Has anyone used one of the magnetic "water softeners" that you attach to the pipes. If so, do they really work?

-- joe lehnen (joetree@shentel.net), June 27, 2000

Answers

I was browsing through the unanswered questions on the forum and found your question. Maybe this response will come before it is too late. I also was curious about those magnetic softeners. I purchased 2 and my husband put them on the pipes. I left them on for 3 months like they recommended and I could not notice any difference in the water. It was still very hard. Fortunately, the outfit where I purchased them had a full refund if you weren't satisfied, including shipping. They said that very few had been returned. Since they are easy enough to put on, what could it hurt to try. I ordered mine from Dripworks. (1-800-522-3747) (dripworksusa.com)

-- Marlene Leiby (mleiby@caprock-spur.com), November 13, 2000.

I have had a magentic system on for several years, and it works well and has replaced my resin based system that used salt.

The system that I have was purchased mail order for about $400 and uses an electronic box to pulse magnetic fields thru a coil wrapped around the pipes. I have seen the no electric, clamp on magnet type units and understand that they do almost nothing.

We have very hard water and this has significantly reduced the limescale on bathtub, dishes, sinks toilets, etc.

You still have limescale in the water i.e. it is in a microcrystaline form, so, if you boil a pot of water dry, you get white powder. It is not as "stickey" and does not bond to everything.

-- richard pace (rpace@erols.com), December 16, 2000.