Clack WS1 Error 116 or 106: What It Means and the 5-Step Fix Order

Short answer: on a Clack WS1 or WS1.25, Error 106 and Error 116 are not about the softener's own drive motor. They point at the second motor on the system, the one on the Motorized Alternating Valve (MAV) or the No Hard Water Bypass (NHBP) valve. Clack's service manual puts 106, 116 and 1006 under one definition: the MAV / SEPS / NHBP / AUX MAV valve motor ran too long and couldn't find its park position. It lists four causes, and the circuit board isn't one of them.

I've been called out to more than a few of these where someone had already swapped the board. Don't. Here's the order that finds it.

What the code actually means

The WS1 service manual lists the three forms together, word for word: "Err-1006, Err-106, Err-116 = MAV / SEPS / NHBP / AUX MAV valve motor ran too long and unable to find the proper park position." The abbreviations: MAV is the motorized alternating valve, SEPS is separate source, NHBP is no hard water bypass, AUX MAV is an auxiliary alternating valve.

What's the difference between 106 and 116? Clack's own WS1 manuals don't separate them. Same meaning, same fix list. The only breakdown I've ever seen is a one-page error chart a distributor put out, which labels 106 as the alternator MAV/NHBP motor and 116 as the aux MAV 1 / NHBP motor, with 1006 as the form one controller family uses. That chart doesn't name the CI or EI controls, so I can't tell you with certainty which number a given WS1 board will throw. In the field it doesn't change what you do, because the check order is identical.

One thing I'll put to rest: I have never found a Clack document that says 106 and 116 mean different things on newer versus older boards. What Clack does say about board age is practical: its install sheets for the 1" and 1.25" NHBP valve (V3070) and MAV (V3069) list a minimum software revision for the EE, EI and CI boards of that era (513.7 for the EE board, 613.5 for the EI board, 316.9 for the CI board). If you're pairing one of those valves with an older control, check the software version before you blame anything else.

Where you'll see this on a city-water install

An NHBP valve sits on the softener outlet so raw water can't bypass into the house while the softener regenerates. A MAV does the switching on a twin-tank alternating system, and it can also be set up for separate-source or no-hard-water-bypass duty.

Here's the one that catches people: if a WS1 isn't connected to either of those valves but its programming says it is, you will get this error on a system that has nothing physically wrong with it. That's cause number one on Clack's list, and it's the first thing I check on any valve someone else programmed.

The 5-step check order

Before you touch anything: disconnect power before handling motors or wiring, and put the system in bypass and relieve pressure before you open any valve body. Clack's manuals say to depressurize before servicing bypass rotors; I treat the MAV/NHBP body the same way. Silicone lubricant only on Clack parts, and never on the motor or its gears.

Is Error 116 the motor or the board?

Going by Clack's own troubleshooting table: start with neither. The four listed causes are programming, an unplugged motor wire, a motor not engaged with its gears, and piston/stack drag. A defective PC board is not on that list, and that's worth noticing, because Clack does list the board for other symptoms, like no display or a valve that won't regenerate. It's missing here on purpose.

A few ways to keep the two motors straight:

• Which motor. The softener's drive motor (V3107-01) plugs into MOTOR. The MAV/NHBP motor is a separate 8-foot motor assembly (V3476) and plugs into the 2-pin DRIVE/MAV connector. Codes 101 through 104 belong to the first. Codes 106, 107, 116, 117 belong to the second.
• Too long versus too short. 106/116 is "ran too long without finding park" and the causes are things like no valve attached, no connection, motor not engaging the gears. 107/117 is "stalled" and the causes are debris and binding.
• Drive history. CI controls (Diagnostics Steps 8D and 9D) and EI/EE controls (Steps 12D and 13D) show MAV drive history: latest and average drive time in hundredths of a second, for both the extended and retracted moves. Clack defines the display but publishes no pass/fail limits. I compare the latest move against the average; a big jump tells you the valve is dragging before it fails outright.

What happens to the water while the error is showing

This depends on the control, and Clack's documents don't all agree:

• EI and EE manuals: if the control errors during regeneration, the NHBP valve returns to the open position if it isn't there already.
• CI manual: the NHBP valve stays in its current state until the error is corrected and reset.
• The older NHBP install sheet: it stays closed until the error is corrected and reset.

Clack also warns that an NHBP installation blocks water to the downstream plumbing when closed. So if the homeowner says "error code and no water," check the NHBP position in the clear dome first. Nine times out of ten that's the whole call.

When to call it and replace parts

• Homeowners: the manuals say if ERROR and a number are flashing, contact the OEM, which in practice means the dealer who installed the system. The reset is in the manual (NEXT and REGEN for 3 seconds, or power off at the board for 5 seconds), but if the code returns, the causes involve programming, wiring and opening a pressurized valve. That's dealer work.
• Piston and stack: replace when the code returns after programming, connection and motor seating all check out.
• MAV/NHBP motor (V3476): replace when it's damaged or a known-good swap clears the code.
• Control board: last, and only after everything above is ruled out.

Questions I get on this one

My Clack softener says Error 116. What do I do? It means the motor on the separate MAV or no-hard-water-bypass valve ran too long and couldn't find park. Try the reset: hold NEXT and REGEN for 3 seconds, or unplug power at the board for 5 seconds. If it comes back, call the installing dealer. The fix is usually programming, a loose motor cable, a motor not seated in its gears, or debris on that valve's piston and stack.

What does Error 106 mean on a Clack WS1? Clack's service manual lists 106 with 116 and 1006: the MAV / SEPS / NHBP / AUX MAV valve motor ran too long and couldn't find its park position. It's the alternating or bypass valve, not the softener's own drive.

Is Error 116 the motor or the board? Clack's troubleshooting table doesn't list the board as a cause. Check programming, the motor wire, motor seating and the piston/stack first. Suspect the board only after a known-good motor on a clean valve still gives the error.

What's the difference between 106 and 116? Clack's manuals give them the same meaning and the same fixes. A distributor chart labels 106 as the alternator MAV/NHBP motor and 116 as the aux MAV 1 / NHBP motor; Clack's own WS1 manuals don't make that distinction.

Can I clear Error 116 by unplugging the softener? Clack's reset is NEXT and REGEN for 3 seconds, or disconnecting power at the PC board for 5 seconds. That clears the display. If the cause is still there, the code comes back.

My WS1 has no MAV or bypass valve. Why would it show 106? Because the first cause on Clack's list is a control programmed for ALT A, ALT b, nHbP, SEPS or AUX MAV with no such valve attached. Set ALT MAV Output (Step 4CS on CI, Step 5CS on EI/EE) back to OFF.

106 versus 107? 106 and 116: the MAV/NHBP motor ran too long without finding park. 107 and 117: it ran too short and stalled. Clack ties 107/117 to foreign material in the valve or mechanical binding, including a drive pinion jammed into the motor body.

If you're the one who gets these calls

The tech who installs the system is the one the homeowner calls when a code shows up on the display. Aquonyx builds city-water treatment systems and sells them only through dealers, so you're never competing with the manufacturer for the service call or the sale. If you already service softeners and want a line that backs the installer, become an Aquonyx dealer.