Do you reckon these strap on Magnets help with limescale?

Andy From Sligo

Was in homebase yesterday and see these clip on magnets that clip onto 1/2" water pipe to stop or cut down on limescale - they are held onto pipe (i presume copper pipe) with cable ties - do you reckon they work? - have you plumbers ever fitted them, or has anyone fitted them and found they work good? - they are not breaking the bank at 10euro each but im just wondering do they really work because we suffer a fair bit from limescale at this house we moved in and was thinking of getting 1 or 2 of them, maybe one for the washing machine and another one for the kitchen cold water tap

zl1whqvjs75cdy

Probably not would be my gut reaction. Limescale is calcium based. Calcium is not magentic so won't be caught by the magnet. That'd be my guess anyway.

Andy From Sligo

donkeyoaty0099 wrote: »

Probably not would be my gut reaction. Limescale is calcium based. Calcium is not magentic so won't be caught by the magnet. That'd be my guess anyway.

i think the magnetism is supposed to break up the calcium into little bits and change it chemically so it dont stick to kettle elements and the like - thats my understanding

- they claim on pack that water will be softer and less powder needed in the washing machine - bit of a wild statement i suppose

Bogger77

TBH: these are modern snake oil, magnets cannot transform the calcium. The calcium, is suspended in solution in the water, it cannot be broken up into any smaller pieces, they're split down to atom level in solution.

real water softeners (ion replacement), replace the calcium ions in the incoming water with sodium ions, which do not form limescale/react with soap, ie soften the water.

If magnets worked, there'd be no need for the more expensive ion replacing devices.

beauf

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

...we suffer a fair bit from limescale at this house we moved in ...

You're way beyond Magnets.

Sleeper12

Total waste of money.

Andy From Sligo

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Total waste of money.

how can stuff be on sale that is 'not fit for the purpose?' - under the trading laws - they must work musnt they?

Sleeper12

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

how can stuff be on sale that is 'not fit for the purpose?' - under the trading laws - they must work musnt they?

You can also buy insulating paint if you want to part with your cash. It's not recognized by any body, sei etc but it still says insulating paint on the tin. and it won't insulate your home.

My sole business now is electric showers. Repair, installation etc. The water from swords in North Dublin to Dundalk is possibly the worst in Ireland for limescale. I have clients in Balbriggan that need me to change the element every year. Years ago I fitted some of these magnetic strap on. They had zero effect.
If you want to get rid of limescale you'll need to spend around €800 on a water softening system. These systems pay for themselves in a few years.

NIMAN

Total waste of time, do not work.

But a bit like mediums, some people will believe in them and swear by them.

endacl

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

how can stuff be on sale that is 'not fit for the purpose?' - under the trading laws - they must work musnt they?

How do you prove they don't? Really expensive before and after tests.

Andy From Sligo

Sleeper12 wrote: »

You can also buy insulating paint if you want to part with your cash. It's not recognized by any body, sei etc but it still says insulating paint on the tin. and it won't insulate your home.

My sole business now is electric showers. Repair, installation etc. The water from swords in North Dublin to Dundalk is possibly the worst in Ireland for limescale. I have clients in Balbriggan that need me to change the element every year. Years ago I fitted some of these magnetic strap on. They had zero effect.
If you want to get rid of limescale you'll need to spend around €800 on a water softening system. These systems pay for themselves in a few years.

The swizzers - and counter productive in terms of sales - if person one buys one and likes then might decide to buy a couple more because they work and then tell their friends who then tell their friends and so on.... but if your gonna bring out a product that ant gonna work as it says on the front of the card, you might as well not bring out the product at all - and these places like woodies and homebase that sell em should withdraw them from the shelves if they dont work! - still mind you, your always gonna have gullible customers like me about :rolleyes:

Sleeper12

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

The swizzers - and counter productive in terms of sales - if person one buys one and likes then might decide to buy a couple more because they work and then tell their friends who then tell their friends and so on.... but if your gonna bring out a product that ant gonna work as it says on the front of the card, you might as well not bring out the product at all - and these places like woodies and homebase that sell em should withdraw them from the shelves if they dont work! - still mind you, your always gonna have gullible customers like me about :rolleyes:

Here's the thing. Even people reading this thread will still believe what it says on the card.

As I say you can buy expensive insulating paint that doesn't insulate. Some people pay €140000 to insulate the outside of their home & yet other people believe what it says on the paint tin & think they will insulate with a few hundred euro worth of paint.
You can buy exterior paint guaranteed to last 10 years & yet when it peels they blame the prep work.

In simple terms, if it seems too good to be true then it usually is. Judge Judy likes to say that.

NIMAN

As someone said, why are €1000 water softening systems still around if a €20 magnet will sort it out for you?

Andy From Sligo

NIMAN wrote: »

As someone said, why are €1000 water softening systems still around if a €20 magnet will sort it out for you?

for gullible people? - for rich people?

