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Why sketchy "no-salt" water softeners still sell

"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
With thousands of failed installations, not a single controlled study showing positive results, and no creditable operating theory; why are large numbers of NCD still sold each year? This is a very interesting question and has a multiple reply answer.

Proprietary Nature of the Water Treatment Business: Unlike many other science based fields, such as civil engineering, the provision of water management programs is dominated by proprietary technology. Thus there are no open sources where one can acquire the knowledge needed to separate "snake oil" and marketing hype from the real thing. In addition, the water treatment business has had, and still has, more than its fair share of marketing hype sales activity as well as just plain incompetent people.

General Lack of Scientific Knowledge: In spite of it being politically incorrect, the plain fact is that many people in engineering, specification, and purchase positions do not have the basic scientific knowledge to properly evaluate the many claims made in regards to water treatment. While this is partially due to the proprietary nature of the water treatment business, a good portion of it is due to a general de emphasis on scientific subjects in the educational system. Included in this area are the various licensed professional engineers, who should know better than to practice outside of their field. Six credits of chemistry twenty years ago does not qualify someone to evaluate the merits of NCD versus generally accepted chemical practices.

"Green Marketing"- Chemophobia: Many suppliers of NCD are marketing their devices as "green" and safe alternatives to "chemicals", which are automatically assumed by many people to be environmentally bad and hazardous to health. While this was sometimes correct with pre USEPA programs, such as chromates, modern chemical treatment programs produce a lower environmental impact than many NCD installations due to the lower corrosion rates of system metals of construction obtained. In addition, "green" is only good when the technology actually works.

Cost Reduction Getting Something for Nothing: Many people decide to install NCD devices due to the substantial cost reductions claimed over chemical treatment programs. In some cases, the existing chemical program is very costly due to "snake oil" sales, or incompetence, making a cost reduction easy to "show". In several recently reviewed cases, the NCD supplier had "assumed" completely unrealistic costs for chemical programs to ensure that their technology would be cost competitive. The urge for cost reduction must be balanced with sufficient knowledge for an independent evaluation of claims made.

Want more information on Non-Chemical Devices like "No-Salt" Water Softeners? Check out "Non Chemical Devices: Thirty Years of Mythbusting"

Also,5 Ways No-Salt Water Softeners Fall Short

© 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
What are Non Chemical Devices?
Behind the So-Called Science of "No-Salt" Water Softeners
The Professional Opinion on "No-Salt" Water Softeners
5 Ways "No-Salt" Water Softeners Fall Short

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