CALCLEAR | FAQs

This question is best answered by reading the research published by Dr Lynette Morgan and Simon Lennard of SUNTEC, a copy of which is included on this website.

In simple terms we change large mineral crystals, which are too big for the plants plumbing system (its xylem), into tiny mineral particles that the plants can easily take up and translocate.

This is particularly true of calcium. There may also be a physical blocking of the xylem by mineral crystals which also bind up essential nutrients and prevent them getting to where they are needed. In CALCLEAR treated water the mineral particles are so small that they can easily pass through the plants tiny capillaries and simultaneously flush out any debris.

In short we just make the minerals more palatable, pack in the calcium and promoted healthy cell development.

Trials are currently underway to test this effect on tomato fruit with both compositional and sensory evaluation.

Since trials on lettuce have proven that the CALCLEAR units increase conductance through the xylem and have the effect of raising the calcium levels in plant tissue with plants under stress, it is quite likely that the other crops may benefit in the same way.

There are many calcium related disorders such as blossom end rot of tomatoes and peppers and bitter pit apples which may respond to treatment with a CALCLEAR unit.

There may also be colour, yield, shelf life and flavour advantages to having nutrient solutions treated with a CALCLEAR unit and trials are currently underway to quantify the benefits of the water conditioners on other plant species.

No, the CALCLEAR unit will not change the amount of nutrient ions in your solution so you do not have to worry about adjusting your nutrient formula.

What the conditioner units do is to prevent some of the salts in the solution from clumping together and forming crystals, which would normally make them more difficult for the plant roots to take up.

The strong flux field which the units generate in the nutrient supply pipe modifies the calcium carbonate crystal nuclei in particular.

Thus when the nutrients are unable to form crystalline salts with other elements they may also be prevented from forming crystalline structures within the xylem allowing the plant to transpire more effectively.

No, the CALCLEAR units will not cause drastic changes in pH and CF and you can carry on your normal monitoring and adjustment as usual.

The CALCLEAR unit is installed inline in the pipe taking nutrients to the plant or recirculating treatment for the nutrient tank.

Optimum results have been gained and fitted on the flow pipe to the hydroponic nutrient tank and recirculating the treatment at the tank before the plants.

This should be fitted at least one metre away from the pump or strong electro-magnetic fields. Like all electronic equipment it must be protected from the weather.

Tipburn is a browning and drying of the leaf margins, which often occurs as the heads reach harvest.

This disorder is a calcium transport problem within the plant and occurs when the foliage is losing water into the air faster than the roots can take it up or, in high humidity and low water loss conditions when the transpiration stream in which the calcium is transported becomes restricted.

The CALCLEAR units can lower the severity and incidence of tipburn by having a beneficial effect on xylem conductance. The xylem are the vessels within the plants which carry the water and dissolved calcium to the leaf tips.

This also resulted in higher levels of foliar calcium in the heads at the time of harvest in plants treated with the CALCLEAR units compared to the untreated control plants.

The CALCLEAR units not only improve uptake and transport of calcium, but they also seem to improve its utilisation in plant cell development.

The problem with tipburn is that the physiological disorder caused by low levels of calcium in the leaf tips, but this is not the result of a lack of calcium in the nutrient solution.

Increasing the calcium, if it is already present in adequate quantities in the nutrient solution will have no effect if tipburn is occurring as environmental and internal plant conditions are what causes the problem.

It is the rate of transport of calcium through the xylem tissue conductance has been found in the plants grown with the CALCLEAR units, so this is what causes the lower tipburn incidence in crops treated with the conditioner units.

The CALCLEAR units do this through multiple oscillating frequencies which modify the molecular structure of the minerals that would normally form scale.

They stay in the water, but are microscopically small.

It comes away in larger pieces and flows with the water through the pipes in the normal way. Settling may occur in the bottom of hot water heaters but will flake into smaller pieces and be flushed out without difficulty.

The average water system can be descaled in just 12 weeks. The first signs are when the water feels silkier. Many customers report softer skin and shinier hair. Many also notice that their skin is not itchy from eczema and clothes will wash better .

Scale starts to soften and fall off toilet cisterns and kettle elements. Scale on taps and shower heads will soften and can easily be scraped away. This limescale will not reform. There should be a progressive increase in hot water temperature and improvement in water flow.

After fitting, apart from occasionally checking to ensure the lights are still on, nothing needs to be done. The CALCLEAR units are designed to run trouble free and maintenance free indefinitely and carry a three year warranty. Please fill in warranty and email back to calclear.

Surge protectors are compulsory but in the use of generators in rural areas ,which may have power surges that affect the life of the unit ,this is not covered in the warranty.

