Magnetic Water/Fluid Conditioners have been around for much longer than most people are aware.  They have now been used worldwide for over a century  in both residential and industrial applications.   

There are at least 80 patents filed with the US Patent Office just for "Permanent Magnet Fluid Conditioners".  One of the first patents on this science was US Patent No. 531,183*, which was filed October 17, 1890 and was granted Dec 18, 1894.  One of the newest patents granted in this area is US Patent No. 6,716,346* which was granted April 4, 2004.  So these devices have been in use now for 115 years and there are still new patents being applied for.  There is a whole other group of patents for these devices that use electro-magnetics in place  permanent magnets. 

If you do a search for "magnetic water conditioners" you will find (have found) many vendors of these devices that provide explanations of the science behind them (some better than others).  What you typically will not find is any real specifications by which you can compare the products of the different vendors of these devices.  What is even worse you will typically find statements that says that what ever their competitors are doing just will not work.  These statements are just bald face lies that are not backed up by any scientific test data. 

 

HYDROGEN HAS THE STRONGEST RESPONSE TO A MAGNETIC FIELD OF ALL THE ELEMENTS AND IS THE BASIS ON WHICH MAGNETIC RESONANT IMAGING (MRI's) WORKS.  Water will respond to any magnetic field it encounters, regardless of how the magnetic field is generated.  It does not matter whether permanent magnets, electro-magnets, or superconducting magnets are used to generate the magnetic field.  It does not matter whether the magnetic field is generated externally or internally.  MRI scanners employ an externally generated magnetic field into which our bodies are placed.  Is there any doubt that MRI technology works???   One vendor tells us that clamp on devices (external fields) won't work.  Another tells us that magnets that attract won't work.  Then another tells us that if the magnets are "too powerful" they won't work.  Just keep one thing in mind. THE STRONGER THE FIELD INSIDE THE PIPE, THE STRONGER THE RESPONSE!! 

 

There are only three things that determine how well these devices work.  The methods and materials that are used in their construction determine these three things.  The three things you need to know  and compare are as follows:

 

1. Flux Density Inside The Pipe.
2. Magnetic Field Orientation and Polarity.
3. Contact Time with the Magnetic Field.

Flux Density and Contact Time have equal influence on the fluid stream.  Doubling either one will double the total influence upon the fluid stream, up to the point of saturation.  The main difference between the 80 some odd patents on these devices is the Magnetic Field Configuration and the type of material used in their construction.  Of course, each vendor claims their configuration is the ONLY one that works.  The problem we have with these devices is the lack of a method to directly measure their performance.  This opens up the field to wild marketing claims that have no basis in fact.  So lets take a closer look at these three things:

Flux Density inside the pipe can be measured with a DC Gauss meter (Magnetometer).  If your plumbing is 3/4" Copper Pipe, you want to know what flux density each device will produce inside your pipe (peak and minimum).  One thing to remember is that the Flux Density inside the pipe is ALWAYS less than the Gauss Rating of the magnetic material employed. I am sorry, it does not matter how many magnets you have.  If you have 6 N30 Grade 11,000 Gauss Neodymium Magnets you DO NOT HAVE 66,000 Gauss.  It's still just 11,000 Gauss magnet material and the flux density inside the pipe will be a lot less than that.

An indirect way of comparing the different devices for this important parameter is to compare the "Pull Force" of the magnets that they use.  A large ceramic magnet can have a higher Pull Force than a small Neodymium rare-earth magnet, due to it's size. Yes, size does matter.

There is a direct relationship between the Flux Density inside the pipe and the Pull Force per square inch of the magnets that are used.  The Pull Force number takes into account the size and shape of the magnet along with the flux rating of the material from which it is made. 

The formula for finding the Pull Force of a cube or bar magnet is as follows:

Pull Force = 0.576 x Br² x (Th) x √‾A where

Br = Flux Rating in KiloGauss

Th = Thickness of Magnetized Surfaces in inches

A = Surface Area (L x W) in inches

A Grade 8 Ceramic Magnet (3,900 Gauss material) that is 4 Inch Long, 1 Inch Wide, and 1 Inch Thick will have a Pull Force as follows:

Pull Force = 0.576 x Br² x (Th) x √‾A

              = 0.576 x (3.9)² x (1) x √‾4

              = 0.576 x 15.21 x 1 x 2

Pull Force = 17.52 Pounds

That translates into 4.38 Pounds of Pull Force per Square Inch (17.52 lb. ÷ 4")

 

A N40 Grade Neodymium Magnet that is 2" Long, 1 Inch Wide and .5 Inches Thick will have a Pull Force as follows:

Pull Force = 0.576 x Br² x (Th) x √‾A

              = 0.576 x (12.7)² x (.5) x √‾2

              = 0.576 x 161.29 x .5 x 1.414

Pull Force = 65.68 Pounds

That translates into 32.84 Pounds of Pull Force per Square Inch (65.68 lb. ÷ 2").

