What is a magnetic or catalytic water conditioner anyway?
A. Magnetic water conditioners pass water through a magnetic field, and catalytic water condtioners employ a slight pressure drop and a catalytic metal alloy to treat water. There are three main types: non-electric magnets, electrically powered magnets, and catalytic conditioners. Some conditioners use both a magnetic field and a catalytic alloy. Both systems attempt to treat water hardness and prevent scale build up in piping without the use of salt or filter media. The type of system we sell, the Enviro Scale conditioner, uses both a a catalytic alloy and a non-electric magnet to treat the water. Q. Can I use these in place of a water softener? A. Generally, no, but it depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you don’t care about water hardness spots and just want to protect piping systems from scale build up, then they can be used in place of a water softener. If your water hardness is in the range of 5 to 15 grains per gallon, and you know you don’t want a water softener, then