The CALCLEAR is best fitted to the water supply to your house, or business before it divides into its various services. You will need to supply a power point for the plug-in transformer. Like all electronic equipment this unit should be protected from the weather, damp, excess heat and cold, and away from direct sunlight.

The CALCLEAR units now have prewound (patented) pipes of varying diameter and length where the transmission of the EMF Electromagnetic Field occurs.

It is not dangerous but a proprietary sine wave programme ( like a sound wave ).It is connected to our controller which requires a power outlet to transmit the

Signals. These will vary according to power needs and water hardness.

The length and diameter of the inserted pipe will relate to your pipe and water hardness. ( see chart comparing units )

Water treated by a CALCLEAR unit can be regarded as soft. Far less shampoo, soap or detergent will be needed. In industry the chemicals can be changed to leave out the de-scaling component with considerable cost savings.

The CALCLEAR unit is the answer to problems of pollution in our waterways caused by excessive use of chemical water treatment. CALCLEAR uses no chemicals and has low energy consumption.

No, in fact it saves you money.

Running costs of the computerized water conditioner are minimal and should cost less than $5 – $10 per year. There will be long term savings in the cost of heating hot water, descaling of elements and dishwashers and replacement and repair costs of appliances.

These require backflushing , and endless supplies of salt to regenerate the resin, which leaves harmful sodium deposits as a by product.

In USA these units will be phased out.

The CALCLEAR units are selected based on a factor of pipe size, water hardness and flow. If the water is very hard we may use an inline prewound pipe which has a larger.

The CALCLEAR Softwater can be used on 3/4″ pipes Digital 40-60mm depending on application), Hydro 80 up to 80mm, Hydro 100 up to 150mm, and Hydro 200 for pipes up to 200mm.

Please consult Technical staff at CALCLEAR for best recommendation.

It is always best to treat the pipe coming out of the tank preferably at the point where it enters the building as there is usually a power supply and shelter from the weather.

In agricultural situations where the water is used for stock feed or irrigation there may only be a power supply and shelter at the bore pump. When fitting the CALCLEAR system here, ensure prewound pipe is one metre away from the pump motor or any other electromagnetic field.

When stored in a tank, the CALCLEAR treated water will remain in a charged state for seven days. If the tank water contents are constantly being used there is no loss of treatment. The CALCLEAR unit will, however, break down all the sludge and scale that may have accumulated in the tank over the years and drop it in lumps on the bottom before progressively breaking it down into tiny sub 4 micron particles over a period of time. After a few months of treatment it is advisable to remove all this scale and sludge to gain the maximum water softening, descaling, water clarity, health and growing benefits from the CALCLEAR system.

Many growers put a pump and recirculating CALCLEAR treatment through tank.

The CALCLEAR system is effective on all pipes but the optimum results are achieved on PVC or poly pipes, incurring the least interference for the sine wave signal creating the electromagnetic field. However we do not recommend using CALCLEAR with any corroded or fibro cement pipes. This is because CALCLEAR is a very efficient scale removal system and as fibro cement pipes contain asbestos particles, there is a risk of taking these back into the flow, once all the scale has been removed.

In old or very corroded pipes, bores, tanks and equipment, it is often the scale deposits that are keeping them watertight and once this is removed by the CALCLEAR system, leaks may occur. It is important to take this into account and read the warranty carefully as CALCLEAR will not accept any responsibility for leaks or any associated damage caused in this way.

CALCLEAR softens water by changing large mineral crystals into tiny mineral particles which have had their ability to bond with themselves or minerals neutralised. It is the tiny particle size and absence of crystals that makes the water soft. In detergents it is the job of enzymes to bind up large crystals before the detergent can lather. As there are no longer any crystals in the treated flow there is very little for the enzymes to bind up so soaps shampoos lather a lot more easily.

Crystals, in molecular terms, are very large structures and have all the free bonds necessary to combine with other minerals or react with other elements to form complex chemical structures. They are in fact, nature’s little batteries and are the primary cause of itchy skin. Crystals also bond easily to any surface and become the breeding ground for fungal moulds which cause the more severe skin conditions. This why people have more skin irritations in hard water areas.

It is now known that mould needs crystal size structures to form on and one of the first visible effects of the CALCLEAR treatment is the disappearance of mould from tiles and other bathroom surfaces. The tiny (sub 4 micron) particles are too small for most fungal formations. As CALCLEAR is also removing all the scale from the tiles, shower screens and other bathroom surfaces there is a progressive reduction in mould and as it is the scale that traps all the dirt, surfaces become easier to clean and start to shine again. This translates into direct hygiene benefits as much bacterial breeding ground has been removed.

