What Are Magnetic Water Softeners and Do They Actually Work?
Hard water in our pipes can affect our clothes, hair, and even our health.
If you live in a hard water area, you may be wondering about how to choose a water softener system. During your investigations, you may have come across magnetic water softeners and wondered how they are different from the salt-based versions.
In this short guide, we will look at the pros and cons of magnetic water softeners. Do they work, and are they really worth installing in your home? Read on to find out.
What Does a Water Softener Do?
A water softener system is designed to reduce the amount of hard water flowing into your home. Hard water is caused by large amounts of magnesium and calcium minerals present in the water. A water softener will help filter these minerals out of your system.
You may find you have hard water in your pipes if you notice crusts forming around your faucets and showerheads. You may also experience stiff laundry after washing or find that your hair seems very dull or lifeless after a shower.
Most types of water softener systems use salt to help reduce the number of minerals present in the pipes. They do this through a chemical reaction that breaks the mineral molecules down with sodium and removes it from the system as salty water.
What Is a Magnetic Water Softener?
A magnetic water softener does not use salt to break down the calcium and magnesium minerals in the water. Instead, it uses the power of magnetism.
It does this by passing the water through a pipe with electromagnetic coils attached. These cause the particles to separate when the water reaches the coils, and this softens the water.
Some consider this process to be safer as it does not require adding any chemicals to the water. However, the system isn’t perfect and has various pros and cons, much like any water softener system.
The Pros of Magnetic Water Softeners
Magnetic softeners do not require as much maintenance as other water softeners as they do not require salt refills. As such, they tend to be one of the less expensive options in the water softener market.
However, water softener price will depend on the make and model that you buy as well as the type of water softener you require, and the hardness of your local water supply.
They last a long time, in some cases up to 40 years, without a need for replacing the filtration bed. Also, the lack of salt in the process means that you will be consuming less sodium in your diet if you drink the filtered water it produces.
The Cons of Magnetic Water Softeners
Many question the validity of what magnetic water softeners claim to be able to do. There is little science to support their effectiveness. Most studies have returned inconclusive results about magnetic water softening.
Evidence suggests that whilst the process might work, the effect on actual scale build-up is minimal. It can prevent some scale in places, but it doesn’t affect water that isn’t constantly flowing, like the water in your heater.
The Verdict
The lack of scientific evidence behind magnetic water softeners is pretty damning, and whilst they may be a cheaper and easy to maintain option, they will likely be much less effective.
At this time, science suggests that you should stick with traditional water softeners until perhaps the technology develops further in the future.
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