Andy From Sligo

i see most of the top dishwashers and washing machines made by bosch and the like have a similar thing like the magnets where they have a 240v wire running down the water inlet and to a coil at the end where the water inlet pipe fits to the tap - i thought it was just for the aqua stop system at first at first but when i cracked one casing open it indeed have a coil - so that must work on the same kind of principles as the magnets

Andy From Sligo

I think now because UISCÉ is putting all the water meters in now in ireland at water meter level they should have put in water filtration in every house for hard water areas - i mean they will be supplying the water, you will be buying it off them the least they should do is take away the limescale for ye (and perhaps fluoride?) and filter the other stuff so its fit for drinking and wont wreck your appliances and be nice and soft water to bathe and shower in - what do you reckon?

NIMAN

Currys in the UK actually sell something similar
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/laundry-dishwashers/laundry-dishwasher-accessories/wpro-mwc013-h2pro-magnetic-water-conditioner-17316319-pdt.html

NIMAN

Hard water is not considered harmful in any way, and as a result will not be treated before it enters your house. Its safe to drink, and I drink it all the time. Its when its heated/boiled that the lime problem worsens.

The fact that it ruins appliances and leaves scum everywhere is not of any concern to Irish Water tbh.

More's the pity, as I live in a hard water area.

Andy From Sligo

NIMAN wrote: »

...
The fact that it ruins appliances and leaves scum everywhere is not of any concern to Irish Water tbh.

ooh i dunno, if ESB were to supply me with spikes / underpower/overpower or unclean electricity supply that could be damaging to my appliances as limescale in the water can be damaging to appliances and shortern their life I might have something to say and demand they supply a steady clean electrical supply! .....

ozmo

NIMAN wrote: »

Currys in the UK actually sell something similar
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/laundry-dishwashers/laundry-dishwasher-accessories/wpro-mwc013-h2pro-magnetic-water-conditioner-17316319-pdt.html

Maplin too had them as a half page spread in their brochure (a mains powered magnet version).

I expected more from Maplin...

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/kemo-decalcifier-module-n72au



There was a mythbusters episode about very similar devices once I think, where they were used on car fuel lines.

dmd79

i have been looking into this a little bit and reading up on various studies, what i have found is that the magnets do not in fact attract the calcium, but they do however change the water molecules from a + to a - which in turn when heated then does not have as much of a limescale effect when heated but more of a powdery substance.

Andy From Sligo

dmd79 wrote: »

i have been looking into this a little bit and reading up on various studies, what i have found is that the magnets do not in fact attract the calcium, but they do however change the water molecules from a + to a - which in turn when heated then does not have as much of a limescale effect when heated but more of a powdery substance.

so that must be better isnt it to have powdery limescale than hard limescale mustnt it be? - im still in 2 minds whether to get one/some

Sleeper12

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

so that must be better isnt it to have powdery limescale than hard limescale mustnt it be? - im still in 2 minds whether to get one/some

I promise you a complete waste of money. I have seen these being tested in Balbriggan on electric showers. The elements needed to be changed around the same time as the showers without the magnets. But hey they are not expensive. Its not a lot of money to waste.

Andy From Sligo

Sleeper12 wrote: »

I promise you a complete waste of money. I have seen these being tested in Balbriggan on electric showers. The elements needed to be changed around the same time as the showers without the magnets. But hey they are not expensive. Its not a lot of money to waste.

I find it hard for a product then to get and stay on the market that is 'not fit for the purpose' and doesnt do what it says on the front of the pack, why are these consumer trades description people not pulling these things if they dont work and are useless?
I read on the front of one the other day 'if you fit to the cold water inlet pipe of your washing machine it will soften the water, clothes will come out feeling softer and you can reduce the amount of washing powder as well as it protecting the element' - if this is all balls how are they allowed to carry on selling it?

Sleeper12

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

I find it hard for a product then to get and stay on the market that is 'not fit for the purpose' and doesnt do what it says on the front of the pack, why are these consumer trades description people not pulling these things if they dont work and are useless?
I read on the front of one the other day 'if you fit to the cold water inlet pipe of your washing machine it will soften the water, clothes will come out feeling softer and you can reduce the amount of washing powder as well as it protecting the element' - if this is all balls how are they allowed to carry on selling it?

You should buy one & let us know in a few years what you think. There hasn't been a single comment here from someone that has found they work.
All I can say is I have seen that they don't work. If they reduce limescale by .0001% then they can claim they reduce limescale.

mikom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwVDDxoKBk4

Andy From Sligo

Sleeper12 wrote: »

You should buy one & let us know in a few years what you think. There hasn't been a single comment here from someone that has found they work.
All I can say is I have seen that they don't work. If they reduce limescale by .0001% then they can claim they reduce limescale.

yeah i reckon thats how they must be getting away with it the bloody scammers