Why is scale harmful to plumbing and appliances?
- It reduces the inner diameter of pipes and elbows, ultimately leading to restrictions in flow rate and pressure loss
- It can form on internal moving parts of valves and components, affecting their intended purpose or worse, causing safety failures
- Heating elements can become coated with scale, reducing efficiency and increasing operating costs
- Over time, scale becomes highly insoluble, making it extremely difficult to remove, which can lead to costly remediation efforts
How does OneFlow compare with other scale prevention technologies?
Water softeners remove minerals from hard water through the ion exchange process. This requires salt, electricity, and a regeneration cycle that periodically flushes water down the drain. Water softener use is restricted in a number of drought-affected regions across the US because treatment plants are unable to remove salt, making the reclaimed water unusable for irrigation.
Chemical Scale Inhibitors
Introduce phosphate-based chemicals to inhibit scale. These systems work better in cold water applications but have a tendency to break down or fail in hot water. Similar to softeners, scale sequestering systems require the constant introduction of a chemical resulting in ongoing monthly costs to end-users.
Magnets, Electromagnetic Devices
Magnets, electromagnets, radiofrequency, and electrical current systems have failed to pass any scale control standards designed by internationally recognized third-party testing agencies. While the manufacturers of these products quote in-house data to support their amazing scale control claims, none of these products have passed international protocol for scale prevention. “Buyer Beware” is the best advice one can take if considering these options.
