ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades CONDUCTOR LOOP AROUND PIPE?

When called to a fault on water boiler i isolated it and removed the front cover to find at the bottom of the boiler where the spout is for extracting hot water a single conductor (2.5mm2) wrapped around the 15 mm copper pipe the conductor worked from left to right then looping back on its self winding right to left. both ends of conductor went into small control unit.
anyone have any idea what this is for?


the type of boiler was the kind suspended above a sink for instant hot water(when they work)

Non-US area seems a better place for this.

Sounds like a capiliary tube for a high limit cut off or thermostat rather than a conductor.

It might be one of the water treatment devices intended to reduce the build-up of limescale. Something lkike this:

How does that work, Paul?.
Is it by Induction or Electrolysis?.

The theory is that the right magnetic field prevents certain ions in the water from building up limescale.

Have a look here: http://www.hardwater.org/water_treatment.html (scroll down near the bottom).

I have to confess that I am a little skeptical. I cannot see how passing any ion through a magnetic field – other than attracting it or repelling it – would change its properties one iota.

If that were the case, being quite ionic myself – as I expect most of my fellow life forms are - magnetic fields would be incredibly dangerous to be around. Now if they somehow charged the pipe such that it did not attract anions that would be a different story.

I find it hard to believe these things work too. The sellers' explanations always read as "junk science" to me. The currents and field strengths involved must be quite small, and the water flow rate is an independant variable.
However, I've also seen a device built into an expensive water boiler, so the manufacturers of that presumably think the cost worthwhile in improving the reliability.

the question should rather be "does it work at all, paul".

the idea behind it is not bad, but i'm also sceptic about this one.

""A pessimist is an optimist with experience"" ......

Yes, I've looked at these things in ads and catalogs with skepticism as well.

I've not had the opportunity to actually try one and see if it works or not. The claimed advantages certainly would be good if actually achievable, especially in this area which has very hard water.