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What are non chemical devices?

"No-salt" water softners and other devices that use magnetic, electromagnetic, electrostatic, catalytic or mechanical means to treat water are commonly known as NCD's or Non-Chemical Devices. In this article, NCD technologies as a whole are discussed.

Excerpted from "Non Chemical Devices: Thirty Years of Myth Busting"¹
Non Chemical Devices (NCD) have been marketed for control of scale, corrosion, deposition, and biological growth in boiler and cooling tower systems for over fifty (50) years. During this time period, numerous devices based upon various magnetic, electromagnetic, electrostatic, catalytic, and mechanical theories of operation have been proposed and installed in a great variety of water systems, with generally unacceptable results.

In contrast to the testimonials common to NCD marketing literature, the many controlled studies undertaken by various government and industrial organizations have resulted in a consensus opinion that NCD are not capable of producing the effects claimed in the literature. In general, the theories advanced by the NCD suppliers to explain operation of their devices show a lack of agreement with accepted scientific principles. In spite of an extensive history of installation failures, findings of no effect in controlled studies, and no acceptable theory of operation; new NCD are accepted in the market on a routine basis, often obtaining significant sales before the inevitable disasters result in that particular device being discredited.

NCD Theory of Operation
Looking at the mode of operation claimed by NCD suppliers, we can generally place them into one of the following types;

• Magnetic:   Bon Aqua, Aqua Flo, TowerMate
  
  
• Electromagnetic:   Linear Kinetic Cell, Dolphin
  
  
• Electrostatic:   Progressive Electronic, ChemFree, Zeta Rod
  
  
• Catalytic:   Fre Flow
  
  
• Mechanical:   Moltek, Chesterton VRTX

Looking at either the supplier literature, or actual devices in the field, we have observed the following general construction of these five basic types of NCD.

Magnetic: Devices of this type generally employ one, or more, permanent magnet(s) mounted either on the outside, or inside, of the pipe containing the water to be treated. No other equipment, or input power, is supplied, and the magnets are stated to be "permanent".

Electromagnetic: These devices commonly have a low power, low voltage (step down transformer) based power supply providing alternating, or in some cases DC, current to one, or more, coils wound around the outside of the pipe through which the water to be treated flows.

Electrostatic: These units generally consist of a low amperage, high voltage DC power supply and a capacitor like cell where the water to be treated flows between two insulated plates, which are typically charged to between 10,000 and 30,000 vdc. Operating like a capacitor, there is very low power usage.

Catalytic: These devices appear to be nothing more than sealed metal cylinders filled with "powdered metal", or metal shapes of varied composition, inserted into either a tank, or a pipe, in the water system to be treated. The chemical composition of the "catalyst" is reported to vary widely, but is often claimed to include transition and precious metals.

Mechanical: The mechanical devices being marketed appear to be modified centrifugal pumps that provide for recirculation of the pressurized water.

© 2004 ProChemTech International, Inc. All rights reserved.
¹ Timothy Keister, FAIC, CWT. Original article can be found at http://www.prochemtech.com/Literature/Technical/ncd.html

 

Related articles:
Consumer Alert: Eco-Friendly Water Softeners Suspect
Behind the So-Called Science of "No-Salt" Water Softeners
The Professional Opinion on "No-Salt" Water Softeners
Why Sketchy "No-Salt" Water Softeners Still Sell
5 Ways "No-Salt" Water Softeners Fall Short

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