Tags: Questions, Science
Do electronic limescale inhibitors work?
June 22nd, 2005, by Rich.
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?
November 3rd, 2007 at 1:01 pm
I live in the Reading area of berkshire and the water is really hard, everything is full of limescale. My wife likes lots of holidays as she says it is worth the money to wash her hair in soft water - still don’t know what she means there! Well I know hard water is a problem and have toyed fro years with getting a water softner but could not afford the space. So quite by chance I was in a local store in Wokingham and saw a device on display called ‘Little Plumber’ which as I can see is an electronic device, it took less than 10 minutes to install under the kitchen sink and has been in for about 7 months now. well I would say i noticed improvements in the water in about 2 months, easiest way to see is the new kettle 5 months old is still scale free, not sure on the boilers, washing machines, central heating, etc. I knew when i bought it recommendations were to install another close to the water cyliner and have only just purchased another slightly different one a Hydroflow HS38a. hope it works well to
November 7th, 2007 at 10:47 pm
Reading reviews it is clear that the descalers are not as effective as the dazzling scientific marketing claims - and which i was completely convinced by. As K Moorman points out - if they really did work 100% then the water company would simply install a large one in at source.
November 11th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
I live in Stafford. Hard water area. Purchased a Salamander Water Wave scale inhibitor for a 2 bed property. Noticed big difference straight away. Shower head never had scale. Kettle was easier to clean. Water felt slightly softer meaning less soap was needed when washing.
We then moved house 2 months ago, still in Stafford and have noticed its not working aswell. I have noticed the water pressure is a lot higher than our previous property. Is this because the water is flowing to fast for the device to do its job?
November 21st, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Interesting reading, one and all!
I moved to just south of Salisbury Plain a few years ago (v.v.hard water!!) and did a bit of research on how to prevent the white stuff as cheaply as reasonable. Eventually I invested in an electronic conditioner, and it’s probably improved things about 10% by making the stuff more manageable.
But.
I overheard an article on BBC Radio a few months ago, saying that Limescale doesn’t form at very high temperatures. Therefore (the implication was,) remove all water from said kettle WHILE IT’S STILL HOT!
Since then I’ve religiously emptied the kettle after using the water, and (amazingly?) the thing is still clean as a whistle after several months. This tip may be no use for your plumbing system, but is worth bearing in mind. [A secondary environmental benefit is that I use less water and electricity by filling the kettle more thoughtfully.]
So, does Scale only form at lower temperatures? Or is it simply that by emptying the kettle I am giving the stuff less time to settle and solidify?
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Like everybody else who have been perusing and corresponding on this forum I too have very hard water and limescale buildup. I have read all the reports and visited all the web sites and must state that I am still not convinced about the effectivness of electronic descalers.
However, I did find this site - http://www.cntv.org.uk/environment.html
which decribes and gives details on a build it yourself electronic descaler - all for around £25. This in my mind is an acceptable outlay for doing some trials as some of the commercial units cost from £150 upwards and probably contain circuitry very simlar to the kit.
I will probably buy one and if the results are encouraging will post again.
November 22nd, 2007 at 6:33 pm
yes - we were considering either ECOFlow units or an electronic de-scaler but they do seem very pricey, for essentially a box with no moving parts
Surely they must be made more cheaply somewhere????? so one can try them at less financial cost
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:31 pm
Loved the back-an-forth on this site. I purchased a “Super Imp” today, will be
sure and provide results when appropriate. I live in Utah, can’t say for sure,
but I suspect my water is not nearly as hard as many who have posted. Issue here
in the states has become the environmental aspect of softeners. Many areas have
banned them. Praying my new purchase helps.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Thank you Rich.
The test concerning scale and the increase in fuel consumption are not in dispute since they have been carried out many times by independent test laboratories. Scale is an insulator and it will slow the heating up time of any hot water cylinder affected by it. The result is wasteful on off boiler cycling.
What is being questioned here is whether electronic sale devices are effective. My report states that I fitted one and it helped reduce scale build up and softened scale around the shower head. The devices have been used in industry to good effect and there are countless tests to back up findings.
I do not sell scale devices and have no axe to grind.
The bottom line is that if you find the device doesn’t work (and there are factors which affect performance) then Scalewatcher will refund your money in full. I do not know of any instance where Scalewatcher has not honoured this promise. In short you do not need evidence from others because you can try it yourself in your home with your plumbing system which is what I did. My comments are based upon my experience and only mine and they formed part of an editorial review not a puff piece.
January 3rd, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Hi All,
great chat and has now absolutely convinced me that I am no clearer on whether the electronic units work. What I do know is that I do not intend to spend any money on a system that may or not work, even if there is potential for a refund. Hassle factor makes this option a non starter.
As far as I can see, the traditional salt water softeners are the only way to go to truely get rid of limescale. There are 2 reasons why I won’t do this either … one being the cost and the other being the health inplications of filling up my family with sodium etc….
I have devised a simple way to resolve the issue for me once and for all.
Work out how much the softener would cost over a 10 year period. I reckon on £1000 to buy, £250 to install and then £100 a year to upkeep = £2250.
I have 2 showers using the hot water from the tank (not electric)but both using pumps and obviously one boiler. I also have a dishwasher and a washing machine. If by some amazing fluke everything packed up at the same time could I repair/replace everything for less than £2250? YES is the answer.
Over a 10 year period, would any of those appliances break anyway even with soft water? I think the answer is yes, especially the dishwasher/washing machine. Mine work pretty hard with a family of 4 using them.
I don’t know how long the water softener lasts, maybe 20 years but on the other hand I do not expect to be in the same house for 20 years so i will have to buy a new one. I figure 10 years is a reasonable time to base this on.
I think you can see where I am heading.
In terms of limescale, use a bottle of FERNOX in the heating system every 2 years, Industry standard, proven technology over the last umpteen years. £10 a bottle. It dissolves all limescale if used regularly and will keep the boiler running efficiently without problems.
All of my taps have spouts that unscrew and so every 6 months/1 year I soak the whole lot in Viakal or something similar to get rid of the limescale.
Net result is I deal with the limescale as best I can. Ongoing maintenance costs are £30 - £40 per year as a absolute maximum. I have lived in my house in Camberley Surrey (HARD WATER) for 8 years and so far replaced on shower pump which may or may not have failed as a result of limescale…..
My advice ……. don’t bother with water softeners at all.
January 5th, 2008 at 9:29 am
To Mark (above) I’d say be careful what you put into your heating system. It looks like you know what to do and what not to do, but if anyone adds a ‘descaler’ which is acid-based then it will corrode your heating system away within a few months. Not joking. Always make sure it says “Corrosion Inhibitor” on the label, or it’s an additive that can safely be left in.
Inhibitors like Fernox MB1 and Sentinel X100 stop radiators from corroding inside, and they should be renewed every 4-5 years. However, it’s important not to confuse magnetite sludge (which you get in your central heating system) with limescale (which you generally don’t). Limescale affects mains water (fresh water) units. The only reason you’d get limescale in your CH system is if you have a fairly major water leak on it somewhere. Even then, it’s more likely to generate magnetite sludge that will affect the boiler before limescale does.
On a separate note, someone above says about water companies stopping limescale at source. There’s two reasons why they don’t. The first is cost. The second is the same principle which applies to magnetic units - that the effect is temporary. That is, by the time the water got to your house the magnetic inhibiting effect on it will have been lost.