hot water damaging a water softening system

We just installed a fleck water softening system, but accidentally installed it on the output from the hot water heater. Whoever did the plumbing on our new house put the cold and hot in backwards, so when they installed the hot water heater they had to criss cross behind the wall. We didn't know that.

It was only hooked up overnight on the default hot water heater setting. I'm not sure how hot that is.

I read several places warning that water over 110 degrees into the water softer system may damage it. Does anyone know exactly how it's supposed to damage it and/or how common it is that it actually will damage it? Does it mess up the resin or something?

If a contactor installed it , they should be responsible for the mistake. That is why you hire them. Do Not let them use the excuse that the piping was crossed in the wall. They should have verified hot from cold before they installed it.

Mr_David said:

If a contactor installed it , they should be responsible for the mistake. That is why you hire them. Do Not let them use the excuse that the piping was crossed in the wall. They should have verified hot from cold before they installed it.

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agree 100%

Unfortunately my father and I installed it. :-/

Also, is there a way to get the plumbing blueprints for our house? There is some seriously screwed up plumbing going on that really makes no sense! (for example, when the water was turned back on with the hot water tank not hooked up cold water started spewing out of the hot water output!)

slow down, explain that one more time.

sounds like a crossed pipe

what was disconnected?
what was turned on?
where did the water come spewing from ?

Were you planning on softening the hot water only? If not, the softener should be installed in the cold water pipe before it splits off to the heater.

You said they crisscrossed the lines in the wall?
How are they connected to the heater?
Hot out on the left and Cold going into the heater on the right.
Or did you connect to a loop they had next to the heater that builders sometimes install for connecting a softener.
That loop being hot instead of being cold like it would have normally been and they crossed the pipes in the wall to make the connection to the heater.

what side do you have the ball valve on? Left of right?
Seeing as you have another mystery. Some single handle tub/shower valve can pas water through the valve when it is off. Old style Moen valve can do this