|  | Public Health Safety | Public Health

Magnetic Treatments for Hard Water

Hard water has high levels of dissolved minerals, usually calcium and iron, in it. This hardness causes deposits to build up inside plumbing (scaling), gives unpleasant taste and odor to the water and requires more soap for cleaning than does softer water.



The most common home water softeners replace calcium ions with sodium. An alternative softening system uses magnets to give the effect of softening without removing the cause of hardness. These treatments use either permanent magnets or electromagnets.

  1. Permanent Magnet Water Treatment

    • Attaching a yoke-type permanent magnet around the incoming water line exposes the hard water to Gauss (magnetic field) effects as the water passes through the yoke.

      The advantages to this type of treatment are the simplicity of installation and lack of additional cost as the magnet requires no power connection to work. The disadvantages are that permanent magnets must be larger or more must be used to match the Gauss effect of an electromagnet.

    Electromagnet Water Treatment

    • For a tighter space, or to achieve a stronger field for treatment, some magnetic treatment systems use electromagnets. The installation plan is the same, the magnet is clamped around (or replaces) a length of the incoming water line.

      The advantages over the permanent magnet are a generally stronger magnetic field and the option of controlling field strength. The disadvantages are the need for an electrical supply to the magnet at all times for it to function.

      Dealers and suppliers who handle magnetic water treatment systems will most often offer both permanent and electromagnet systems.

    Magnets vs. Other Softening

    • Other water softening systems include the sodium (or potassium) ion exchange type, filtration such as reverse osmosis or even water distillation systems. In these systems the dissolved minerals making the water hard are physically removed or replaced, leaving the water softened.

      Magnetic treatment does not change the composition of hard water. Evidence of magnetic treatment's effectiveness is inconclusive at best. However, there is no evidence of magnetic treatment causing any health hazard.

Public Health - Related Articles