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?
April 4th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
I have an electronic background mainly marine electronics. I fail to see how anything with such a small power supply and thin windings round the pipe could manage to induce any sort of power level into the water passing through it. To produce a magnetic field of the strength comparable to the strontium magnets would require cables like car battery leads.
I know permanent magnetic conditioners work on diesel bugs, but that is a bacteria, or asphaline, and the results are scientifically repeatable.
Reading the responses here there are too many variables to convince me to rush out and buy one.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I was always dismissive of the claims made by manufacturers of these items.
However, a few years ago I became concerned that the limescale build up in my shower head, was indicitive of build up in other parts of the water system in my house. As I have a Boilermate (heat exchange system) fitted, this could become very expensive. I had experience of another house having to have its Boilermete replaced evry 2-3 years or so from scale build up, and at £1,000 a time it was pretty scary.
So after some convincing sales pitch from my local plumbing store (I am a builder), I bought a Water King.
Within a month, pieces of limescale were being flushed out through the shower head, and within a couple more months I never saw any more evidence of scale build up.
I have fitted other makes for other people, and they seem to have similar experiences. Do they work? The Water King certainly did for me.
Bryan Billau