Cure for limescale?

[JG]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this thread but I'm hoping that some of you regulars will find it in 'new posts' and be able to help me.
Does anyone have any experience of using those contraptions that clamp onto incoming water pipes to reduce the amount of limescale in the water (or to make it pass through the system) by use of magnetism?
Limescale is the bane of my life, damaging and defacing kettles, shower heads, irons, glass partitions in the shower, the shower tray and the sealant around it, taps, tiles etc etc. I've spent a fortune on cleaning products, limejuice, white vinegar and scourers and my most successful, dry powder Flash, is not longer being made, so it's a nightmare. I know that you can get expensive sytems that go INTO your pipes, but this one that bolts AROUND them, for about £400 seems heaven sent, according to the advertising blurb. But then if it looks too good to be true, it probably is!
I look forward to hearing from you.

[Ivy]

We had this discussion with a friend recently. She is an estate agent and obviously in many homes. She said these things were useless as they can only attract metals but not lime scale unless the lime is mixed with a metal such as iron. I used a metal sort of sponge inside my kettle for years. The limescale particles got caught in there like fish in a net. But white concentrated vinegar is still the best and a Brita water filter does the trick for my espresso machine.

[Clunkshift]

The only real answer for limescale is a water softener (salt treatment unit) with a separate tap for drinking water.
The salt needs to be in a big metered reservoir and it will (eventually) remove existing scale. Nothing else will remove existing scale from pipes and appliances.
obviously, any iron or steel in the system will corrode, so you need an expert check of the system to make sure pumps etc will be ok and you will need a separate supply for drinking water, so your kettle will still need the sacrificial wire wool ball and as Ivy says, a Brita filter will help a bit.
Apart from the kettle, you won't have limescale on showerheads or taps and your hot water tank will be much more efficient.

Electric/magnetic fields don't work in my limited experience. A friend tried 2 types without success and finally thew them away and installed a softener unit. So I wouldn't use limescale removers or anything else that simply runs an electric coil round a water pipe unless someone else locally can show one working successfully.

Reverse osmosis is for purifying rather than scale removal, as are filters.

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=Limescale

http://www.eastmidlandswater.co.uk/default.asp?menuID=1

[JG]

Thank you both for your prompt responses and thanks Clunk for the research you did on my behalf. Although I'm grateful, your responses didn't tell me what I wanted to hear - I'll put scouring pads back on my shopping list.