iSpring ED2000 Whole House Water Descaler, Alternative Electronic Salt-Free Hard Water Conditioner, Reduces Limescale Prevent Deposits Build-up, Different from a Water Softener

Let me first say that I prepared for this purchase by researching the recommendations the manufacturer had mad before buying it. I knew I needed water within a certain hardness range, <3 ppm iron, and that it would only be good for 50 ft of pipe after the wrap. I tested my water and it was all good so I went ahead and bought it. Luckily, I have two water inlets to my house because one end is an addition. This allowed me to easily install the unit while observing the 50ft pipe rule. I have a total of maybe 30 ft of pipe after the install, with the hot water heater being within 10 feet. Within the first week I noticed that the water felt different and my soap was getting my hands cleaner. I used to wash my hands and have a slick feeling like my hands were oily still (I have oily skin/hands) but I noticed that when I would wash my hands they were very "sticky". Not really like I have syrup on my fingers, but if I tried to slide my fingers against each other after washing and drying them, they'd feel more like I washed my hands with something that took off all the oils.This is very anecdotal and not really something you can say is a definitive thing that a person might think is just in my head, so now for the hard evidence. I have a mirror in the shower that I use for shaving. I have to scrub it with gritty toothpaste every time I use it to clean off the deposits. It takes about a week for it to build up to the point that I clean it. Well I installed this after I didn't shave for about 6 weeks and decided to touch up a little after it had been installed for a month. I cleaned off the mirror with toothpaste and got to work. I decided that maybe this could be my test and started checking it weekly to see how it was going. So far the only thing that sticks to the mirror looks like soap scum (I have my bar on a caddy that has a hook below it where the mirror hangs) and I can just wet it and wipe it off. Maybe it's minerals but they aren't sticking to the point that they require anything to remove. Just my hand and water.This is all I wanted from this thing. Reduce the deposits that were difficult to clean/remove and hopefully extend the life of my hot water heater element. I had a brand new hot water tank when we moved into this house, and after 8 months the element was toast and the bottom of the tank was full of deposits that I had a hard time removing (read chisel, vinegar, and many flushes). I have had this installed for about 3 months so it's not been near long enough to tell how it works for the longevity of the hot water heater, but it's worth it for the cleaning hassles with the fixtures. My wife loves it.All in all I'd recommend it 100% if your water meets the requirements or can be conditioned to meet them. Otherwise, I have no idea, but I doubt it'll work outside what the manufacturer says it will. I will be buying another one to install on the other water inlet to the house, which is the one that supplies the kitchen.

Works very well. Noticed much less white scale on shower head, kitchen sink sprayer, around base of faucets. Great value/price. Would purchase again and recommend.

I purposely waited a few months before reviewing this item as I wanted to be sure it's doing what it says; and frankly that's not an easy question to answer. Install is fairly straight forward. Just follow the instructions and wrap the wires in the direction of water flow as described. Plug it in and then....what? Unless you can get inside your boiler there's no way of knowing for sure the deposits are being released into the water stream. You would have to wait 5-10 or more years to see if you get more life out of your water tank. Here in CO we have hard water w/ lots of minerals; my last water heater lasted about 7 years so I still have several years to go to see if this product extends the life of the new boiler.Barring testing water prior to installation and after (which I did not do), how can one tell if this thing is working? First, the science is there. I researched quite a bit before purchasing and multiple sources indicate this product does descale minerals from pipes and water tank. Second, it's hard to be sure but when standing in the shower it does seem the water feels a bit softer on skin. Rubbing fingers together under a flow of water seems slicker and smoother than prior to installation. The problem is this could be a psychological effect of "wanting it to work"...hard to be certain. Finally, and most notably for me is how my skin has reacted over time. CO winter air is beyond dry. The years I've lived here I need humidifiers constantly running, bottles of lotion used and still would be itchy most of the day. This winter however there is a noticeable improvement. My skin is not nearly as dry, I am not using lotion like I was and I do not itch anymore. For me this is the true indicator that the product is working. I'm not going to call it 'soft water', but it has the same effect as soft water which is all that matters to me. For the price this was a good solution and totally worth it.