Has anyone experience of the 'end-all-your-hard-water-problems' water
softeners
regularly advertised in the weekend papers? They appear to consist simply of a
small black box connected to the mains which one fits round the incoming water
main. All offer your money back (about UKP70?) if you aren't convinced
within 3
months or whatever. They claim by then your kettles, immersion heaters,
furnaces etc will have unfurred themselves to your delight. I must say that if
they work they are a vast improvement on the great tanks I remember my elderly
relatives regularly feeding with large quantities of salt back in the 30s.
1. do they work?
2. if so how? The only satisfactory modus operandi would appear to be that in
some way all calcium in the supply is rendered soluble as it passes under the
black box, and the effect extends downstream to defur all household devices
gradually as well, washing the solubilized calcium away down the drains. Is't
physicochemically possible? If not, how come the apparent crowd of grateful
users whose water, they are convinced, is now softer than whatever?
I became interested lately because I have a daughter in Utrecht who says the
hardness there is a real problem, but also tells me the Dutch do not seem to
have heard of these relatively inexpensive little gadgets or their low running
cost (under UKP2/Dfl 6 per annum).
If they work I'd consider one myself as an alternative to descaling kettles
with half-strength commercial vinegar (at least cheaper than buying descaling
powders in the S/market).
Senior Lurker
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