A Simple Electronic Water Softener/Conditioner

We live in an area of very hard water and many of our neighbors have had one of the water softening systems fitted to their homes. Unfortunately they all claim their system as the best and with some of the systems costing four figures we were undecided what to do. Whilst researching the different systems available we came across the ClearWave Heavy Duty Electronic Water Softener and with a price point of less than $150 with free shipping we thought we would give it a go. Well we have been using the system now for a year and what do we think?

Obviously the first thing that attracted us was the price, costing around 10% of some other systems, if the unit worked half as well as it claimed it would be a great piece of kit. Upon receiving my unit I must admit I was a bit dubious as to it’s abilities. Basically what you get is a simple looking plastic box with two small electrical wires to wrap around your pipes and a standard household plug for the power supply. So you follow the instructions and attach the ClearWave unit to the pipe work as near as you can to the point where the supply enters the house, wrap the two electrical wires around the pipe, one clockwise and one counter clockwise, and plug it in, your efforts being rewarded with a very slight humming sound and some flashing L.E.D lights that reminded me a bit too much of Kit, the car in the old Knight Rider series. If I am starting to sound a touch cynical that’s how I felt at the time.

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How can something so simple that takes me ten minutes in total to fit actually work? Well I’m happy to say that it does, but it does have it’s limits, more of which later.

So how does the ClearWave work? The unit passes a series of very small electrical pulses through the water supply which increases the electromotive attraction of the water to mineral salts, most importantly in areas of hard water the minerals calcium and magnesium. This attraction causes the minerals to remain in solution in the water supply instead of being deposited within the pipes, taps, showerheads etc as lime scale, the dreaded scale that we spend so long and so much on cleaning products trying to remove. What’s more the treated water remains electromotively charged for 3 to 4 hours after passing through the ClearWave unit. As this water moves through your household systems it begins to soften and remove any old deposits of scale from your pipe work and appliances. We saw a definite improvement in the condition of the shower head and taps after about 2-3 weeks of use.

Had we the patience to wait this should have totally removed itself after a couple of months but we found it an easy job to remove once the treated water had softened the old deposits and there has been no re-occurrence. We knew that the ClearWave was working within about a week as we began to notice small pieces of scale in our water as the system purged itself of old deposits of scale. This is not a problem in washing and showering water, but is something you may want to keep in mind for the water with which you use to cook or drink- we filtered ours during this initial phase. Pretty much immediately we noticed that the water ‘lathered up’ much more than before enabling us to cut down drastically on our usage of soap, shampoo, washing powder and household cleaners, in fact to such an extent that it could be argued that the savings made here could quickly pay for the unit themselves. If you add in the money you will save on repair and replacement bills for your domestic appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and boilers the savings to be made could be considerable.

Another benefit for me with the system is that it is not only easy and quick to fit yourself but it has no further maintenance issues, it really is a ‘fit and forget’ item with no expensive water filter, replacement cartridge or bags of ‘Culligan Salt’ ever needed.

What about any downsides? Well the ClearWave is not really an electronic water ‘softener’, but to be fair to them if you look at the description of the unit printed on it does actually call it a water conditioner. Basically the scale is held in suspension and not removed by the system and so it passes straight through. This means that if you are in the market for pure drinking water you will need to invest in a reverse osmosis water filter in addition to the ClearWave. Initially you will need to clear out any filters in your water systems as the loosened scale can clog them up but that’s what you want them to do isn’t it?

Before I bought the unit I read quite a few customer reviews on sites such as Amazon and was surprised how, although most people gave the ClearWave 4 or 5 stars a few gave it 1 or 2 . With my experience of the system I really think that most problems may be caused by incorrect fitment. It is very important that all the criteria are adhered to, tightness of the wires, winding them in opposite directions etc or the unit will just not work.

Should you get this electronic water softener or not?  Well it depends on your needs ….

If you want a device that will clean and keep clear your whole house water system of lime scale at low cost and with no maintenance then the ClearWave is a real home improvement. If you want salt based water softeners you will still need to fit separate water filters for your cooking and drinking supplies and you will pay in the region of $700 to $1000 for a good system, but you will get genuine soft water with all lime scale removed by the water filters. If you are really serious about having the very best quality water for use in your home then you are looking more towards installing a Pelican system costing around $3500 and I suspect that you have not read this far anyway!

Of the products available at the lower price point for a water softener the ClearView Heavy Duty Electronic Water Softener is of the first rank. Ease of fit, no maintenance and low price point allied to it’s scale removal abilities make it great buy in my experience.

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Choose Between a Salt-Based or Salt-Free Electronic Water Softener

To determine if water is hard is done by checking the mineral and sediment content of water. Those minerals are magnesium and calcium to be exact. Too much of these chemicals are what causes hard water. The main problem is hard water causes detergents and soaps become less effective and there is reason to believe it causes clogging along pipe walls. To filter out these minerals can be quite expensive done on a grand scale. A less expensive alternative is an electronic water softener, which can alleviate the worries that accompany a home or other resident with hard water problems.

