LIMESCALE: A NATURAL PHENOMENA THAT COSTS A FORTUNE...
One UK Company’s “Alternative” Scale prevention Technology has been assessed by the US
Government and it is now recommended that all US government buildings in hard water areas
should consider installing it
Salt Lake City Courthouse
Anyone living in the southern half of England and in many other
parts of the world will be fully aware of the effects of Limescale
(Calcium Carbonate).
There are two methods of dealing with Limescale: ‘chemical’ or
‘physical’. ‘Chemical’ has potential environmental impacts, and
in California, now salt based softeners are being banned. More
and more the ‘physical’ treatments are gaining traction. Fluid
Dynamics is the UK’s oldest manufacturer of physical treatments
since it started manufacturing in 1974.
Archetech - Issue 20 [Page 76]
Most physical conditioners suffer from the criticism that there is
no independent verification that they work at all and that is a big
drawback. Despite Fluid Dynamics Track record that every new
Waitrose and Marks and Spencer, Unilever, Nestle, Kimberley Clark
and even the new Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi are customers,
there is a reticence in using the “new technology”.
US Government Testing:
In 2012 Fluid Dynamics supplied one of their Scaletron units
to the General Services Agency, part of the US Government
that is responsible for all government buildings. The GSA run
a programme to test products that they believe could have a
beneficial environmental impact. In the Scaletron’s case, the 18
month test took the form of installation on a boiler in the Salt Lake
City courthouse, Utah, with electric elements that were burning
out every few months due to scaling. Their Final report states:
"The technology showed itself to be effective at preventing
the build-up of calcite scale on heating element surfaces in a
domestic water system. Further, the build-up prevention was
accomplished by the technology and it consumed no energy
whatsoever. Also, it added no chemicals to the water stream
such as with a salt based water softening system. The technology
was cost effective when its initial installation cost was compared
to labour and operational savings over the life of the product.
In some cases, the simple payback was immediate as both
the installed and operating costs were less than a comparably
performing salt-based water treatment system.
Conclusion: This technology should be considered at any GSA
facility with calcification issues.”
The full report can be accessed at:
www.gsa.gov/portal/mediaId/211899/fileName/GPG_
Findings_19_-_NCWT.action
Limetron unit for scale prevention in domestic systems
Further Information: Fluid Dynamics: www.scaleprevention.com
Scaletron unit for commercial water systems
01628-634073
[email protected]