Limescale is the buildup of calcium and magnesium that occurs when you have hard water. With hard water, minerals are dissolved in the water. When it evaporates, the minerals are left behind. They eventually build up to ugly, off-white deposits around the bathtub, shower head, water heater, and other places. Basically, anywhere that holds water can be susceptible, but anywhere the water boils is going to be most affected. Softening your water is the only way to truly prevent limescale.
You can soften your water in a few different ways. If you want to completely remove the offending minerals, you can use a salt water softener. These systems work on the principles of ion exchanged. Ions are charged particles which, by the nature of their charges, are attracted to other particles. That is why they are so adhesive and form deposits. With a salt water softening system, you replace the charged calcium and magnesium particles with sodium particles. These will not build up in your bathtub.
That is the system that is in place in many homes. However, it has several drawbacks. For anyone with hypertension or some other salt vulnerability, adding salt to your water is probably a bad idea. Also, no one likes buying more and more salt regularly or carrying the heavy bags to refill the brine tank.
Electronic
It turns out that you don’t have to actually remove the calcium and magnesium. Since the water has already been sterilized by your municipality, they are safe to drink. So, if you don’t actually need to remove them, then you just need to make them less adhesive. An electronic system that oscillates frequency can fundamentally alter the shape and structure of the ions. This means they will no longer adhesive. Once they are no longer adhesive, they won’t build up in your appliances. It’s really easy to prevent limescale with an electronic water conditioner.
Benefits
Ease of use is one of the biggest benefits to choosing an electronic conditioning system. Salt conditioning systems require constant maintenance and upkeep. You don’t have to buy more salt and refill the electronic system. Instead, once you install it, it is good to go.
Also, some research states that magnesium and calcium are actually beneficial for your health. They can also benefit any plants that you might water. After all, calcium is a necessary element for bone health. So, it stands to reason that a little more in your water should be a good thing. You just have to make sure it doesn’t build up in your bathtub.
There are two basic ways to prevent limescale: salt and salt-free. Salt-free systems reduce the corrosive buildup of harmful minerals while also leaving the good minerals in the water.
