How Does a 3-Way Plumbing Bypass Work?

Have you ever wondered how a 3-way plumbing bypass works? Follow along as Gary the Water Guy helps simplify water filtration systems with lots of great information and DIY tips for you and your family.

 

WHAT IS A 3-WAY PLUMBING BYPASS?

A 3-way plumbing bypass is used to temporarily bypass or divert a portion of your plumbing system. It could be bypassed during maintenance, or if that component broke down / leaked you could temporarily bypass the equipment so the house would still have water. More real-life examples of why you might want to divert a portion of your water flow to use untreated water instead of treated water would be:

• to fill a swimming pool
• to water your lawn
• to wash the exterior of your house

 

HOW DOES A 3-WAY BYPASS WORK?

Typically a 3-way bypass diverts water from the outlet of a pump back to the reservoir. If your water softener or UV disinfection system has a 3-way bypass in place, you can temporarily turn your unit “off” without disrupting the flow of water into your home.

• By closing the bypass valve and leaving open the inlet and outlet valve, water flows to the plumbing fixture.
• If you close the inlet and outlet and open the bypass that means the fixture has been isolated with no water flowing in or out; however, the rest of the house has water flowing as usual.

 

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE A 3-WAY BYPASS ON MY UNIT?

Years ago water softeners did not come with bypasses built-in and it was good plumbing practice to build a bypass around the water softener. We often see UV systems with bypasses installed around them, too, so if something goes wrong with the UV service it can be bypassed temporarily.

Just about every water softener produced and installed in the last 10 years has a built-in bypass now so, chances are, your unit already has one.

 

ARE THERE DISADVANTAGES TO INSTALLING A BYPASS?

Yes, there can be disadvantages to installing a bypass. From time to time, we will field a call where a family is having concerns with their water treatment equipment not performing as it did in the past. When we check their system out, we find that someone — the family themselves, another household maintenance person, or even plumbers — have mistakenly opened the bypass and now both treated and untreated water is flowing through the family’s home.

This is why we suggest you do not install bypasses around water treatment equipment yourself. Call in a pro! This being said, if you do install, we suggest that you remove the handle from the bypass valve so it isn’t opened by mistake.

 

If you need help with water treatment system troubleshooting, installation, maintenance, or advice on the best water treatment solutions for your home, give Water Store Midland a call at 705-527-5900.