Magnetic Water Softening Solution Looking For Crowdfunding
Originally published on Ecopreneurist.
For those of us who live in areas with hard water, dealing with the effects of mineral deposits in our bathrooms, kitchens, and water heaters can be not only a total pain in the you-know-what, but can also be an expensive endeavor. Conventional water softeners tend to require regular maintenance and rely on replenishing the salt, which can end up polluting the local water system.
However, a new type of water softening process, which uses magnets instead of a salt resin and is considered maintenance-free, could end up being the most affordable and effective solution for homeowners in hard water areas.
The Akwamag system uses a “High Intensity Multipass” magnetic technology to treat hard water, by converting dissolved minerals into a crystalline structure that isn’t prone to “scaling” plumbing fixtures and which can be easily removed. The process is said to be able to soften an “unlimited capacity” of water and to not require any maintenance, resulting in an eco-friendly and cost-effective water softening solution.
Not only does the average salt-resin water softening system introduce a lot of salt to the local water system (up to 800 pounds of salt each year), but it also uses about 10,000 gallons of water per year, plus an estimated 10 to 25% more water in order to fully rinse clothes, bodies, dishes, etc., so having a more sustainable water softener could have a bigger impact than just reducing scale in home plumbing systems.
According to the company, the device can handle large volumes of water (continuous use), and the design overcomes inefficiencies found in other magnet-based water softening systems.
“Akwamag uses advanced magnetic water softening technology to replace existing water softening products.
Unlike existing water softeners, Akwamag’s patent-pending High Intensity Multipass™ technology can process unlimited water capacity at a fraction of the cost. And because Akwamag is not salt based, homeowners no longer have to worry about purchasing salt every month, or dealing with water waste and salt discharge.”
To get the Akwamag technology to the market, the company has turned to crowdfunding, and their Indiegogo campaign seeks to raise $26,000, with the first units being available to the campaign’s backers as early as July of 2014.
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The Hall effect?
What’s new about this? I’ve had a magnetic water softener here in Spain for years.
I had one in Canada. Didn’t do a thing.
My grandmother bought an magnetic pillow for her arthritis. Let’s just say it was a bad move for someone with a steel plate in their head.
Not like it would any good anyways.
I wouldn’t say that. Sometimes she felt like having a little nanna nap and realised that her pillow was conveniently still attached.
I wouldn’t touch it. Extremely controversial technology. There’s MANY other projects worthy of crowdfunding if you have money to spare.. See the URL below – the very measured comments from a UK water utility company.
http://www.southernwater.co.uk/pdf/for-home/your-water/about-your-water/SoftenersWRCnote.pdf
This sounds extremely bogus. Water “softening” is simply ion exchange. Calcium, Magnesium, and Iron ions are already dissolved in the raw water. Conventional softeners exchange the Sodium ions in common salt for these “hardness” ions as the raw water passes through the resin matrix. Very effective process. Recharging the resin requires backflushing the hardness ions out of the matrix and replacing with Sodium ions, hence the use of salt. The manufacturer of this product makes no explanation of what they are allegedly converting the Hardness ions into. If it is converted into a “Crystalline structure” what happens to those crystals. You can’t build them up inside the machine indefinitely. Also there is no explanation of what that “crystalline structure is actually composed of.
Added comment: “plus an added 10-25% more water use in order to rinse clothes” is just plain hogwash. Rinse what out of the clothes?? You don’t have a Sodium ion residue on clothes washed in “soft” water. Sodium is totally water soluble and leaves with the wash water.
plus an estimated 10 to 25% more water in order to fully rinse clothes,
Read more at http://cleantechnica.com/2014/03/26/magnetic-water-softening-solution-looking-crowdfunding/#f5TK5D1MjkB9TfyD.99
plus an estimated 10 to 25% more water in order to fully rinse clothes,
Read more at http://cleantechnica.com/2014/03/26/magnetic-water-softening-solution-looking-crowdfunding/#f5TK5D1MjkB9TfyD.99
plus an estimated 10 to 25% more water in order to fully rinse clothes,
Read more at http://cleantechnica.com/2014/03/26/magnetic-water-softening-solution-looking-crowdfunding/#f5TK5D1MjkB9TfyD.99
This is an old scam that keeps reoccurring. I have been in the water treatment field for over 40 years and keep seeing these devices show up. There is no science behind this. They usually throw a whole bunch of technical terms into their literature to impress gullible customers. Do some research before investing in something as shady as this.
Right you are Dan. What fascinates me is the comment above from one of the other bloggers. Is the power of suggestion so huge that people actually believe they have “softer” water ? “The emperor has a new suit of clothes”