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?
May 4th, 2007 at 5:18 am
There are some products available that really do work. I use and have become a dealer for the Soo-Soft Digital Water Softener line of products. You can view considerable material at my web site at softwatersite.com, including the ability to see and contact reference customers. On a comparative basis to products like scale watcher, the Soo-Soft units are much more powerful as measured by output power to the coil. To be effective, the product needs to be digital rather than analog, needs to have the ability to produce a range of wave frequencies, and need to be properly installed on either copper or plastic pipe - never galvanized pipe.
There isn’t a great deal of product specific research for any of these products. Probably for 3 main reasons:
1. Lack of desire driven by factions not desiring real change
2. An overabundance of products that are not effective and not seeking proof of that point
3. Inability of some manufacturers to afford funding the testing processes.
That leaves the consumer with the delima of sticking with the old chemical based technology that will soften water but will not remove existing scale nor fully prevent new scale formation, or taking a leap of faith and trying something new. It also leaves the consumer challenged with the thought that hard water can’t be made soft if the calcium is not removed from the water. Claims that the products effectively descale existing calcium are conceptually difficult to accept even when you try the products because of the difficulty in examining the results inside your plumbing system. However, there are direct observations that can be made to prove or disprove the descaling claims and there are subjective observations each individual can make regarding the “attributes” of soft water.
With any of the products you can do the following “before and after” tests and decide if they are effective in your instance:
1. Look at and take pictures of the lime scale build up that exists in your water tanks to your toilets. In hard water settings, scale forms on all the metal parts and continues to build up. After approximately 90 days with an effective product, that lime scale will be removed. The time period may be shorter where there is more frequent flow of treated water as in a master bathroom rather than a seldom used guest bathroom. After 90 days, take another look and compare to the original picture. An effective product will clear the scale.
2. Monitor the time it takes for a hot water tank to fully reheat and recover after someone takes a bath (it is helpful to fill the tub to the same level for this test. Mark down that time before installation and compare that number to a repeat test 90 days after installation. If the product is effective, the heating element inside the hot water heater will descale allowing it to heat much more effectively and therby shortening the time it takes to fully recover and achieve the heat level. An effective product will make this happen which means you will save some level of heating energy over time as well as extend the life span of that hot water heater.
3. Measure the amount of detergent normally used for laundry both before installation and again at the 90 day mark. There should be a significant reduction in the amount of detergent required to produce the suds you require to clean your laundry and allow you to see that your rinse water is not still full of soap suds.
4. Observe the inside of your dishwasher if you use one. Before installation the heating element and the walls and trays are usually coated with limescale. After a few washes with treated water, you should see that coating being removed.
5. Judge for yourself the “attributes of soft water. These are softer hair, softer laundry, clearer glassware, no scale formation on fixtures, easier cleanup of surfaces where water may stand and dry.
Any reputable product will come with a money back guarantee that is greater than the 90 day period it generally takes to completely clear a home that has not previously been treated with a water softener.
One other test in older homes that have experienced drops in water pressure (but still have some level of water flow through the pipes) is that the pressure will be regained after the descaling process completes.
May 28th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
There seems to be a general trend emerging here, those that sell electronic limescale inhibitors claim they work while those that use them say they don’t work (work it out for yourself). I myself bought a block salt softener 2 years ago, and this undoubtedly does work very well indeed. I live in a house where the dish washer and washing machine are going on a daily basis (not to mention the shower) and the salt costs me about £1.50 per week.
May 29th, 2007 at 9:14 am
Fitted a Scalewatcher around 15 years ago. It has made no difference whatsoever. I was scammed well and truly! Go for a traditional salt version or don’t bother.
June 8th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
We have really hard water here in Reading. We tried a few anti-scale devices on our boiler before a plumber suggested a local company called Scalgon. They make a device called the Scale 3. They also give a money back guarantee that it will work, so we couldn’t go wrong. Best of all it was only £70 and it has kept our boiler free of scale since it was fitted. I’m looking for a liquid to get rid of scale around the loo.
June 19th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Try malt vinegar in toilet to beat the scale. Leave to soak over night - bio degradable, cheap and nice not to buy yet another cleaning product
June 25th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
I brought a Super Imp about 4 years ago and it’s been installed on the copper pipe right where the mains enters the house. I was very sceptical about these electronic water conditioners too but surprisingly it does seem to work.
