On 2007-11-02 17:31:07 +0000, Fred said:

On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:10:17 GMT, John Stumbles
wrote:

So why do YOU call it a softener (even in quotes)? It's not: it's a scale
inhibitor plus sediment filter.

Since it seems to contain some sort of ion exchange resin to "inhibit"
the scale, I presumed it did so by the process of softening.

I am wondering, having read the other replies, whether this is half a
softener, in as much as it seems to contain a cartridge of resin but
lacks the recharge mechanism?

Does anyone know exactly what this is and how it works?

I did note that screwfix did not go as far as calling it a softener
and that's why I used the quotes to signify that I was not sure. That
it appeared on the same page as some other magical scale inhibitors
made me ask whether this too was just another of the same.

If it claims to offer descaling, then the other technology is phosphate
dosing. There are products that do this such as Combimate, whereby a
small amount of chemical is leached into the water and prevents scaling
of surfaces such as the heat exchanger in a boiler or HW cylinder.
It doesn't soften the water in the sense of ion exchange so no saving
on detergents. The chemical in that one is in pellet form and added
every few months.

If this device is the same technology, then perhaps it's a cartridge
replacement. The same type of mechanical container forms the basis of
water filters, reverse osmosis devices and the like and these all have
exchangeable cartridges.