why do you not want to use it? Presumably you have hard water, or it never would have been installed in the first place. Where I live, the water is death to water heaters, accumulates calcium deposits in hot water pipes, and is harmful long term for dishwasher. I lived without one for many years, mostly because of not wanting sodium added to the water for drinking or the yard. Then I learned about potassium salt for water softeners. Much more expensive (at my supermarket $24 vs $8 for sodium salt), but not a material item in my budget, as I use about a bag a month or five weeks. No sodium added to the water, but all the benefits of soft water, which frankly I would resist giving up again.