When Your Water Softener Valve Fails, Here's What to Do If you need to repair a water softener valve, here's a quick summary of the most common fixes: Problem Likely Cause Quick Fix Hard water returning Failed motor or rotor Replace motor or rotor/seal kit Salt not going down Clogged venturi or bad rotor Clean venturi, rebuild seal kit Valve stuck in one cycle Motor failure Replace valve motor Leaking around valve head Worn O-rings or cracked body Replace O-rings or full valv