As far as I know there is evidence that they work - although I couldn't
point you to it. They claim to work by subjecting the dissolved ions to a
strong magnetic field, which then stops them from settling out as scale.
Whether this is tosh or not I couldn't say, but I do remember a fairly
respectable article on it (probably in Electronics and Power - the IEE
magazine).
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask]
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]
Sent: 11 December 1998 18:45
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: water softeners
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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