Replies

1. 
   Joe_Hennessey | Oct 06, 2001 06:34pm | #1

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   I think you need to look here -------->

   http://www.artbell.com/

   Joe H

1. 
   Drew_Meng | Oct 09, 2001 05:06am | #2

   *Larry - I had a customer who used one of these systems and he swore by it. I don't believe that it's purely a "softing system". The way I understand it is that it changes the cation/anion relationship of the water. This customer said that it reduces scaling, REMOVED old blue and brown stains on his toilet and tub and he did away with his previous water treatment system. He even had a plumber take out a section of copper pipe after this system was installed for a while and all the scaling inside the copper pipe was gone. I'm thinking of trying it, just haven't gotten around to it yet. What types of tests do you have in mind?

1. 
   FredB | Oct 11, 2001 02:01am | #3

   *This scam comes up every once in a while. Basic chemistry seems to say this is just a lot of hooey. Save your money. Calcium or lime aren't affected by these small magnetic fields. Now, if you have some iron filings....

1. 
   David_MacDonald | Nov 23, 2001 03:44am | #4

   *I'm not so sure it is a scam. I thought the same thing but recently I was working on a large industrial project for a plating where we sold and installed a turbine/cogeneration system with cooling towers and chillers and York International who supplied the chillers put magnets on the water lines to help reduce the calcium and lime. Anyone in the business of selling/installing equipment doesn't install anything without a good reason. Especially when it would cut into profits. I never did meet the engineers who specified them to find out the scientific reason for having them though.

1. 
   Dave_Richeson | Nov 24, 2001 04:38pm | #5

   *Fred, lime is calcium carbonate. It is formed by the presents of calcium dissolved in the water and the presents of naturally occurring excess oxygen. the amount of scaling occurring in any particular area is related to how much dissolved calcium and oxygen are exist in the source water. Think of scale as mini stalagetite/mite formation in water linesMost inorganic and organic compounds have what is know as a dipole moment. Meaning that when subject to a magnetic influence, they will orient themself with the magnetic field, much like iron filings. Now whether this same influence can keep a Ca+O2 reaction from occurring, I don't know. O2 is very polar, and H2O is bipolar, maybe the magnetic fied just keeps them flipping enough to reduce the reaction rate.I guess I am saying never say never. Magnetic properties of organic and in organic chemical compounds are the basis of the MRI scanning technology. It has come along way from 30 years ago when it was called NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance). A lot of advances in fields outside of plumbing and construction impact those very fields.York International does indeed use this type of system on chilled water cooling systems. They have pitch them to my employer. There must be something to it that increases profit, after all they are the ones that have to clean out the chiller barrels when they scale up.Dave

2. 
   Dave_Richeson | Nov 24, 2001 05:46pm | #6

   *Correction to the formation of line post. It is calcium and carbon dioxide dissolved in the water.Dave

3. 
   David_Thomas | Nov 25, 2001 01:17am | #7

   *Joe H: ROFLAO!! Being at the end of the road, we get lots of Art Bell listeners up here, so I appreciate the humor.It is amazing how many hitchhikers believe in the black helicopters, Area 51, etc. Versus very few of the people you meet on the jobsite - you know, productive employable members of society that are taking their medications as needed. -David

2. 
   Larry_David | Nov 25, 2001 01:17am | #8

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   Anyone have any experience in a magnetic water softner system? Do they work? Are there any agencies that performed tests? It appears it's a system of enclosed magnets around your supply line on the cold water side. Larry David