ION ScaleBuster® - Questions and Answers

There are a broad range of physical water conditioners at various price points available in the UK.

While some systems have questionable effectiveness, others perform well.

There are no industry benchmarks which makes it difficult for consultants, contractors and end-users to differentiate between the water conditioners.

This often leads to dissatisfaction, especially when cheaper products fail to deliver expected results.

Generally, as prices rise, so does performance and effectiveness. Low-end products, like basic inline inhibitors, are designed to reduce some scale formation, which last only a relatively short time. Mid-range options can prevent and remove more scale, while high-end conditioners should prevent most limescale and eliminate existing scale deposits. ScaleBuster in particular also offers protection against corrosion.

High-end conditioners, it is said, provide additional - subjective - benefits, such as a “soft” feel to water and reduced need for cleaning products.

In this market, the saying "you get what you pay for" often holds true.

ION ScaleBuster, a premium water conditioner manufactured in the UK, is highly effective at preventing limescale corrosion and removing existing limescale.

Over 300,000 ION ScaleBusters sold worldwide and numerous devices still operating efficiently without maintenance or repair in both commercial and industrial situations after more than 20 years of use.

Backed by a 10-year manufacturer's warranty, the ION ScaleBuster pricing reflects this superior longevity.

The ION ScaleBuster has been developed and improved over many years to ensure it meets the most stringent codes of practice for materials and their use in potable water. The product is certified by WRAS in the UK, NSF in North America, TÜV for Europe (Germany), and ACS in France along with additional certifications.

Ideally the ION ScaleBuster should be located at least one metre from the equipment to be protected by the device. This allows the growth of precipitated particles of scale to take place before the water reaches heat-producing and scale-forming areas.

ION ScaleBuster causes the precipitation of carbonates arising from the breakdown of dissolved bicarbonates. The change in the chemical structure results in a change in electrical charge. If this charge is not allowed to neutralise then the desired changes may be restricted or limited in duration. In the case of the ION ScaleBuster this is achieved by means of grounding the charge to a suitable earth connection.

The internal configuration of ION ScaleBuster does not noticeably impede the flow or pressure loss with flow rates up to 2 metres per second.

Unlike many other physical water conditioners, ION ScaleBuster will perform well across a wide range of flow conditions.

No. The design of ION ScaleBuster creates turbulence within its structure in order to improve the treatment effects.

ION ScaleBuster has been developed with the size of precipitated particles being a prime consideration. Large particles have a much smaller surface area than the equivalent mass made up of relatively smaller Particles. This means they are much slower to re-dissolve in the water and subsequently the treated water has longer lasting effects. Water treated using ION ScaleBuster is likely to continue to do its job of removing old scale deposits from pipe-work for much longer than alternative products, which produce much smaller particles

This depends on the quality and quantity of the water passing through the ION ScaleBuster. Numerous ION ScaleBuster devices are still operating efficiently without maintenance or repair in both commercial and industrial situations after 20 years of use. Naturally, in aggressive and non-potable waters where ION ScaleBuster is used to prevent corrosion, a lower life expectancy could result. However, the PTFE still remains active to prevent scaling. However, there is a 10-year warranty on material on all ION ScaleBuster products for domestic potable water applications.

ION ScaleBuster is

• much more versatile
• works well in a wide range of flow conditions
• protects against both corrosion and scale
• is a "fit and forget" product
• has no maintenance or running costs

Yes. Because ION ScaleBuster will remove existing scale build up on heating surfaces, such as hot water heaters and tanks, less fuel is required to heat the water. A thickness of scale of only 3 mm can add 25% to energy costs.

By precipitating hardness, the treated water becomes less saturated and, therefore, is able to dissolve old deposits over a period of time.

The design of the ION ScaleBuster allows for use of materials in its construction that will not lead to corrosion/blocking within the device. It is a known fact for instance, that stainless steel immersed in water suffer with crevice & pitting corrosion due to the chloride ions found in water. The ION ScaleBuster does not use any stainless steel for the construction of its special cavitation/turbulence chambers.

In regular “straight through” systems, the particles are normally swept through and dispersed without being noticed. In systems that are circulating or contain settlement areas then some measures may be needed to make sure that these are removed either by filtration or flushing. In the main, the subject never arises. Domestic kettles, for instance, may need a weekly gentle brush and rinse to expel any soft residues. This has been accepted by customers to be a small price to pay for the removal and prevention of hard, caked scale deposits.

Alteration of the static balance within the ION ScaleBuster neutralizes charged particles, which do not then repel one another. This is due to the patented construction of the anode & PTFE turbulence chambers within the bronze body of the ION ScaleBuster.

The time taken will depend on several factors:

• the internal condition of pipework and appliances
• the thickness of scale deposits
• the distance of affected areas from the ION ScaleBuster.

The actual volume of water passing through ION ScaleBuster will determine the length of time taken to clean scale from the system. However, once installed, ION ScaleBuster will commence its job immediately provided that a water flow is still possible.

No - not in the strict sense of the word ‘soften’. However, because some of the dissolved hardness is precipitated from the water, soap and detergent economies are made possible. A ‘soft’ feel to water is often noticeable.

ION ScaleBuster can improve the taste of water by ‘masking’ unpleasant flavours such as chlorine as these are absorbed in the precipitated particles.

Free chlorine is absorbed into the precipitated particles.