Limescale treatment: how to tell the difference between a softener and an anti-limescale device

Water softeners :

When mains water is passed through a softener, the aim is to obtain softened water. It no longer precipitates insoluble carbonate when hot. This prevents the scaling of washing machine heating elements and white marks on taps...but it is not purified, and may contain not only the same mineral load, but also a very large quantity of sodium ions if the water was very hard, which can cause health problems for people with heart disease or kidney failure.

In conclusion, it's best to avoid drinking softened water, unlike osmosis water, which is perfectly tolerated by any organism. (Extract from newsletter Nov. 8, 2015 Association Natur'Eau Quant chaired by Pr Marc Henry)

This is why the installation of an under-sink osmosis unit is recommended after a softener for drinking water. However, it must be recognized that softeners have the advantage of prolonging the life of household appliances and reverse osmosis membranes, while preserving skin balance during showers.

- Scale-inhibiting filters: orthophosphate ions (food-grade polyphosphate crystals)

Scale-inhibiting filters using food-grade polyphosphate crystals are a safe alternative, often recommended only upstream of other filters and reverse osmosis membranes. Unlike salt softeners, they do not release sodium into the treated water. Often coupled with an activated carbon filter to protect equipment such as ice-makers, beverage dispensers and pumps. Used in hard water situations, it is the only food-grade product that inhibits scale and controls pipe corrosion or rust, even in coffee machines.

Strictly speaking, they have a linear structure and the general formulaMn+2Pn,O3n+1 The first terms in the sodium salt series are pyrophosphate:Na4P2O7, followed by tripolyphosphate,Na4P2O7,NaPO3 orNa5P3O10..

Polyphosphates are gradually broken down by hydrolysis, giving rise to orthophosphate ionsPO43- : the rate of hydrolysis increases with the temperature and acidity of the medium, although there is no precise threshold beyond which polyphosphates are destroyed. Their anti-scale effectiveness becomes uncertain above 60°C. At high temperatures, in the presence of calcium, there's even a risk of forming highly insoluble tricalcium phosphate. That's why at Osmodyn, we only use it on cold water and never on its own, but always upstream of a carbon filter (for sanitary water) and reverse osmosis membranes (for drinking water)..

- Ceramic powder antilimers:

Fine-powder ceramic filters for limescale treatment should be installed before the reverse osmosis membrane, as ceramic is an inorganic material that cannot be assimilated by the human organism. Like lithotam, ceramic powder cannot be digested or assimilated in the same way as food or organic minerals.

- The Ring: a revolutionary, non-magnetic, non-electrical anti-scale solution, with no sacrificial anode or filter!

The Ring acts on the physico-chemical structure of water by modifying the configuration of molecules to promote the formation of non-adherent aragonite rather than hard calcite.

Advantages:

• Zero maintenance and autonomy > 20 years
• Natural technology, with no magnets or sacrificial anodes
• No electricity, no salt, no chemicals, no water discharge.
• Zero adjustment
• Protects networks, exchangers and DHW
• Reduces scaling and sludge build-up, helps maintain energy efficiency.
• To find out more, click here