On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 23:26:24 +0100, "IMM" wrote:


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 22:17:45 +0100, "Charles M Atkinson"
wrote:

I have just used Google to search this newsgroup for all of
the words "electronic magnetic water conditioner" and the
most recent hit was in March 2003 -- not what you'd call
current.

That's current enough. If you were to search using keywords of "IMM"
and "water" you will get about 3000 articles. Qualify further with
"magnetic" or similar and it comes down to about 160 in several
threads which all tend to be very similar. Generally the ratio of
bad to good experience is at least 10:1 as measured by the number of
posts for and against.

Not so, in those who have actually used them, unlike yourself and other
windbags.

In fact I did try one some years ago and found that it didn't work
even to the extent of making a difference to a kettle filled from a
nearby tap.



Enough of the touchy cut and thrust of newsgroup banter.
:-) On to the meat ...

I'm beginning to understand that "physical conditioners"
could be a better choice than a water softener if you:

a) don't mind the possibility of it being useless (as
sometimes happens, hence all the stress on money back
guarantees)

I am always suspicious of products which claim wonderful things,
backed up with pseudo-science and a money back guarantee.
The price point is usually at the level where a significant proportion
of people who buy won't bother to return the product when it doesn't
work.

Mine works. These are used extensively in industry, where I first came
across them about 25 years ago.

This is complete misinformation. All of the references to industrial
use are for closed recirculating systems with proportionately much
larger conditioners than would be used domestically.




b) are short of space

Most domestic water softeners will easily fit the space under a sink.

And take a useful cupboard.

That was an example. There are plenty of other options.



c) only want scale reduction, not water softening

Fine, but the main purpose for that is to prolong the life of
appliances that heat the water. For little more cost than a "water
conditioner", one can buy a polyphosphate doser which definitely does
this job, so I don't see the point of messing around with something
that might or might not do anything and there being little way of
knowing until the damage is done.


d) are worried about having to load salt every month or so

And so you should be.


For what reason? Certainly nothing economic or even ecological when
the reduction in detergent consumption is considered.

If you're worried about lifting, then there are now 5kg and 10kg packs
of salt.



..andy

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