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Do I have hard water?

Some symptoms of hard water may include:

  • - Loss of water pressure
  • - Showerheads, faucets, sprinklers etc. clogging and plugging up
  • - Scale build up in washing machine, dishwasher and other valuable appliances
  • - Erratic operation of instant (on demand) hot water heaters
  • - Rattling in pipes and/or hot water heater due to scale collection throughout the plumbing system
  • - Rumbling in water heaters
  • - Soap, detergents, shampoos do not lather properly or too much is needed
  • - Laundry: dinginess or graying, yellowing, stiff and/or harsh feel to fabrics, white or gray streaks on colored fabrics
  • - Unusual chalky formation around pipes

What is the difference between HS38 and S38?

The S38 has a much stronger signal - the difference is not in the wattage to run the unit which is 1.2W consumption but in the output - it runs at 50 times more powerful; which is built for harder water with bacteria issues. It delivers 50 times the power to the water and equipment to enable the conditioning of harder water throughout entire system. S38 recommended typically for harder / more mineral dense water from wells and lakes and some small commercial applications that require larger power output - the increased power allows it to also kill many forms of bacteria present in wells, sistern and lake water combined with the reduction in hard water effects.

What is limescale?

Limescale largely consists of calcium carbonate deposit. It is a mineral residue which often adheres ceramic surfaces, glassware, etc due to heating inside of pipework, in a hard plaque or tartar-like layer. In the home, limescale is often most noticeable on taps, in sinks and bathtubs, on shower heads and on the inside of domestic appliances such as kettles and dishwashers.

Why does limescale occur?

Water which is pumped to houses contains minerals. The level of these minerals will vary, depending on the geological make-up of the surrounding area, the way in which the water has been sourced (it may be ground water or surface water) and how it has been filtered for human consumption. In areas with ‘hard water’ (see map and explanation below), the water generally contains a relatively high amount of minerals when it reaches the home.

When water is rapidly heated, such as in a domestic heating system, this causes the minerals contained within the water to no longer be dissolved in the water and to stick to nearby surfaces (such as to the inside of a pipe, or to the plates of a heat exchanger element). Over time, layers of these mineral deposits build up and cause scaling or ‘furring’ in the plumbing system.

Why is limescale a problem?

When heating surfaces are covered with scale, their ability to transfer heat into the water is reduced. As a consequence, the efficiency of the system is affected. This has a knock-on effect on your domestic energy bills in your home. Additionally, the presence of limescale on taps, in sinks, in bathtubs and inside kitchen appliances can necessitate intensive cleaning on a regular basis. This regular removal of hard scale deposits by cleaning can be time-consuming and may also involve the use of hazardous or unpleasant chemicals.

How do I know if I live in a hard water area? Will I ever get limescale in a soft water area?

Hard water is characterized by leaving residual scum marks on the inside of cups, bathtubs and sinks, and by taking longer to create suds when soap is added to it. It is also often said to leave a chalky aftertaste in the mouth. Limescale is a very common occurrence in homes situated in hard water areas.

However, pockets of hard water can still occur in areas which are deemed to have soft water, depending on the source of the water supply (which can sometimes be unexpectedly changed by your supplier, for example during shortages) and on the specific geological conditions of an area.

You may therefore still see limescale occurring in your home even if you live in an area which generally has soft water.


How exactly will the HS38 protect my home from limescale?

The HydroFLOW HS38 is a patented electronic water conditioner. It is a piece of equipment which fits around pipework and transmits an electronic signal into the water contained within. The signal propagates around the entire pipe system and causes the limescale present in the water to form into loose clusters. When the water is heated these clusters form crystals in suspension in the water which normally wash away with the flow, so that they no longer adhere to the inside of the pipework or to any other surfaces. Over time (depending on flow rate, water parameters, amount of heating etc), existing limescale which has already been formed in the system will begin to erode, again washing away with the flow of the water.

The HydroFLOW is environmentally friendly and easy to install – it involves no use of chemicals and requires no cutting or rearrangement of pipework. The HS38 unit runs off a standard power supply – all units are supplied with a standard plug and 3 metre-long power cable.


