Limescale advice.

[EdwardCurrent]

Hello All.
My mother had a new 'combi boiler' installed @ 4yrs ago. She does not live in an especially 'hard' water area, ( hardly any signs of limescale throughout the home). She has taken out a contract with BG and has been advised that everything is ok, but she should have a Aquaflow HS38 fitted to prevent future limescale in the boiler. Total cost @£150.
The consumer unit (elec) is right near the main incoming water feed so supplying the unit would not be a problem.
Would me fitting one of these do exactly the same job and be cheaper ??

http://www.eastmidlandswater.com/Details.asp?ProductID=86


Thanks for any advice.

Ed.

 

[kevplumb]

dunno but i would put my name to these

 

[oilman]

So would I. The electronic and magnetic things are a scam IMO.

 

[davebgas]

If its the Hydroflow unit, I think they are great.... got one myself as a promo and it doesnt half shift the scale in the pipes, I live in a quite hard water area as well as it really works, does the whole cold water system not just the central heating.
With anything tho its personal opinon,

 

[oilman]

With anything tho its personal opinon,

Not if any test results have been obtained. While it's personal opinion that it works, it's no better than snake oil. When these sales outfits have some provable data, then I'll believe it. Until then I'll keep my cash.

 

[davebgas]

http://www.hydroflow.com/casestudies-in-action.html

 

[mickyg]

hydroflow doesn't work effectively where i live. We proved it doesn't work, on a few installations of gledhill boilermates. hydroflow even come out and checked they were properly installed.
It might work in other areas I don't know. Only softeners work, and they come with their own issues. The combimate seems to get good comments but I've no personal experience to comment.
To the op, if you haven't had any problems with scale and you don't live in a hard water area then don't bother. BG engineers have to promote a variety of products to create extra income for the company. Even more so at the moment as their income from heating sales has taken a tumble, and for a company that already works with a low operating profit thats bad news. So they're putting it on the engineers to sell sell sell!

 

[JohnD]

nice link, but can you show me the page that has independently proven test results?

 

[davebgas]

http://www.ecmi.us/infowindows/compare_tech.asp
http://www.approvedbusiness.co.uk/ViewArticle_405.aspx
http://boakes.org/do-electronic-limescale-inhibitors-work/comment-page-2/

and for a fair balanced opinion...
http://www.southernwater.co.uk/pdf/Environment/drinkWaterQuality/SoftenersWRCnote.pdf

 

[JohnD]

The 2008 Press Release published on http://www.approvedbusiness.co.uk/ViewArticle_405.aspx

says "Independent tests were conducted by the Royal Scientific Society" but curiously there is no link to the paper documenting these tests. It would be very interesting to see what they said. As regards scale formation it is described as very thin, but surely a scientific study would publish results for identical equipment opoerating with and without the advertised product.

I suppose there must be some reason why these results are not shown

Even sceptics like me would be willing to be convinced by well-researched and documented independent scientific evidence.

 

[mickyg]

nice link, but can you show me the page that has independently proven test results?

 

[mickyg]

John, as I mentioned before, we have proved that the HS38 doesn't work in a particular setup in my area. It may be they work in other setups and they may offer a certain level of protection. but I'm very doubtful they help much more than any other device.

 

[davebgas]

Suit yourself marra but best proof is ask people who have them...

 

[oilman]

Suit yourself marra but best proof is ask people who have them...

Classic salesman's ploy when there is no test results available. "Just you ask our customers". Yeah right Most of them wouldn't know what effect, if any, any gadget had, since they didn't have results before installation, and/or they didn't run a control test.

I used to have a Reliant "Del Boy" type van, it's top speed was definitely higher when I had painted a twin stripe down the side. Really, honest, it was.

 

[EdwardCurrent]

Thank you all for your opinions and advice.

Reading similar posts and looking on the 'net' it seems as though it's all a bit 'hit and miss'. A softener is out of the question financially .

I have read in another post that Fernox sell a descaling cartridge that fits a mastic gun, which can be connected to a rad ? (combi boiler system).

Maybe this would be the way to go ???

(Sorry, but I want to put Mum's mind at ease.)

All the best

Ed.