Health: A late insight
The medical journal “DIE NEUE AERZTLICHE” (publisher FAZ) put a well-known but increasingly pressing water problem up for discussion in a fairly frank presentation end of February 2008: There are approximately 220 000 water softener units in use in Germany and each year 18 000 more units are sold. The numbers used to be even higher in former years.
These units are mainly in use in order to improve the washing ability of water, to protect pipes from limestone deposits and to increase multiple other usages of water. About 70% of these units are using salt for the regeneration of the ion exchanger.
All these units remove calcium and magnesium from the water but load it heavily with sodium.
That is not of any concern if this kind of water is solely used for technical purposes, like car wash, Laundromats, and laboratory purposes. Yet when using that water for plant irrigation purposes the lack in magnesium causes disadvantages.
However, consumption of this water by humans and animals is very problematic. The depletion in calcium and magnesium leads to a significantly increased risk of heart attacks as well as cancer.
The additional sodium has the potential to increase those risks to drastic dimensions.
Decalcification systems like that have the advantage of protecting the piping, though continuing consumption of that water (which is inevitable) places an irresponsible risk for the residents.
The journal “DIE NEUE AERZTLICHE” clearly points out alternative possibilities in a special column, namely physical decalcification.
Electric fields with high frequencies and ultrasonic exposure could as a matter of principle be useful. “The minerals contained in water are influenced in a manner that they don’t form tough deposits, but are being flushed away by flowing water. The water is not decalcified but the troublesome limestone is rendered innocuous.”
Water that is conditioned in such manner maintains its elements magnesium and calcium, which are essential for human health. Pipes will not be damaged in the process.
Different water treatment methods
First we want to present well established methods of limestone deposit prevention, then we focus on magnetical water treatment and finally we point out the advantages of our method. We will use the abbreviation MTW = Magnetic Treatment of Water. We will present you with other methods that are used only sporadically up until now but have the capacity of saving a lot of energy and chemical, thus being environmentally friendly.
Established methods to prevent limestone deposits
1. Ion exchanger with salt
2. Injection system with added chemical
3. Permanent magnet
4. Electric magnet
5. Electronically with water contact
1) Ion exchanger with salt
The ion exchanger is the most widely used system. It reliably prevents limestone deposits in water leading pipes. The downside is that it needs quite a complexity in units, salt, and maintenance. Ion exchangers are often installed in the basement. Salt is filled in a container. Maintenance is crucial and hygiene is necessary, otherwise bacterial growth can easily occur in ion exchangers. The units are often installed in warm water circulation only, since health effects are not trusted. The reason for that is that this system adds NaCl (common salt) to the water and it is better to avoid sodium = Na++ (especially for patients with heart or circulation problems). Also, it is important to note that the water is fundamentally altered and it should be possible for humans to absorb these minerals. There is an impending health risk if minerals are altered. At any rate, salts are placing an additional burden on septic systems.
The chemical equation is: CaCO3 + Na Cl = NaCO3 + Ca Cl
This results in the fact that only warm water contains soluble salts. The balance of carbonic acid and limestone is disturbed and more or less carbonic acid is freed (depending on the composition of the water) which leads to corrosion.
2) Injection system with added chemical
This system works similar to ion exchangers with the difference that acid (mostly phosphoric acid) is continuously added to the water. The goal is to alter the limestone, which means to make up a new salt that stays soluble with higher temperatures instead of becoming solid.
Most of the added chemicals are part of a poisonous category, which alerted jurisdiction. In Switzerland, such units need to be registered and checked regularly in most provinces. It does not make any sense to eliminate phosphates from washing detergents for environmental reasons and then to install…Carbonic acid might be generated which expedites corrosion, the same issue as with ion exchangers.
3) Magnetic water treatment with permanent magnets
This technology has been well known since the beginning of this century and is still being used nowadays. Most publications that have been written deal with this technology. The claim is that the magnetic field changes limestone crystals directly. Another statement is that the formation of larger crystals is prevented. Some manufacturers think that limestone formation change into different formations.
It is a fact that an alteration of the limestone or rather a change in crystal size has been proven in some cases. Deposit prevention has been proven in more cases. This technology works only with a constant water flow rate in the pipes, which is 2.34 m/sec. Its effectiveness declines rapidly with changing flow rate. It should be added that due to high noise disturbance such high flow rates can hardly be expected in households.
Usually water flow rates are very diverse, with a flow rate = 0 when water is shut of. To manufacture a system that produces satisfactory outcomes with different flow rates is quite a challenge.
Various ideas are being realized in order to achieve higher flow rates, for example, pipes are being narrowed, or the water is directed spiral around the magnets. An undesirable decrease in pressure occurs each time.
Praxis showed that pipes often develop rust after the installation of a permanent magnet system.
If water contains iron particles, these will be pulled towards the magnet, which will weaken the magnetic field. Permanent magnets also weaken over time.
4) Water treatment with electric magnets
Electromagnetic systems have the same characteristics as permanent magnet systems and are hardly sold anymore nowadays.
Electromagnetic water treatment with water contact
Water flows between 2 slabs that are built like a capacitor. High voltage current flows with water being the dielectric fluid. This system has been on the market for years and is the leading product in Germany. An effect can already be demonstrated with low water hardness.
Disadvantages are: Water is in contact with the system, which means pipes have to be cut. It became also apparent that these systems could barely be adjusted to different water flow rates.
