Physical Water Conditioning Systems | SoPhTec® | MagneTec

Frequently Asked Questions About SoPhTec® & Physical Water Conditioning

Q. Why can't I just go to the hardware store, buy a couple of magnets and clamp them to my water pipe?

Q. I saw a thing in a catalog for scale control that costs a lot less. Why should I buy yours.

A. The answer to both these questions is the same. Unlike a couple of magnets, or the catalog conditioner, the SoPhTec® water conditioning units have been designed to provide highly effective conditioning over a wide range of flow rates. This is achieved by arranging 14 individual permanent ceramic magnets in the clamp-on units to precisely focus the magnetic fields to achieve this high effectively. This is very important in applications where the water flow rate is constantly changing, such as a residence.

Q. Someone told me their conditioner uses stronger magnets. Won't that provide better conditioning?

A. Probably not. The arrangement of the multiple magnets as described in the answer above is much more important than magnet strength. SoPhTec® uses permanent ceramic magnets to provide highly effective conditioning. Experiments were done with very high strength rare earth magnets in place of the ceramic magnets with no measurable improvement in conditioning.

Q. How long will the magnets keep their strength?

A. The experts on ceramic magnets tell us that the magnets, on average, may lose one tenth of one percent of their strength per year. This means 1% in 10 years, 5% over 50 years and 10% over a hundred years. What other product do we know of which will still be working a hundred years from now?

Q. The C-500 is rated to condition effectively up to 10 gallons per minute of flow. What if the flow rate to my home exceeds that sometimes?

A. The 10 GPM recommended maximum flow rate on the C-500 does not mean it stops working at flow rates above 10 GPM. What happens above that is simply that the effectivity curve starts to drop off, indicating a lower level of effectivity. It is probably still as effective at 12 or 13 GPM as competitive products are at their peak. So occasional higher flow rates should not be a reason for concern.

Q. Does SoPhTec work on plastic pipe?

A. Yes; it works very effectively on plastic or copper pipe.  It may be somewhat less effective on iron (galvanized) pipe due to the pipe absorbing some of the magnetic energy."

Q. Will a SoPhTec® system take care of iron and sulfur problems in my water?

A. While SoPhTec® does not make any specific product claim in this regard, many users tell us that installing a SoPhTec® system has eliminated or improved mild to moderate iron and sulfur problems. If the main manifestation of an iron problem is staining of toilet bowls this is normally caused by the iron attaching itself to lime scale that has formed on the bowl. By eliminating the lime scale you leave no place for the iron to attach. More severe problems, such as iron staining of laundry, require other measures such as installation of an iron filter.

Q. Does magnetic conditioning remove the calcium from the water?

A. No. There is no chemical change in the water because of magnetic conditioning. What takes place is a physical change in the structure of the water and the way the calcium crystallizes.

Q. Will a SoPhTec® system give my water the same "slippery" feel as a water softener?

A. No. Some users report that they sense a different feel to the water after installing SoPhTec®. However the slippery feeling (which some people like and some people don't) created by a water softener is unique to the salt type ion exchange softener. Other benefits of a softener, such as reduced use of soaps, detergents and shampoos, softer feeling skin, more manageable hair and softer clothes from the dryer are also created by SoPhTec® conditioning.

Q. Is the conditioned water safe to drink?

A. Totally. Since SoPhTec® conditioning doesn't remove or add anything, the conditioned water is chemically exactly the same as unconditioned water. The only change is in the way the calcium carbonate in the water acts. Compared to salt softened water the SoPhTec® conditioned water is actually better because it still contains the beneficial calcium and has not had sodium ions added. We are told constantly that we should cut down on the sodium in our diets, not add to it.

Q. Is the conditioned water safe for my plants, lawn & shrubs?

A. Yes. Unlike water which has been softened by a salt type softener, which should not be used on any plant material, the magnetically conditioned water is actually better for plant life than unconditioned water. The conditioned water penetrates the soil better and is absorbed by the plant more readily than unconditioned water. University studies have shown that crops which are irrigated with magnetically conditioned water actually produce larger and sweeter fruits and vegetables.

Q. Why do I need both the C-5OO and C-250 for my home?

A. There are really two reasons for using both units. One is that the conditioning effect lasts for only 36 - 72 hours depending on water chemistry. Thus if you go away for a weekend or longer the water in the water heater will no longer be conditioned when you return. The C-250 on the outlet of the water heater will recondition the water.
The second reason is that the greatest problem with hard scale formation occurs with the hot water, not the cold. The C-250 constantly provides a "boost" to the conditioning of the hot water as you use it on a day to day basis. Almost universally those people who started with only a C-500 and then added the C-250 report more satisfactory results with the combination of the two Units.

Q. Why should I buy SoPhTec® instead of some other magnetic conditioner?

A. Apart from the quality and the simplicity of installation the main reason is because SoPhTec® conditions your water very effectively regardless of the amount of water that is being used. The amount of water flowing in your house can be as little as a fraction of a gallon per minute (gpm) if someone is getting a drink of water to as much as 10 gpm if a couple of showers are in use, the washing machine is filling and the lawn sprinklers are on.
To the best of our knowledge SoPhTec® is unique in this regard. Other conditioners tend to be effective over a narrow range of flow rates, thus as the flow rate in your house varies, so does the amount of conditioning your water is getting - at certain flow rates perhaps no conditioning at all.

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