Water Conditioning

Below are three types of water conditioners that you can fit or have fitted in your home. The need for a conditioner is borne out of the need to combat hard water that is in some areas. This hard water hastens the formation of limescale and eventually blockages in the pipes.
Conditioners:

Electric/Magnetic.

What this type of conditioner does, is not actually soften the water, because the chemical composition of the water doesn’t change at all. However it physically conditions the water as it is pushed a magnetic or electrical field, which alters the minerals in the water so they do not leave that corrosive coting on the pipes. These are cheap and really easy to install. They do not interfere boiler filling loops or water filters. They can be unreliable. A Kentish Town Plumber is experienced with all conditioners.

Phosphate.

This version will actually work in the same way as the water softening tablets that you buy for your washing machine or dishwasher.

The theory revolves around the use of trace amounts of phosphate which has a conditioning effect on the water. The idea is that the resulting treated water is less likely to form the limescale deposits that appear on the inner walls of pipework. These are a more expensive unit, but there track record is good. They require a phosphate top up every so often and won’t work if the dosing holes are blocked.

Zinc.

These look the same as the magnetic units and often come with electric or magnetic type fields. When in use, they release zinc into the water supply. The zinc binds itself to the minerals in the water and again, this is the action that stops the coating of the inside of the pipework.

The one big irony with this unit is that it works against itself. Zinc often gets covered in limescale, itself, which then stops the release of zinc and stops the unit. These are more expensive than their electric and magnetic counterparts, but have the same pros and cons. Kentish Town Plumbers have the correct tools to fit all appliances.