softener no bypass valve

[jehay17]

I had a contractor have his plumber install a new aqua systems water softener.
Now the softener now does not work and I am going on a trip. I tried to bypass but he did not put a bypass valve. Can I just unplug the softener until I return and have it repaired. Of course the contractor does not return calls.

 

[phishfood]

Is it not allowing water to flow through at all, or is it just not softening the water?

 

[Mr_David]

most water softeners that I have seen have a built in bypass.
Got a model # we can probably look it up

 

[Mr_David]

From online manual of this model on Aqua systems web site SmartChoice GenII Water Softeners

Might be the same

 

[jehay17]

the water flows through but it does not soften.

The illustration that david posted is the correct model-However the plumber id not install the knobs to have a bypass valve. There is no bypass.

 

[journeyman]

you might have a problem called a salt bridge. How long ago was it installed

 

[SHR]

The illustration that david posted is the correct model-However the plumber id not install the knobs to have a bypass valve. There is no bypass.

All water softeners I install require the built-in bypass valve in order to connect water lines to the head unit. They NEVER have "knobs". Please post a picture of the water connections to the head unit. I think you may not realize what you are looking at.

 

[speedbump]

There may be many reasons why your softener isn't working, but bypassing it won't help that; and if your going away on a trip, if nobody is using water in the house, it won't matter if you have a metered head. If the unit has the old style head that backwashes so many times a week, then a bypass would be nice.

You can build your own bypass with three valves.