
CLEARWAVE™ WATER CONDITIONER
MODEL CW-HD-2
The ClearWave™ is the most advanced
POWER SPECIFICATIONS: 18 VAC, 25 Watts, .22 Amps
HOW IT WORKS
Pure water contains nothing but H20. But water, as it comes out of the ground, is rich in a multitude of minerals. Minerals such as calcium and magnesium are the main components of hard water, and the cause of scale formation and other problems.
There are three basic methods used to control the problem of hardness and specifically scale
formation.
ION EXCHANGE:
One method is to remove the calcium and magnesium from the water through ion exchange (the traditional water softener). This method requires the use of a resin filled tank with a high concentration of salt ions. As the water flows through the resin tank the salt ions (typically sodium) are exchanged for the calcium or magnesium ions. This lowers the concentration of the minerals that cause scale and therefore inhibits scale formation.
CHEMICAL ADDITION:
A second method used to control hard water scale is the addition of chemicals (such as phosphates) to the water. These materials chemically alter the scaling characteristics of the calcium or magnesium, allowing the concentration of the minerals to stay the same while still reducing scale formation and its affects.
Both of the above methods require the use of consumable materials to change the makeup of the water. For these devices to function properly, the homeowner must continuously replenish the salts or chemicals as well as perform periodic maintenance on the equipment. In addition to these inconveniences, the chemicals and salts discharged into the effluent water present problems downstream to the municipal water treatment facility and the environment. Many U.S. cities have been enacting and/or evaluating environmental legislation to limit or reduce the levels of chemicals or salts that result from these types of water treatment methods.
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL:
A third method used to treat the hard water problems associated with scale utilizes changes in electrical potential in the water to produce the affects of chemical addition. The electric potential applied changes the scaling characteristics of the calcium or magnesium without the removal of these ions or the addition of chemicals.