Indeed, but the aquabian thing does use something.
Anyone heard of or used the Aqua Bion water softener?
- Thread starter DaMekon
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They're bloody expensive ~£500 for a domestic one.
You can find the price of you look in the right places.
You can find the price of you look in the right places.
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Which shows you don't have to mention prices every 30 seconds 
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I have just had a look at the Combimate [http://www.combimate.co.uk/]. So far as I can see, its mechanism for reducing limescale is even less clear than that for the AmbiBion - e.g. "Combimate adds Combiphos to your water. This 100% safe food-grade natural material stops scale build-up on taps, boilers and appliances." The list price is £150 which is a lot cheaper than the AmbiBion but the magical "Combiphos" refills cost £28 and there is no clear indication how long they will last and therefore the real cost.
They suggest that it will help with both hard AND soft water treatment, imply that it can be used to treat all the water usage in the house but offer a lifetime limescale guarantee that is limited to £500 and only covers "descale or replacement of any hot water heat exchanger within a combination boiler or thermal store that is protected by a Combimate." - so not really that comprehensive then.
As to salt softeners, if I want to shower in sea water, I'll go to the beach and drinking sodium doesn't really seem a very healthy idea.
I get the impression that AmbiBion may be similar to a British product called "Scalebuster" but that this may only be for commercial / industrial use?
They suggest that it will help with both hard AND soft water treatment, imply that it can be used to treat all the water usage in the house but offer a lifetime limescale guarantee that is limited to £500 and only covers "descale or replacement of any hot water heat exchanger within a combination boiler or thermal store that is protected by a Combimate." - so not really that comprehensive then.
As to salt softeners, if I want to shower in sea water, I'll go to the beach and drinking sodium doesn't really seem a very healthy idea.
I get the impression that AmbiBion may be similar to a British product called "Scalebuster" but that this may only be for commercial / industrial use?
There is no salt in the water from a softener. If there ever is, it is badly broken and should be mended or thrown away. Salt cannot leak in during use, as the bin is unpressurised, though some is drawn in during the regenerating cycle, then rinsed away.
They do add a tiny amount of bicarbonate of soda, as found in indigestion tablets and baking powder. If you drink softened water for a month, you will pick up less sodium than is in a loaf of bread.
They do add a tiny amount of bicarbonate of soda, as found in indigestion tablets and baking powder. If you drink softened water for a month, you will pick up less sodium than is in a loaf of bread.
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No, I don't. I have had a look at the Wikipedia entry and Googled extensively (e.g. HERE and HERE). None of that really helps but it does suggest that water softeners work by substituting salt for hard minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and iron.So you don't know how [hard water softeners] work then
What I have heard is that they work reasonably well but are large and require frequent refills with salt which does alter the taste of the water.
The point of this query was to see if anyone had actual personal, practical experience of the AquaBion.
Well if it says so in Google and Wikipedia then it must be true
"it does suggest that water softeners work by substituting salt for hard minerals"
no, they don't. Your Hometips guide is clumsily written by somebody who doesn't understand how ionic exchange works.
Milk contains five times as much sodium as softened water.
30mg sodium in a US gallon of softened water
170mg in a slice of bread
40mg in a can of diet coke
55mg in an egg
2,400mg in a teaspoonful of salt
Try
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_softening#Effects_of_sodium
useful chart (but American)
http://www.merleswater.com/blog/bid/144148/Drinking-Softened-Water-How-Much-Sodium-in-Softened-Water
It is quite common for people to have a kitchen cold tap or dispenser for unsoftened water to drink. This is particularly desirable for FF babies or people with kidney disease prescribed a low sodium diet (they also cannot eat bread, eggs, ketchup, diet coke, etc).
no, they don't. Your Hometips guide is clumsily written by somebody who doesn't understand how ionic exchange works.
Milk contains five times as much sodium as softened water.
30mg sodium in a US gallon of softened water
170mg in a slice of bread
40mg in a can of diet coke
55mg in an egg
2,400mg in a teaspoonful of salt
Try
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_softening#Effects_of_sodium
useful chart (but American)
http://www.merleswater.com/blog/bid/144148/Drinking-Softened-Water-How-Much-Sodium-in-Softened-Water
It is quite common for people to have a kitchen cold tap or dispenser for unsoftened water to drink. This is particularly desirable for FF babies or people with kidney disease prescribed a low sodium diet (they also cannot eat bread, eggs, ketchup, diet coke, etc).
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have fitted two of these
http://www.hydrotec.co.uk/hydromag
against my better judgement, but shock and horror they do actually work.
http://www.hydrotec.co.uk/hydromag
against my better judgement, but shock and horror they do actually work.
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