Tags: Questions, Science
Do electronic limescale inhibitors work?
June 22nd, 2005, by Rich.
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I’ve been intermittently toying with the idea of fitting an Anti-Limescale device to the water supply in our home.
Today, with the delivery of a new phone book, I got a flyer describing a product called ScaleWatcher which reminded me of my occasional curiosity with the subject. It’s a nice convincing-looking flyer, with a money back guarantee, so I’m tempted to give it a go.
We have a nice glass sided kettle so it’ll be really obvious if it actually works.
I may be forced to try a little experiment and take daily pictures of my kettle, so please spare me from the madness and give me some definite answers:
- Has anyone I know actually used a household electric water softener?
- Was the experience worthwhile?
- Are they any better than the magnetic or salt based ones?
January 18th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Yes electronic water descalers do work.
Limescale is a crystalline form of Calcium carbonate.
Calcium carbonate is unusual in that it has a variety of crystal forms including Marble, very hard but brittle, Chalk, very soft and crumbly, and Limescale, very hard and very difficult to break.
Limescale, deposited from untreated water, forms as long thread like crystals, called dentrices. These dentrices weave together, which is the reason why Limescale is so hard and difficult to break.
The right electromagnetic field can modify the crystal forming characteristics of Limescale. The crystals formed are small, round and smooth so they do not cling together and wash through the water system. They do not collect in the pipes, in the boiler or in places like the shower head.
All of the water which passes through the electromagnetic field is treated. The effect lasts around 2-3 days.
Our web site describes an electronic water descaler to fit a 15 mm (half inch) pipe. For larger units, the principle of operation is the same but larger units may be required.
January 28th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Bought an ECOflow magnetic descaler which is fitted to the mains. No it does not work I have had a new self-condensing combi boiler & brand new central heating system also brand new taps fitted throughout the house. I keep the hot temperature at a temperature of only 50C and there are deposits of limescale on all taps and the shower head. This system has been installed for nearly 2 years (July05). I have to confess the shower head has only just been removed to be descaled probably only twice but I think that is more to do with the temperature I have the hot water at though. Incidentally, the kitchen tap (closest to the magnetic de-scaler)is the worst, forming deposits actually on the swan neck of the tap itself. I am sorry but I wouldn’t recommend wasting your hard-earned money. I think I would rather pay extra to the water authorities to do something on a national basis then everybody would benefit.
January 28th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Thanks Ann, that’s interesting to hear. I wonder if anyone else with electronic devices has been similarly disappointed.
I’ve now had an electro-magnetic water softener installed for 12 months and I can confirm similarly lackluster results.
The bathroom sink plughole still gets a calcium rim that has to be removed manually, and the kettle is still edged with a thin but incredibly tough calcium sheet.
February 8th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
I’m sure they work, so I have bought a box of them which I store in the spare room next to the crate of spin drier balls I bought off those caring folk at JML last week.
February 14th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
I have tried a Scalewatcher in a hard water area in Italy - it didn’t work. I have tried an Imp in a hard water area in England - didn’t work. They returned my money as promised. I too would love to believe that this method works, but in my experience it doesn’t
February 15th, 2007 at 10:12 am
The answer is clear……..
Come and live in Wales where we have no limescale problems
February 15th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
We get limescale because our water filters through chalky hillsides nearby, so does Welsh Water get coalscale?
February 16th, 2007 at 10:26 am
Coal? There aint no coal left in them there hills no more! The black gold arrives by boat these days….
February 24th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
I found this explanation of how it works.
March 3rd, 2007 at 9:33 am
I too would like to see some evidence that electronic water conditioners really worked because, if they did, I would fit one in my house which is in a hard water area. Unfortunately anecdotal evidence is virtually worthless for proving anything and I have not been able to find any published results of properly controlled independant tests. More importantly, if these units do work, there must be a scientific explanation as to why they work, and this is something which I have never seen. The explanations given by the manufacturers are pseudo-science at best and gibberish at worst. The explanation in Kathy’s mail might sound reasonable at first, but if you think about it you will realise that the impurities in the water will have an even larger total surface area before they bond together, and therefore the electronic conditioning would make the situation worse and not better!
Finally, I work with electronics systems for satellites and the sort of electronics which these units probably contain could be made for pounds, but the manufacturers charge hundreds of pounds for the completed units. I therefore think they would be vastly over-priced even if they did work.