How does the HS38 eliminate the limescale from the water?

Unlike water softeners, the HS38 does not chemically alter the water. This means that the minerals are all still present. When the water is heated the minerals will form as powder. In most cases, this is washed away with the flow of water.

However, if the flow rate is low, then a small amount of this powder can build up over time, for instance in the bottom of a hot water cylinder, with the amount depending on the flow rate, hardness of the water and system configuration. If desired, this powdery residue can be dealt with by an occasional drain down or cleaning of the system.


What if my home has pipes larger than 38mm in outer diameter? Is the HS38 big enough?

You may require the installation of a slightly more powerful unit.


What if I have a problem with limescale, biofouling or filtration in a larger commercial or industrial setting?

If you need assistance with preventing limescale or biofouling, or if you wish to improve filtration in a commercial or industrial application (such as in a cooling tower, swimming pool, water treatment plant or other setting), please take a look at the rest of our product range and contact the UK office or your local dealer if you are not based in the UK.


Difference between Electro-Magnetic and HydroFLOW Technology?

Items like Scale-hammer are whats known as a double coil electrolyte system (inside the box is a double coil) and it works on the pipe which works on the water versus HydroPath tech which sends it signal directly through the water to condition - so much more powerful 30,000 times more powerful enable signal to travel full house.

Double Coil System In these types of device, two coils are wrapped around the pipe. These devices attempt to get an electric field into the pipe, but are doing this in a very inefficient way. This is in contrast to the Hydropath system of using the ferrite/ transformer technology to directly put a current along the pipe. The difference in the amount of power transferred to the pipe (and the water) is huge: testing shows that the Hydropath HS38 can put about 30,000 times more power into the water than a double coil system. These double-coil systems also have a high tendency to cause interference with radios and other electronic devices (whereas Hydropath conforms to the regulations about electromagnetic interference).


I also have an issue with iron in the water; for this I was going to use reverse osmosis


We do not stop iron completely but may help if it is bacterially caused. We help Reverse Osmosis if you have that by preventing membrane from clogging with calcium and prevent biofilm and algae growth in membrane extending its life.

We have a number of customers that use it on well water and they do tell us it reduces iron but they also use a filter as well and it seems to do the job very well.

You have our Product Gaurantee so it’s a low risk purchase that within 1 year to try out the product and can return it for full money back if it doesn’t work for you. Product must be in same packaging and in working order. Look at our product gaurantee on line.


Should I disconnect my current water softener?

Bypass or just let run out of salt.


Does it clear up or do anything to Manganese?

Unfortunately we have no known effect on Manganese. Manganese requires oxidation and filtration , which generally means treating it with Chlorine and then filtration, possible carbon filtration. 


How does it work?

The HydroFlow worldwide patented technology produces a continuous signal that passes through the water and conditions the water continuously throughout the pipes forward and backwards - the signal can travel up to 1 km of piping so it is continuously treating the water throughout full house - optimal placement of system is on the cold in-feed pipe to your hot water tank as the signal travels forward and backward for complete treatment of hot and cold water pipes. The signal is a variable diminishing sine curve that allows for continuous treatment of water so it’s always treated even when standing still. This system differs from electromagnetic as that type of technology relies on a section of pipe to carry the signal and only treats water that passes through the pipe and typically only lasts for 48 hours or so.

What is the expected Life of HydroFlow System?

A HydroFlow Residential Unit (HS-38, S-38) that is connected to a proper surge protection device will have a lifespan exceeding 10 years. Please see the included copy of our Statement of Qualifications which has a lot of information about our system from Residential through Heavy Industrial applications.

Statement of Qualifications

Is Hard Water Dangerous To Drink?

Hard water is water containing high concentrations of dissolved minerals, usually calcium or magnesium carbonates (CaCO­3 or MgCO3), chlorides (CaCl2or MgCl2) or sulphates (CaSO4or MgSO4)...

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Does your system work on Plastic Pipes?

Yes. All our systems work on most common types of pipes including PEX, PVC and Copper.