Other benefits include:

• Better washing results in the laundry. Clothes feel soft without using fabric softeners as the tiny particles easily pass through fabric weaves and there are no more crystals to trap the dirt.
• Better dishwashing results. Cutlery and glassware no longer left with white marks.
• Tiles and stainless steel surfaces progressively brighten up and regain their original shine.

It is important to note that descaling only occurs on equipment or surfaces which have prolonged contact with CALCLEAR treated water. It is also important that any removed scale has an opportunity to be flushed away. In appliances such as kettles, existing scale is quickly broken down but soft white powdery calcium still forms on the elements for a day or so before falling off. This is because the calcium is still in the water in tiny particle form and as the water boils away the calcium is left behind in the kettle where there is no flowing water to flush it away. To avoid this build up refill the kettle with treated water after each boiling.

We make this claim based on the total environmental impact of a product, including:

• Energy consumed and pollution caused in the manufacturing process.
• Energy consumption and pollution caused by operating the units.
• Overall impact on the environment.
• Our units consume less than $5 energy per year.

All other types of water treatment, including conventional water softeners and reverse osmosis systems, have much larger manufacturing energy costs with attendant environmental and running costs when in operation. Even filters have to be disposed of with concentrations of the minerals that we are anxious to remove from our water supplies.

These figures seem insignificant when compared to the environmental savings which result from the ability of CALCLEAR to treat commercial flows of water with high mineral content and changing them into a supplies that have all the benefits of soft water and not only prevent scale from forming but progressively descale all pipes, boilers, water heaters, irrigation systems, laundries, kitchen equipment. This is achieved without using chemicals or taking equipment out of service. By eliminating acid descaling and chemical treatment from all these operations, huge volumes of chemicals are prevented from entering our soils, rivers and drainage systems.

Further savings are made by eliminating the harmful sodium deposits left by conventional water softeners as a by product of the their operation. There are also further energy savings resulting from the scale removal from all water heating equipment which add up to a reduction of fuel consumption of around 20% (limescale is a great insulator).

As the treated flow assumes all the properties of soft water (due to the conversion of large crystals into sub 4 micron particles), much less detergent is required and fabric softeners are no longer a necessity. Overall the potential for removing or reducing chemicals from our daily life is so great that substantial and sustainable benefits to our environment can be brought within reach whilst we simultaneously enjoy the financial benefits of the most cost-effective water treatment available.

Last, but not least, recent tests have proved that plants irrigated with CALCLEAR treated water show significant growth improvements due to the minerals, particularly calcium, being made into a tiny particle form easily taken up and translocated throughout the plants. The increased calcium levels throughout the plant give a range of growth and health improvements including, bigger plants with longer shelf life, better taste, minimal growing problems and greater resistance to disease. If we can grow plants this good from water supplies that would normally cause growing problems then we can probably reduce the use some of the chemicals that are currently used to solve these problems and which ultimately end up in the soil or in our food.

CALCLEAR – Good for the environment? We rest our case!

The CALCLEAR should be installed inline by a qualified plumber to cover warranty

The CALCLEAR sytem is very easy to install. All that is required is a sheltered position close to the water flow to be treated, with 500mm to 800mm of exposed pipe on which to wind the antennae. An adjacent 240v AC power supply is required for the plug-in transformer. Care should be taken to place the antennae windings 1 metre away from electric motors or other strong electromagnetic fields. It takes less than 20 minutes to complete the installation which usually requires no plumbing or any interruption to the water supply. The whole system runs maintenance-free for less than $10 a year.

Yes, we have several models that have optional prewound pipes available. The Water Buddy and Digital have these 25mm sections of PVC pipe with antennae prewound and 25mm BSB brass fittings. These were made for smaller pipes on hot water systems and larger commercial ovens and boilers.

Unlike other systems, CALCLEAR will not interfere with, or create a loss in, the flow and pressure. In fact, in some situations of heavy mineralised water we enlarge the section of pipe where the CALCLEAR windings are situated to reduce the velocity, ensuring the water has an adequate treatment time period which slightly decreases unwanted friction loss.

Existing calcium and carbonate buildup will be removed very rapidly from systems, however iron, being a mineral difficult to dissolve in water, will take considerable time to be removed. Initial chemical cleaning may be a good option to avoid unreasonable expectations of the CALCLEAR in systems where the blockages are already severe. This is best discussed with our technical staff who have a wealth of experience with treating iron and iron bacteria blockages. As everyones’ experience has shown, water is very complex and a variation from site to site can be expected in results, time frames and outcomes.