 

So this Neodymium magnet that is half as long and half as thick as the large Ceramic Magnet has a Pull Force per square inch that is 7.5 times higher than the larger Ceramic magnet.   

 

But, pull force of the magnet is only part of what determines flux density "inside the pipe".  What is equally important in achieving a high flux density is the Magnetic Field Configuration and the mounting frame construction.

 

Magnetic Field Configuration and construction materials used is where the 80 some odd patents on these devices comes in to play.  A few of the different magnet configurations are shown below:

 

In this configuration two magnets are mounted to a steel back plate with magnetic poles as shown.  This magnet configuration produces magnetic flux lines that are oriented in the same direction as the water flow.  This design produces uneven flux density across the section of the pipe and it is concentrated where the magnets are closes to one another.  It does provide a low reluctance return path for the magnetic flux through the steel plate.
In this configuration two magnets are mounted on a sheet metal frame, that fits over the pipe.  A non-magnetic blank plate is used on the bottom side of the pipe for attachment. This magnet configuration produces magnetic flux lines that cut across the direction of the water flow.  But this design also produces uneven flux density across the section of the pipe and it is concentrated where the magnets are closes to one another.  It does provide a low reluctance return path for the magnetic flux through the sheet metal plate. When flux density measurements were taken on the GMX 800 on a 1 inch copper pipe, the minimum flux density measured was 476 Gauss.  Click on the following link for the complete test data and photos taken. GMX Test Data Model GMX 800 cost = $ 189.00
The wildest magnetic field configuration comes from US Patent Number 6641725 for the flexible magnet wraps.  This patent claims 14 different ways of making these flex magnets.  Their current product on the market is based on their Claim 4 in the patent application.  " An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said flexible magnet is wrapped around said conduit, with said flexible magnet having multiple south and north poles directed generally radially toward the central axis and multiple south and north poles directed generally away from said central axis."  The minimum flux density (which is in the center of the pipe) is ZERO Gauss.  Yes that right, zero.  Click on the following link for the complete test data and photos taken. Flex Wrap Test Data
Trentatrons use a patented design that places two magnets in an attracting configuration which are mounted on opposite sides of the pipe. They are built  with a Hot Rolled Carbon Steel frame. This magnet configuration produces magnetic flux lines that cut across the direction of the water flow.  This design  produces an even flux density across the entire section of the pipe.  It provides a very low reluctance return path for the magnetic flux through the heavy steel frame.  The large Neodymium Rare-Earth Magnets combined with the heavy steel frame produces a flux density inside the pipe that is 6 times as powerful as the GMX models.  Yes, better components do make a better product.   1 Model TAT-2 cost = $  89.99 2 Model GMX 800 cost = $ 378.00   That's over 4 times the cost for one sixth the power.   Trentatron Test Data

The material from which it is constructed is as important as the field alignment itself.  Ferromagnetic materials such as iron and steel provide a "low reluctance path" for magnetic flux just as copper or gold provides a "low resistance path" for electrical current. 

Any device that provides a "low reluctance return path" for the magnetic flux will see up to a 50% increase in field density.  You can see this effect in these three photos.  The bare N40 magnet only measures 3,400 Gauss with the Gaussmeter.  This is 12,700 Gauss magnet material yet it only reads 3,400 Gauss on it's surface.  Remember, the flux density inside the pipe is always less than the material rating.  Now notice what happens when we place this magnet in a steel channel and then in a complete heavy steel frame. 

So as you can see the heavy steel frame makes a dramatic difference in the Flux Density inside the pipe.  The Trentatrons heavy steel frame provides a 250% increase over the flux reading of a bare magnet.  Any vendor (and there are many) that use plastic cases and tie-wraps to mount cheap ceramic magnets onto your pipes or refrigerator magnet materials are more interested in making a buck than providing you the consumer with complete information about their product..

Contact Time is of course the length of time the fluid stream is exposed to the magnetic field.  The contact time is determined by the velocity of the fluid stream and the length of the magnetic field.  The velocity of the water is determined by flow rate, water pressure, friction losses, and pipe diameter.  Some vendors play games with this important parameter also.  One vendor claims eleven inches of magnetic field contact with the pipe but does not provide any information about their magnets length, the number of magnets they use, or the size of the magnets they use.  Just like the flux density, contact time is important stuff.  Beware of any vendors claim about contact time that you can not confirm yourself by knowing the length and number of the magnets used in their devices.

So in summary, you should disregard any vendors Gauss rating claims that are not measured values "inside the pipe".  Find out the actual number and size of the magnets that they use.  The Pull Force number of the magnets is very valuable in comparing between vendor devices and the more steel the better. 

Remember:

NO STEEL Frame = CHEAP WIMPY PRODUCT

SHEET METAL Frame = BETTER PRODUCT

HEAVY STEEL Frame = BEST PERFORMING PRODUCT

* You can look at this patent online if you wish. Just go to US Patent Office Patent Number Search and enter the Patent Number.  If you can't see the images/text you need to click on their help tab.  A special tiff viewer is needed.  It provides a link to download the viewer software.