Table of Contents

Hard water is a common problem in many households. Now, there are several methods to remove mineral deposits within the hard water. However, one method that has people divided on its effectiveness is magnetic or electronic descalers.

So, do magnetic water descalers work? Yes, they do, but they might not be the best option in some cases. In this article, we'll explore their effectiveness and also try to dispel some misconceptions people might have about water descalers.

Principle Of Electronic Descalers

First, let’s try to understand what the main working idea behind these types of water descalers is. The magnetic or electrical part of the name refers to the high-frequency electromagnetic field created within the machine.

This high-frequency electromagnetic energy works to force the mineral ions away from the walls of an appliance or pipe.

Using controlled electrical impulses, the field then alters the shapes of these mineral ions. This removes their ability to adhere or stick to surfaces, so they end up being suspended in the water. The mineral ions can then be easily removed by simply draining the water as they do not get stuck to any components or surfaces.

So, to summarize, water descalers don’t exactly remove hard water molecules. They separate and alter the mineral ions so that they don’t stick to appliances or pipes. Therefore, they prevent scale and mineral buildup from occurring.

Magnetic descalers do not make use of lime or any other chemicals to descale the water, so you won’t have to worry about contamination.

Electric or magnetic water descalers also do not require any maintenance and mostly work automatically, also requiring barely any monitoring. For large-scale tasks, they are incredibly helpful, with their only hassle being that they require you to carefully plan out the area of installation so that they work at their maximum effectiveness.

Effectiveness Of Magnetic Water Descalers

Since we’ve talked about the working principle of these types of machines, we’ll look at how effective they are. One thing to take note about these is that they use coils to facilitate the electromagnetic field and that their descaling effectiveness depends on how strong the field is.

In places where you can establish a strong electromagnetic field via large coils, the descaling effectiveness is quite noticeable.

On water pipes, magnetic water descalers are quite useful. They can suspend the mineral ions, which can later be drained. With how common scaling is in pipes, these fast descalers can prevent mineral build-up.

On smaller appliances, especially households, their effectiveness is decreased. The electromagnetic field and circuitry used to control the impulses are weaker and less complex.

So, the descaling effectiveness of these household magnetic water descalers is lower. They aren’t as thorough and only reduce build-up, so you might notice some scaling remaining.

Household magnetic water descalers aren't as effective as their chemical variations, which can eliminate scaling instead of simply reducing the buildup. It should also be noted that these water descalers work over a long period of time.

They work to keep scale and mineral levels at the minimum, and you'll notice these results over a month or two.

Limitations Of Magnetic Water Descalers

It’s important to note that these machines have some limitations. The most prominent of these issues is the presence of iron. Magnetic water descalers cannot remove iron from water. Too much iron in water can interfere with the electromagnetic field and impede operation.

They are commonly used to remove calcium and magnesium buildup in water. As it has been said, they work over a long period and aim to keep the mineral build-up at a very low level.

If scale existed before the descaler has been installed or implemented, there are chances it won’t work fast enough to remove the existing scale, and it can't keep up with mineral build-up.

Water descalers also do not remove pollutants. You will need a filter system for that.

Conclusion

So, do electronic descalers work? They do, but they aren't always the most effective option. There are conditions you need to account for before using them, and there may be cheaper options at times.

The bottom line is, magnetic or electronic water descalers can get the job done, but they won't always be the best or fastest option.