As simply as I can:

when the water softener is in bypass the water pressure (hot & cold) is fine.

when the water softener is in service, the cold water pressure is fine BUT the hot water slows to a trickle.

I have paid someone to tell me the water softener is "fine" (all he did was take the top off and look at the main water intake).

I have drained the hot water tank... there was some air pockets. Also there was quite a bit of blue-ish crystals that came out of the hot water heater... but the pressure problem remains.

question: is it the water softener or the hot water heater?

Thanks,
DJ Florian

 

Those "blu-ish crystals" may be from a deteriorating dip tube in the water heater, in which case you would be getting less hot water than you should, also.
There have been a lot of problems with dip tubes, and a class action lawsuit settlement (claims cut off 12/31/00, however).
Turn off the water main or heater cold water supply valve, and disconnect the cold water supply to the heater and check the dip tube.
Particles from it may also be blocking hot water faucets.
The hot water pressure out of a heater should equal the cold water pressure in.
I can't explain why the hot water pressure is less only when you put the softener on bypass. Strange.
Check the dip tube first.
Maybe someone else can suggest something else.
Good luck!
Mike

 

I would sure look more closely at the softener. When you have the softener online, you turn on the hot water, do you have a gush of full pressure for a second or 2 or just a trickle regardless?

Is the cold water a) on the softener b) no problems at all regardless of bypass or softener?

Blue crystals, don't really know what to tell you about them. If it looked like little resin beads or even fish eggs, I could give you a hint. Are the blue crystals also being found in the faucet aerators?

Let us know some more info.....