Vulcan electronic anti scale - does it work?

T

TonyR123

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 Feb 2016
Messages
511
Location
Puerto Portals
Visit site
Boat is in Mallorca where the water is not the best, so looking to reduce calcium build up.

So as per the title is the Vulcan any good or do I need to get a water softener? Be good to hear of any first hand experience.

If it works may look to get one for the apartment. Apparently you need to clean the heating elements in the hot water tanks every 3 years due to calcium build up.

Thanks
Tony
 
TonyR123 said:
Boat is in Mallorca where the water is not the best, so looking to reduce calcium build up.

So as per the title is the Vulcan any good or do I need to get a water softener? Be good to hear of any first hand experience.

If it works may look to get one for the apartment. Apparently you need to clean the heating elements in the hot water tanks every 3 years due to calcium build up.

Thanks
Tony
Click to expand...

Sounds like your on the East Coast near Cala d'Or.

Never heard of the Vulcan unit but can confirm the crap water you talk of. The calcium build up is ferocious and some filter system is necessary.

I use a triple filter like most people but the water elements burn out every year and we never drink the town water and only use it for washing etc.

A couple of boats use what is claimed to be an 'reverse osmosis' freestanding unit but have not heard of any good comments yet.

Most long term residents tend to use water softeners in shore based property.
 
I don't think a water softener would touch it.

Cala Dor water is basically salt water. How it is legal is a mystery.

I do know people who use RO units plummet into the shore water - just as well shore water is not metered!
 
jrudge said:
I don't think a water softener would touch it.

Cala Dor water is basically salt water. How it is legal is a mystery.

I do know people who use RO units plummet into the shore water - just as well shore water is not metered!
Click to expand...

Do not agree with you that the water is basically salt water Julian.

The crud that clings to the immersion heater elements on my boat is solid calcium and not salt.

All of the taps/shower units are Hans Groher(?) and have fine mesh filters at the outlet point and I assure you that the deposit that builds up is calcium and not salt crystals.
 
I don't have the faintest idea about whether there's more salt or calcium (or both) in Cala d'Or, but I'm very skeptic about the effectiveness of mechanical filters anyway - regardless of whether single or multiple.
My understanding is that for calcium alone, ion exchange water softeners are just perfect and (relatively) inexpensive. But for salt water it takes a full flagged RO watermaker, and anything else is a waste of time...
 
looks like there is another one called the 'eddy electronic water de-scaler'. still not managed to find any reviews of its effectiveness. maybe just go for the old tried and tested methods.
 
TonyR123 said:
found one review where someone says it appears to be working.
http://www.waterionizer.org/products/hard-water-treatment/vulcan-3000-descaler.html
Click to expand...
Mmm.... I don't think that deserves to be called a review. Cut and paste from Vulcan brochure is more like it.

In fact, out of curiosity, I googled around to try and better understand how effective these electric-only descalers are, but couldn't find any meaningful test/comparison. Not to mention the producer brochure, which seems to rely more on the fact that the thing is built in Germany than on actual facts and numbers...
If anyone knows whether the thing does work as well as they claim or not, I for one am all ears.
 
MapisM said:
Mmm.... I don't think that deserves to be called a review. Cut and paste from Vulcan brochure is more like it.

In fact, out of curiosity, I googled around to try and better understand how effective these electric-only descalers are, but couldn't find any meaningful test/comparison. Not to mention the producer brochure, which seems to rely more on the fact that the thing is built in Germany than on actual facts and numbers...
If anyone knows whether the thing does work as well as they claim or not, I for one am all ears.
Click to expand...

Electric descalers = Snake Oil. They don't work. As you say, ion exchange water softener is the only decent way to remove calcium & soften water. You can get filters that remove the calcium, but even large ones only have a useful life of 600 litres - OK for drinking water only.
 
Bargain on ION-exchange portable water softener

Just in case anyone else might be interested, I heard only today that a portable ion-exchange water softener which I was already considering, because I heard nothing but praises about it, was reduced upon black Friday from its regular price of Eur 1200 to 750, and the offer is still valid but only till tomorrow.
The producer is www.hpwatermaker.it, whose reputation also for big watermakers (up to 1600 l/h) is excellent, and the specific product I'm talking about is called Demi5.
It's also sold (directly by the producer) through Amazon, where btw it isn't mentioned that the offer is only valid till tomorrow, but I was assured that the price will bounce back to the regular one afterwards.
I'm buying one, but I'm afraid it'll take a while before I'll be able to give any first hand feedbacks...
 
Last edited:
Re: Bargain on ION-exchange portable water softener

Just a small follow-up to confirm that the offer expired, and the thing is back to its regular cost of Eur 1200 (1060 Quids on Amazon UK).
But I did grab one in the meantime, which arrived earlier today.
All I can say for the moment is that it looks very solid and well built.
If it works as it should, I think it's well worth also the full price, but I can't confirm that first hand yet.
I'm indeed curious to test it, but it'll take a while... Stay tuned! :encouragement:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

O
“The Dog that Didn’t Bark:” Yanmar. 4L HASTE.
Replies
2
Views
265
oldgit
O

Share this page

Top