Water softeners

[markj]

Hi could anyone tell me which is the better water softener,the regenerative salt type, or the electrical descaler type and if you have had personal experience of either of these,what were the results.Thanks any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ProffesorPlumb]

You can get de scalers that fit inline with the incoming suppy pipe. Speedfit, so you don't need much skill to fit them either 🙂

 

[markj]

Is that the electric type,the coil wound round the pipe? Thanks.

 

[Alanka]

Let's get rid of some confusions here!

Electrical 'descalers' are not water softeners -- they do not remove anything from the water, they just 'condition' it so that (in theory) scale does not form and stick to metal surfaces inside water heaters. The conditioned water is still 'hard' and forms scum with soaps.


True water softeners (usually resin bed regenerative salt types) actually remove calcium and magnesium from the water leaving it 'soft' -- no scale is formed and it lathers easily with soaps. However the softened water is high in sodium and so should not be drunk or used to water the garden.

There are several types of water 'conditioners', including magnetic, electrolytic, radio-frequency, polyphosphate dosing, and others. Of these, the only one that I know that works -- from personal experience over many years -- is the polyphosphate dosing type. I have read research that shows the other types work under certain conditions, but I have seen many domestic installations where they have clearly failed to work (including in my own house). In these cases I have fitted polyphosphate types with proven success.

 

[markj]

Thanks big al for clarification, could you tell me where I can purchase this item,which wholesalers.Thanks.

 

[Alanka]

Homebase sell them, and so do Screwfix (NoLinkingToThis - Where the Trade Buys). There are several different designs available, with either annually replaceable cartridges (the ones I always fit) or refills of crystals. Google will help track them down.