Electromagnetic water treatment without contact with water
The design of the newer versions on the market is a box containing the electronic part and spools that will be wrapped around piping. There are open and closed versions of that system.
• Open version:
The installation of the spools is open, which means they do not lead back to the device. The spools work like antennas. Most of these systems do not fulfill the requirements for radio interference suppression therefore further discussion is redundant.
• Closed version:
The end of the spools is redirected back to the device thus, no radio, TV or other electronic device interference occurs. All systems further discussed in this article are devices of this kind.
5) Electronic water treatment systems
Over the past few years manufacturers were successful in building devices that were showing good results in most cases but not applicable everywhere. It was not possible to formulate a specific method for the installation. We generally distinguish between two different methods:
• Electronic devices with variable frequencies:
These devices work based on the assumption that limestone has a resonance frequency. Just as with permanent magnets, it is assumed that a specific water flow rate corresponds to a certain frequency. Through the presence of variable frequencies, it is expected that the right frequency is always available. Usually the amplitude is adjusted to the water hardness.
• Electronic devices with superimposed frequencies:
These devices work with a similar assumption that a certain frequency corresponds with a certain flow rate. In contrast to the devices discussed so far, they use superimposed frequencies (resonance frequencies). Both methods showed some success, though they were not too successful in many cases.
? The Solution:
Water treatment with SIROX
The SIROX team conducts research according to scientific criteria, they have developed and manufactured to the highest standard in Switzerland since 1990. Extensive scientific testing and analysis has been done on SIROX technology in order to identify the chemical and physical processes which cause the depositing of variable mineral salts on variable surface material and at variable fluid flow rates. It has also been examined how these deposits can be avoided in a simple and sustainable manner, from environmental and economical perspective.
The complex interactions of above mentioned issue in drinking and waste water have been scientifically documented and analyzed over a period of 4 years in a PhD research thesis at the Swiss Technical College Zürich, which was sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Environment, Forest and Landscape (BUWAL), Bern, Switzerland.
Sirox is the only manufacturer who can present an official and scientific publication with successful long-term data analysis. (BUWAL – publication # 30)
The manufacturer contributed a lot of insider know how with successful practical examples to the liaison. This unique knowledge was stored in a new technical database at Sirox in 2000 and the production of Sirox devices underwent further improvements.(Parts of the BUWAL study can be obtained from Sirox)
Our devices work based on a new assumption: Water is conditioned and the anti limestone effect is more or less a by-product. Spring water is equalized and encrustations do not occur. Our research showed that limestone deposits have little to do with water hardness. Furthermore, we found out that deposits occur after the water had been running through pipes for a longer period. Water loses its original characteristics in pipes. Our system gives the water back what it has lost.
Sirox devices work with alternating magnetic fields with variable frequencies, an additional electric field is superimposed (= SIROX broadband technology) and every flow rate can be adjusted to.
Therefore our devices are not to be used as limestone protection devices only but they also prevent encrustations e.g. in sewage treatment plants. We were able to circumvent varied encrustations in different sewage treatment plants, thus in wastewater pipes, heat exchangers, in filter presses and centrifuges.
Our technology makes it possible to operate heat exchangers and cooling towers of air conditioners for the first time completely without chemicals.
More than that, our devices also prevent corrosion and are often able to improve already corroded pipes. This is possible if the corrosion has not progressed too much with holes in the pipes.
The installation of a SIROX device has the following advantages:
1. It is one of the rare cases where environmentally friendly action is not more expensive than present technology; to the contrary, it is even more cost effective.
2. SIROX devices use only little energy; it ranges from 3 watt for the devices for single-family homes to 20 watt for larger devices.
3. Convenience, no more limestone deposits and no environmental impact.
4. Prevention of corroded pipes.
5. No maintenance costs.
6. No follow-up costs.
7. No contact with water.
8. No changes in water quality.
9. No pollution of waste water.
10. Savings in washing detergents, dish and cleaning detergents, and hygiene products.
INDUSTRIAL/COMMERCIAL RESULTS
Alaska Pipeline: The Alaska pipeline has 40,000 5 pound Magnets attached to it. Oil Companies use magnets to prevent wax and sludge build-ups in pumps and pipes.
California Wineries: Over 90% of the large Wineries in California are using Magnetic Systems in tasting rooms; winery and grape fields.
U.S. Department of Energy: Magnetic Water Conditioners, a non-chemical method for treating water, are operating extensively throughout the world today with tremendous economic effect. (82CE40568)
Major U.S. Nuclear Power Company: Magnetic Treatment accelerated chlorine diffusion in hard water so effectively that 65% less chlorine was required to control macro-fouling and bio-film build-up in service water systems….sediment build-up was also controlled, heat transfer rates were maintained at optimum efficiency and PH levels were dramatically stabilized.
U.S. Dept. of Coast Guard, Engineer’s Digest: Scale deposit had restricted the plumbing to a point where only 40% of the needed flow rate was available. After the Magnetic System had cleared the tubes, the oil consumption in a 2 week period dropped to 40, from 60 gallons, providing an approximate 30% savings in fuel, which will pay for the System in a short period of time and prolong the life of the boiler and heat exchanger. This equipment has been maintenance free and has continued to provide energy savings and improved equipment life.
OIL PRODUCER SAVES $700. A DAY: Operators report eliminating a $2,500. cost to clean each generator, but more dramatic is their claimed saving of 100 mcf of gas daily due to improved steam generator efficiency. This translates to $700. per day saved, according to field engineers.
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