Most water softeners use sodium in the form of purified salt to counteract the effects of calcium and magnesium. This water is then distributed throughout the home ‘softened’. One predicament is that with those that are salt sensitive, reverse osmosis filtering is needed, so that this brine solution is not used for drinking. Activation of softeners can be done a couple of ways. Water or electricity can activate water softeners. When water pressure hits purified salt, it regenerates the water as needed.

With a conventional electronic water softener, it is always on. Some electronic softeners work electromagnetically by altering the way calcium ions act within water. With a salt free option there is an added advantage of not having to remember to refill the softeners every few months as it is done with the salt systems. In homes where the mineral content of the water has not been tested, harder water is can often show up as spots on clean dishes or newly washed vehicles.

The fact is with hard water, the dish liquid or dishwasher detergent does not disperse fully. The same goes for laundry. Clothing where soap builds up feel stiff and detergent build-up can damage clothing over time. When washing hair, it can leave a film and cause hair to look less than vibrant. Washing up in the shower with hard water, means the soap does not lather nor does it rinse off well. It causes a film, which means a body that feels unclean, spots form on shower walls and curtains and soap scum builds up.

With an electronic water softener, soap lathers up and water rinses cleaner, so less of both are used. Hard water actually creates extra work in getting items to look and feel clean and whether a traditional or electronic water softener is used; it is a boon to family lifestyle. Imagine clog-free pipes, cleaner dishes, hair and clothing, all while using less soap, shampoo and laundry detergent!

Popular brands – all types of water softeners included – Pelican, Waterside, Kinetico, Tapworks, Culligan, EZ, Little Plumber, Scalewatcher, Lifescience

Part 2 of “How a Water Softener Works” by a professional water conditioning contractor located in Central Maryland. The owner of Mr. Water Professional Water Treatment finishes explaining the major components of the EcoSoft Water Treatment Systems® 32000 grain electronic demand water softener with iron control. The resin in the softener tank is shown along with the salt (brine) tank, and the GAC (carbon) post filter. Then he shows a residential water softener going through it cycles. In a never before shown and very interesting backwash (upflow) cycle, the resin is seen rising in the fiberglass tank and a detailed explanation of ion exchange water softening is given. The brine draw cycle of a water softener in also shown in great detail.

How does a water softener work? In part 1 in this three part video Scott Handy, owner of Mr. Water Professional Water Treatment in Hagerstown, Maryland explains the major components of a well system, and residential water softener. He starts off by showing where the well line comes in through the wall into the basement of the home and leads to the pressure tank, pressure switch, pressure gauge and to the bladder tank and then the main shut off valve. From there Scott shows his professional installation of the water line leading to the prefilter, bypass, electronic softener control valve, and into the fiberglass resin tank. Also a close-up of the riser tube and cation exchange resin contained in a water softener is shown and explained.

This movie about our new Patent Pending Water Softener and Sulfur Removal System was shot on location in Jefferson, Maryland. This customer was referred to us from another happy customer in the area that had problem well water. This EcoSoft Water Treatment Systems® 32000 grain Electronic Demand Water Softener w/ EcoVent Technology was installed in January 2010. It was installed to treat Hard, Irony and Smelly Sulfur (Hydrogen Sulfide) rotten egg smell and remove it for good. Mr. Water Professional Water Treatment of Hagerstown, Maryland serves the Central Maryland area.

www.ecowater.com Water Refiners: Water is Earth’s most precious resource. EcoWater Systems produces residential and commercial water filtration and water treatment and softener systems to provide people with soft water and pure, clean drinking water. For more information on our Water Softeners, please visit www.ecowater.com

The ClearWave water conditioner is makes your hard water “act” like soft water by changing calcium particles with electromagnetic impulses.

Prevent damage to your washing machine or dishwasher by installing magnetic water descaler. It really works: the magnetic fiels prevents lime-scale accumulation on the heating element. Did you know that 1.5 mm of lime scale increase your energy consumption in 15%? Use magnetic water descaler, and you will save money.

EasyWater is a No-Salt Water Softener Alternative that conserves water, protects your appliances and can save you hundreds each year.

EasyWater is a No-Salt Water Softener Alternative that conserves water, protects your appliances and can save you hundreds each year. EasyWater can be self installed or professionally installed by one of our many authorized dealers across the country.

ScaleBlaster is the GREEN alternative to water softeners that requires no salt, filters, or chemical treatments to solve hard water problems. ScaleBlaster is not a water softener but rather a water conditioner that enables a technology using an electronic square wave frequency that transforms the electrical and physical properties of the calcium and magnesium deposits in water. This process allows the mineral deposits to lose their adhesive properties suspending the deposits in the water and not allowing them to adhere to fixtures as normal hard water would do. You will enjoy water that lathers and rinses off easier and experience “softer, silkier” feeling water on skin, hair and clothes because the ScaleBlaster unit will reduce the surface tension of the water molecule. The ScaleBlaster technology eliminates lime scale deposits on sinks, faucets and shower heads unlike a traditional water softener that only further prevents scale build up. Because we remove current scale deposits we increase the efficiency and prolong the life of all appliances that come in contact with water. ScaleBlaster is specifically designed for hard water area and tankless water heater users.