In two different studies conducted by the Water Quality Research Association in June, 2009, it showed the affect untreated hard water has on both shower heads and tankless water heaters. In the first study, " ... results ...have shown that untreated hard water can rapidly lead to clogged shower-heads, in some cases possibly as soon as a year and a half of regular use." "After just one week of constant testing with hard water, more than three-fourths of shower-head nozzles became clogged, according to the lab results."
"Battelle (testing agency) announced preliminary results on instantaneous water heaters this week. It was found that, after the equivalent of only one year and three months of average household use, such devices can be six percent less efficient when hard water is used ...." The same can be said of boilers as limescale is a significant insulator and substantially reduces the capacity of the heat exchangers to heat the water; just a small coating of limescale of 1.6mm (.06”) on a heat exchanger in a boiler system can reduce its efficiency by an average of 11%. As the scale increases, the efficiency losses rise dramatically. The build up of limescale usually results in reduced flow rates, loss of efficiency and early failure of components. Water softeners and magnets have been the solution but neither works efficiently and in fact, the magnet solution requires constant flow to work at all. Softeners help with new installations but on older homes, has little to no affect on existing limescale buildup. One solution, HydroCare, is a technology developed in Europe and used in 30 countries world wide in over 600,000 locations for residences, commercial and heavy industry applications. It prevents mineral buildup and dissolves existing build-up of limescale by utilizing patented radio wave technology.
One unit has the capacity to transmit a patented radio signal that traverses the entire system and appliances in a house. The unit works continuously without losing any strength in the signal and is not dependent on water flow or temperature levels. The cost to operate the unit is less than 2 watts of electricity and there are no maintenance costs, replacement of parts and installation issues. It does not change the natural composition of the water and maintains the existing mineral content. The HydroCare unit easily clips on onto the cold water feed and induces an electric current at AM frequencies (between 100 and 200 KHZ) up and down the water system for ranges of hundreds of meters without using electrodes. It is distinct in design and technology and is unlike magnetic solutions. And it is an inexpensive solution to mineral buildup on pipes and appliances, is extremely easy to install, and is maintenance free.
