LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

CLEANING DIRTY WATER WITH MAGNETS

In regard to Julius Ballanco's "Cleaning That Dirty Water" article in the September 1995 issue of PM, I agree that there are "thousands of black boxes" out there, in every industry, and just as many unscrupulous people making false claims. However, when it comes to your quote: "HogwashA magnet won't do squat!" --- I beg to differ. You are either totally ignorant of the facts, or a member in good standing of the Water Quality Association (WQA), who seem to be the major critics of magnetic fluid conditioning.

I have been using and installing earth ceramic magnets for two years for the sole purpose of controlling lime scale build-up on every conceivable water vessel you can name. The trouble with softeners is that in order to function properly, they have to be installed correctly with all the bells and whistles, and be maintained monthly. Otherwise, they will strip finish off polished brass and gold faucets and cause corrosion.

On the other hand, magnets are simple to install and there is no maintenance, no chemicals or salt, and therefore, no pollution. We've got to change our ways and stop the indiscriminate use of harmful pollutants when there are other methods available to achieve the same or better results.

Since you insist on defending softeners, you should at least try to convince water softening dealers to use nonpolluting potassium chloride in lieu of salt.

Recently, I struck up a conversation with a couple of water heater company executives. I told them about my involvement with magnets, and lo and behold, they told me about their involvement with magnets, and later showed me how they use them. Apparently they were having trouble getting through their three-year warranty on commercial and 10-year warranty on residential tanks, due to lime scale build-up causing failures. They supply a 2-in. x 9-in. nipple with 6 inches of magnets fastened insidefor the commercial tanks. In the residential tanks they install 4.5 inches of magnets in the 5/8 in. cold water plastic fill tube. They told me it's the only way they can get through their warranty periods in many parts of the country, and that other water heater companies are following suit.

It strikes me as very odd that most of the industrialized countries, including the U.S., have been using magnets with great success to minimize scale and corrosion problems, without the use of chemicals, for over 40 years. Yet you say they "won't do squat!"

I defy you, Mr. Ballanco, to scientifically prove that all the engineers, scientists, universities, NASA, the U.S. Government and the military mentioned in the papers I've enclosed , are wrong, and that you are right. Why are you and the WQAso threatened by magnetic water conditioning?

I fully understand what you're saying regarding overstating many products. I've heard water softening dealers make outlandish statements. However, when I sell my GMX International magnetic products, I never claim that they will soften the water, only that they'll minimize hard water scale problems. After 32 years in the plumbing field, I know the difference between an ion exchange and magnetics. The two systems achieve similar results, except that magnets leave the good minerals in the water, and use no harmful chemicals. We give a 90-day, money-back guarantee, and would give six months if a customer requested it. That's how confident I am regarding the GMX magnets.

My 12-year-old swimming pool and a 75-gal. gas water heater are both scale-free. The noise in the water heater could have awakened the dead before I placed a ceramic magnet (2000 gauss) on the recirculating line. After three flushings over athree-month period, I can't tell when the water heater is on any more.

Like it or not, Mr. Ballanco, the writing is on the wall: Magnetic Fluid Conditioning is here to stay.

I enjoy all the articles in PM, including yours. "Cleaning That Dirty Water," however, needed "cleaning up."

Donald J. Newey

Plumbing Contractor

Bermuda Dunes, California

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