Field Controls CW-HD-1 specifications HOW IT Works, Magnets, Electrostatic Devices, ClearWave

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.

Magnets

Bar magnets were the first types of equipment used to generate electric potential changes in water. Bar magnets have been used with limited success to inhibit scale formation. The fixed magnetic field of a bar magnet creates electric potential changes in the water only when the water moves through the magnetic field. Electromagnets function in much the same way as bar magnets, but the magnetic field is created by passing a current through a coil, essentially creating a more powerful fixed magnetic field. Inherently, fixed magnetic fields are limited to a narrow range of applications, pipe sizes and water flow rates.

Permanent bar magnets and electromagnets have been promoted as a method of “treating” hard water, but they do not treat the vast and complex array of mineral contents and concentrations found in water. Particles can also build up inside the pipe where the magnet is placed, eventually causing blockage at the very point it is supposed to be doing its job.

Electrostatic Devices

Electrostatic devices create an electric potential in the water between two electrodes. One electrode is mounted in the water stream in the center of the pipe housing, while the pipe itself acts as the other electrode. The device applies a voltage across the two electrodes to create the electric potential in the water. This electrostatic approach was an improvement upon the bar magnets and electromagnets, but increased the initial cost considerably while not dramatically improving the range of effective conditions.

ClearWave™

The ClearWave™ water conditioning system operates on similar principles as the magnets and electrostatic devices. But unlike those previously mentioned, the ClearWave™ uses microprocessor technology to electronically generate inaudible wave-forms which help keep calcium carbonate particles (scale) dissolved or suspended in water. With ClearWave™, the electric field generated is always being applied to the water, while a magnetic field relies on the movement of water to produce the electric potential changes.

Page 2