Water Softener Electric ?

[Mike]

Hi all

We suffer from very bad hard water and limescale.

I have seen there electric water softener that have a sort of coil which raps around the water pipe coming in.

Has anyone used them and do they work....if so any recommendations for a maker / supplier.

Kind regards


Mike

[Theodoric]

Originally Posted by Mike

Hi all

We suffer from very bad hard water and limescale.

I have seen there electric water softener that have a sort of coil which raps around the water pipe coming in.

Has anyone used them and do they work....if so any recommendations for a maker / supplier.

Kind regards


Mike

Sounds like one of those magnetic ones. Let's just say that I'm sceptical.

[dilligaf1701]

How about this.....

http://www.qvcuk.com/ukgscripts/deta...326089*582763*

[Matth]

They do work, but they don't work miracles - on the other hand, unpowered magnet ones have very little effectiveness.

The calcium is not removed, but it is altered - I did read the science once, so it does not precipitate out - this effect dissipates after some time, so it is only partially effective on storage tanked water.

I doubt that the insanely expensive units work any better than the cheap ones, though newer lower frequency units (closed coil circuit) may be better than older high frequency designs (open ended coils).

The older designs were more prone to interfere with radio.


PS. The claim of removing existing lime scale is also true, to the same extent that using the pipes in a soft water area would slowly dissolve calcium.

[altis]

Magnetic ones were covered here:

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...ad.php?t=11311

...and in particular:

http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/sims/water/magnets.htm

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Mike

Hi all

We suffer from very bad hard water and limescale.

I have seen there electric water softener that have a sort of coil which raps around the water pipe coming in.

Has anyone used them and do they work....if so any recommendations for a maker / supplier.

Kind regards


Mike

Hi Mike

We installed one at our old house in Hemel Hempstead, which has hard water. It took about four years for there to be any appreciable difference in the quality of the lather we got from soap or shampoo, but being northerners we still used a jug filter on water for the kettle as we can't stand tea made with hard water!

I can only imagine that the effect is cumulative if as well as preventing calcium from coming out of the water, it is also removing it from the pipes. On the other hand it might simply have been a desperate placebo effect, seeing as we splashed out £100 on one (they are cheaper these days).

In short, I think it does make a small difference, but you have to be patient to see it. My advice, however, is to move to an area with soft water. These are inevitably in the more easy-going parts of the UK such as north Wales, Cumbria or Scotland, and as well as soft water you will enjoy a much enhanced quality of life. I can personally recommend it.