I live in Kent and my shower heads clogged up very quickly before I installed the device. Since installing the device I have not had to dismantle and submerge the heads in limescale removal chemicals. There is still some limescale but it’s much easier to clean off and is not hard or as thick as it was before. I don’t need to use the heavy duty limescale chemicals or use heavy scrubbing. My shower heads haven’t clogged up with limescale since.
I think maybe the quality of these devices vary, some working better than others? Also are there different types of limescale? some being more difficult to treat? does ambient temperature, flow rate, water pressure, pipe thickness etc affect the performance of these devices? there seems to be so many variables which may affect if these devices work or won’t work.
I too would like a reputable independent scientific body to carry out test on an range of these devices to see if/how they work, and if they do work which work the best. Somebody to open them up and see what they contain inside (and how much they actually cost to produce).
Btw why don’t water companies treat hard water and pipe softened water down the mains? surely this would be a great way to save energy en mass (everyone uses less shampoo, detergents, more efficient heating, less repairs etc)… even if it meant a few more pence on the water bill the overall saving in efficiency would probably be worth it.
July 4th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Lets get one thing straight.
There are water conditioners and there are water softeners.
Water conditioners do not remove limescale, they simply
control it.
There are various types of water conditioners.
Electronic use the coils that wrap around the pipe work.
Magnetic and Electrolytic are intrusive, they are installed
into the pipework.
They work by altering the morphology of the calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) ions that are present in hard water.
As the water passes through the electronic (radio frequency)
field / magnetic or electrolytic field, the ions are effected
rendering them into much smaller particals so as when the water is heated and scale would normally form, because of the change in their molecular structure, they form a slight soft scale that is
easilly washed or wiped away.
The scale is still in the water, your kettle will still scale
up, albiet not as much and you you still see the tell tale signs of limescale on the glass shower enclosure and on the stainless
steel draining board.
Where as with an ion exchange water softener, the calcium and magnesium ions are removed.
Water softening is the only effective way of removing the
calcium and magnesium that causes limescale from the water
and I would not want to be without mine.
I live in Kent, the water is extreemly hard and I had my water
softener fitted some years ago and my shower, kitchen, washing
machine still looks like new.
The machine I purchased is of the Aquadial brand, and it was money well worth spent.
Having heard of people who spend £300 + on water conditioners,
for a bit extra, go and buy a water softener.
July 27th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
I can assure you all the electronic conditioners do work. We introduced the first one, Scalewatcher to
the world in 1989. We gave the domestic business to Fast Systems who sell 18,000 units per year all
with a 6months performance guarantee, they have 2% return rate
We concentrate on commercial and industrial market and our largest customer is M.O.D. / Government
(25% of our turnover), who will not continue to buy something that does not work.
Check out our website http://www.electronicdescaler.com
Positioning and installation are the only reasons a well designed electronic conditioner does not work
August 5th, 2007 at 1:25 am
How about this for a thought: these systems have been around for many years now, if they really worked don’t you think the water company would recommend them or even incorporate them at the source? Think about that for a moment, because that is “common sense” speaking. There is no conspiracy to keep your kettle caked-up.
I’m really glad I stumbled on this web site; thanks Rich, good idea by the way. The report from the US Army Corps of Engineers was a really good find too, and the conclusion is unequivocal: there simply is no benefit from the device, no matter who made it.
It makes no difference what these people claim, “but mine is newer!” or “but you didn’t put it in the right place!” or whatever. Buy a softener if you have a problem, that is what works.
August 9th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
I have written before but all I can tell you is that I have been making and selling our Little Plumber range of water conditioners for 10 years plus and to date we have had nothing but 100% success. Not one back. Not one moan or winge.
We do however offer a 100 day money back guarantee which anyone buying this type of unit must have.
These products will pay for themselves within the first year of use because of the energy they save. They not only prevent limescale but also remove it so making heat exchange much more efficient.
We are always available to advise whch unit you should have since if you have a VENTED plumbing system ie: one with a tank in the loft you will need TWO units since there is a gap in the treatment at the point where the water falls into the tank. One of our units has two coils which can be used and generally fits conveniently in the airing cupboard. If you have an UNVENTED system with a Combi Boiler you’ll only need one unit.
We even have a battery operated model if your electrical point is miles away.
I mean if they didn’t work why would we still be selling them after 10 years???
I’m on 01235 862540