Re: [OT] Water Conditioners...

[David Leftley <ukha@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 02 Dec 2005 22:12:28 +0000, Wayne <Wayne@xxxxxxx>
wrote:
>I've done a little digging on google and found lots of people doing
full
>on water purifiers / filters that need plumbers to fit (I'm not allowed
>to do plumbing!), but have also come across these so called 'water
>conditioners' requiring no plumbing in - just wrapping of cables around
>pipes.
>
>http://www.scalewatcher.co.uk/index.asp
>http://www.waterimp.co.uk/
>
>The thing is - do these things actually work?? and are they any good?
>Have any of the 'ukha collective' ever used these things and would like
>to share their thoughts? Are water softeners in general worth their
money?

The water "softeners" that work on a magnet/electromagnet basis
are
utterly useless, in my experience. I tried one, as did a few others
that I know, and they made no noticeable difference.

The ones that need to be plumbed in and then filled up with salt each
month are more expensive (to install and run) but well worth it for
the difference they make. They not only cut out the build-up of scale,
but you use less soap and you notice it in little ways like the bath
staying cleaner, and your hair feeling cleaner.

Kinetico are supposed to be the best brand, but they are relatively
expensive. I haven't used any others, so I can't comment on how they
compare.

David.