If you have hard water problems you have several choices:

1. Ignore it

Usually the most expensive option leading to damage to your hot water system, washing machine, taps, showers, irons, coffee machines. ALSO heating scale wastes money and increases boiler running time and hard water marks around taps and basins.

2. Buy a water softener

Costs depend on size but are between £350 and £1000 and between £30 and £150 per year on salt. You also have to remember to fill the softener with salt and it is not recommended to drink the water.

3. Buy a magnet or other in-line device

Magnets that clip onto the pipe cost from £25-£100. These are usually found to be partially effective and tend only to work under ideal flow conditions. The water generally stays treated for only a short period and therefore to treat the whole house a number of these are needed and the effect is generally not powerful enough to reduce existing scale. Other in-line devices are usually either electrolytic or catalytic and have been found to suffer some of the same limitations as magnets with variable results.

4. Buy a Scalewatcher

A Scalewatcher uses the same principle as magnets but uses powerful high audio frequency signals that are designed to effectively treat all water conditions and flow rates.