Editor Roger Bisby has been testing one in his home for a year. Recent years have seen any number of weird and wonderful water conditioners introduced, aimed at eliminating scale in hard water areas. Some have gone further claiming to soften water. These claims serve to blur the lines between the various devices so it is worth defining what a water conditioner is and how it differs from a water softener. Also it should be noted that neither is anything to do with a water filter, which is a strainer fitted to the drinking tap to trap particles.
Water softeners work by passing the water through a resin bed that exchanges the ions in the water.
The bed is regenerated by periodically backwashing with salt water. Soft water produces more soap suds, leaves no stains on the bath or taps and makes hair feel softer, but is not recommended for drinking. A water conditioner has no physical contact with the water. It sends a modulated signal through the water, rearranging the scale forming particles so they stick to each other rather than depositing themselves on pipes or taps. Magnetic conditioners are said to lose their effectiveness after water has been stored for several hours.