Limescale inhibitors - test reports?

[skyblob]

Hi.

Does anyone know of a source of independent test reports for any of the limescale inhibitors on the market? Yes, they do work to varying degrees, (I'll vouch for that having used them in the past), but we have no way of knowing whether (or why) a £30 electronic one may be any different from a £150 one, other than the manufacturers mark-up.

Then there are the magnetic and the electrolytic ones. Which are better for what application? why, and by how much?

Got any links to comparative test reports? then let's have them.

Ta

 

[gas4you]

I'm glad to hear that you have had some success with them in the past, although from my experience you have just been lucky!

The only real way to stop scale is to use a water softener

 

[Agile]

In my experience which includes that of the launderette industry only the permanent magnet and the siliphos types will work to a degree. Also the electrolytic ones as well but they are not generally available.

Whatever is used it has to be fitted in the right position for the purpose.

Some types have side effects.

Tony

 

[c128]

I installed a Water King Sentry about 2 years now:

http://www.lifescience.co.uk/domestic_conditioners_range.htm

...and I mean, meticulously installed - special care to tight, neat windings and located exactly as per the instructions. If it's having any impact on limescale I'd be surprised - it's still on the taps, builds up in the kettle etc. I'm considering taking them up on their No Quibble guarantee, although I don't expect to have too much joy.

Any specific recommendations for a reasonably priced limescale inhibitor that works?

 

[Agile]

They make their money out of those no quibble guarantees.

People buy them on the strentgt of that guarantee but virtually nobody ever returns them for a refund.

Thus those firms can say that 99% of their customers are happy with them!

In our launderette we use a magnet to protect the directly heating central heating boiler used for the launderette hot water. Its a CH502 !

Tony

 

[c128]

People buy them on the strentgt of that guarantee but virtually nobody ever returns them for a refund.

Yep, I take your point. We actually bought on the recommendation of a local plumbing shop, but also noted the guarantee etc. as further evidence that it ought to work despite being sceptical. Presumeably some folk have a good experience with this kind of thing though?

I'm tempted to try the return, just to see what happens (I suspect nothing).

 

[skyblob]

Well thanks guys.
I actually found this http://clearwatergmx.com/gmxspecs.html which has some technical info about the magnetic ones.

Personally some years ago I bought a Scalewatcher electronic one for a house in Surrey. When I moved in, the bath took 20 minutes to run and all the pipes were terrible. About 2 years use with the Scalewatcher on the rising main and truly the scale really had been dissolved and I had full flow in all the taps. I was a convert.

I still have that Scalewatcher unit but it's used somewhere else in another house. I am looking for cheaper ones now as the Scalewatchers really are expensive. In fact I bought a cheapo one from Maplin a year ago (A little unbranded electronic "decalcifier" connected from a 12V power brick). I'm not convinced that one is in fact doing anything useful in this house, as scale is still a problem. Hence my question.

I read about the magnetic stuff on the GMX website quoted and have since been to http://www.guysmagnets.com/index.php?cPath=27_47. I am thinking of trying one of their magnets, as considerably cheaper than the Scalewatcher. It seems you need at least 4000 gauss in the pipe.

Ta for any more opinions though.

 

[Agile]

The permanent magnet ones have been proved in the launderette industry and give a very powerful magnetic field.

The electronic one are such low power they will be little more than the earths magnetic field.

Tony