My thanks to snafuman, pendever, and prodeng for your support!

I have completed my research into alternative methods for softening water and concur that a salt system is the only reliable and documented method.  

I now have to make a decision.  I am trying to decide between the Ecowater Series 518 and the Culligan Medalist 30.  I lean toward the Ecowater system because of endorsements by clean water related agencies.  Can anyone provide insight into either of these products?

Pendever, the ScaleBan system that you mention is not very common in the U.S. though it appears to be used in South Africa and the UK.  It is an ozone treatment process and, as such, is EXPENSIVE.  Also am told the performance is not very stable.  Dover, DE used an ozone system for their city water plant and, after millions of investmnent, are going back to traditional methods.

Hi ... don't know where the "ozone" came from; I'm including a copy of the response I received from the ScaleBan US distributor:
"The scale ban model 2000 is $599.00+ a $22.00 shipping and insurance charge. You have 90 days to try it. If you are not happy with the results , send it back for a refund of $599.00. The scale ban is the original unit on the market. It uses a complete circuit coil around the water pipe which carries a huge frequency field and creates an electro magnet field. The clear wave wraps a wire around the pipe a few times then dead ends in the air. This is not a complete circuit and does nothing.Please call to discuss this if you like. Thank you Ted Lehmier 1 800 627 2056 ".
Hope this helps.

This isn't the magnetic scale inhibitor thing again is it (magic electrons)? Or the ozone treatment that eliminates scale (it beams scale forming calcium carbonates to hyperspace)? Not again!  Want to buy a perpetual motion machine?   

I'm not sure if this thread began with a question, but water softening is a well developed science.  Hot or cold lime softening, ion exchange (salt regenerated sodium zeolite or synthetic resin for softening, acid/causitc regeneration for "complete" deionization), membrane reverse osmosis, distillation, etc, come to mind.  There are other processes, such as electrodialysis, etc...

Looks like you are on the rite track with process selection, and now you are just selecting supplier.  You can check buyers guides for qualified equipment suppliers, etc...  For small scale, maybe even the phone book;  check their qualifications ... their experience, better business bureau record if you are really small scale?  Watch out for tehnology claims supported only by testimonials.

If you are going for "zeolite softening", fine.  It's likely small scale stuff.  Reverse osmosis may be another option...  energy intensive distillation, likely for very small (lab scale?) operations may be another opion.... or, like the magnetic pipe-wrap, i'd bet that nothing at all would work just as well (if you just wanted softening as an "insurance policy" against, say, downstream scale formation .. which may take much longer than 90-days to form!)

Good luck in your vendor selection.

Wayne

It's been a while since your original post, but I've been comparing the Ecowater 518 with the Hague WaterMax. Leaning towards the Hague which is NSF listed. Hague supposedly uses less salt and less water in the regeneration process.
Wondering if you looked into the Hague unit?
Brian

DeltaCascade:

I could not have said that any better!!!!!!!!!!!!



Bob