MAGNETIC WATER TREATMENT TESTING

MAGNETIC WATER TREATMENT

There are two primary claims made regarding the application of magnetic water treatment: scale reduction, and water clarity.  In a swimming pool environment, our fundamental interest in magnetics was to see if it would reduce calcium buildup in salt cells and along the water line of the pool.  The second claim for magnetics was that it would help to clarify cloudy water by coagulating undissolved solids and assist in filtering them out.  We found neither of those claims to be true.

In our first test, salt levels in the water were increased to over 5,000 ppm to accelerate scaling in identical vessels over a six month period.  After testing the highest gauss magnetic system we could find and testing side by side with identical salt systems, we saw little or no difference in scale buildup inside the salt cells when magnetics were applied to the water flow.  Photos below show the results after tests were completed.  

Chlorine Generator Cell Scale With Magnetic Treatment

Magnetic Testing

Water clarity was measured using a spectrometer to measure visible light passing through water inside a clear hose.  Although it seems logical that magnetics would coagulate undissolved solids in water, especially minerals and metals, there was no measurable improvement in transmittance after water passed through the magnetic device at flow rates of 40gpm.  At very low flow rates (<1GPM), there was some improvement in water clarity, but since pool water moves at rates more than 40gpm, magnetic devices are not effective in coagulating particles in pool water running at high rates.