Here is Why ScaleBlaster is NOT Worth The Investment
Why ScaleBlaster Might Not Be Worth It
ScaleBlasters treat hard water by reducing how much the minerals stick to your pipes and plumbing. This reduces the effect of hard water and the appearance of limescale.
The biggest selling points about water conditioners are that a) they don’t need or use softener salt and b) they require almost no on-going maintenance.
Simply put the ScaleBlaster device is not as effective at treating hard water as regular water softeners.
If your water is very hard with a high amount of parts per million (PPM) / grains per gallon (GPG) then you are most likely better off getting a standard water softener. This is because water softeners are still the only guaranteed way of turning your water “soft”.
Aside from not softening your water, ScaleBlaster does not filter it in any way. This means that you will still not be able to drink the water that comes out of your faucet despite buying and installing this device. While regular whole house water conditioners that do not use salt will both soften (re-condition) your water and filter it at the same time thereby improving the quality of the water and making it drinkable too.
What is ScaleBlaster and Can It Really Replace a Softener?
Scaleblaster is sold as a an alternative to water softeners. It works by changing the electronic field of your water to reduce the harmful impacts of hard water.
The idea is to change the way your water behaves so that it doesn’t cause the problems that is normally associated with hard water e.g. limescale.
“It can NOT replace a regular water softener because it is not as effective and does not filter or soften your water in any meaningful way.”
This article will review the 2 top selling ScaleBlaster conditioners that are very popular that include:
Scale Blaster Reviews
The Scale Blaster SB-75 Review
The ScaleBlaster SB-75 is a small water softener alternative that can serve both big and small houses.
It comes with a maximum water treatment level of 19 grains per gallon. However, note that if you use more than this limit then you might not see the benefits.
How Does It Work?
ScaleBlaster conditioners use technology sound wave frequencies to alter the properties of calcium molecules in water.
This means that the minerals that cause white limescale deposits in water will lose their adhesive properties and not stick to any surface.
Possible Issues
Mixed customer ratings and there are some customers who say that they did not see any effect on their limescale.
Benefits
A reduction in limescale.
It will also reduce limescale deposits that already exist in your pipes and makes them dissolve over time. 
An additional advantage is that existing lime deposits can dissolve over time, which can be determined by an increase in water flow.
Unlike traditional water softeners, the ScaleBlaster does not need any salt or chemicals to reduce hard minerals present in water.
Does not need any on-going maintenance.
Unlike regular water softeners, you will not need a professional plumber to install this for you. Simply connect it to your main water line so that it will treat ALL the water supplied to your home.
Operates quietly.
Compact design and made in the USA.
Doesn’t create any wastewater.
Unlimited water treatment capacity.
Who is it Best For?
- Small to medium homes dealing with hard water that is up to 19 grains per gallons (gpg) or 325 parts per million (ppm).
The ScaleBlaster SB-175 Review
The SB-175 works in a similar way to the SB-75 reviewed in the previous section. Using sound wave frequencies mean that hard minerals no longer adhere and stick to pipes and other surfaces.
This means that you will no longer see white limescale on your appliances or around your pipes.
Just be aware that using the ScaleBlaster does not affect the TDS (total dissolved solids) of the water or level of water hardness.
This means that if you use a water test kit, it will still show up as “hard water” even after using the ScaleBlaster. However, the water will not behave like hard water after it’s been conditioned with the ScaleBlaster.
Possible Issues
The only issue that I could find is that it can only be used with non-magnetic pipes and tubes. This is down to the way it functions. You should only use it with pipe material like PEX or PVC. Copper can also be a good choice so long it is not iron.
Benefits
Reduces the effect of limescale in your home.
The conditioner does not require salt to function.
Does not have to undergo frequent regeneration cycles.
No extra costs for things like salt and wastewater sewage.
Unlimited water treatment capacity.
Works silently, is small and compact, and does not affect the water flow rate.
Easy to install by yourself without a plumber and does not need on-going maintenance.
Who is it Best For?
- Similar to the other model, this device can deal with hard water that is up to 35 grains per gallon (gpg) or 600 parts per million (ppm).
ScaleBlaster Consumer Reports: Why Is The Scale Blaster Worth It?
Suitable for well or municipally supplied water: This is the case as long as you are trying to deal with water hardness of up to a maximum of 35 gpg.
Easy DIY installation: Unlike most other water treatment machines almost anyone can install this and all you need is a screwdriver.
Very small and compact: It hardly takes any space and fits almost any space.
Almost Maintenance-free: This is unlike most other water treatment devices that need constant configuration.
Made in the USA: This means that everything about them are totally US made.
Price: Compared to other water softeners and the cost to professionally install softeners, the SB-175 and SB-75 are both very affordable.
ScaleBlaster SB-75 vs ScaleBlaster SB-175: Which is the Best?
Both of these models have pros and cons but is the SB-175 higher spec model and extremely powerful.
It’s better for medium to large households and comes with a 10 year warranty.
However, the SB-175 costs as much as a regular salt based water softener.
And the only way to make soft water is to use salt. So, you should get a regular water softener if you have very hard water in your home.
But if you’re committed to getting a salt free water conditioner then there are some better alternatives to the SB-175 with a similar price tag.
The Best Whole House Water Softener Alternative?
The Scale Blaster is a good option if you don’t suffer from very hard water but even then the results are not guaranteed.
If you don’t want to use salt then you can choose something like the Aquasana SCM SimplySoft technology. You can consider this option if your water is hard and below 25 PPM.
This device actually treats your water and comes with integrated filters too.
The biggest issue with the Aquasana SCM SimplySoft is that it’s far more expensive than the ScaleBlasters however, there are currently special offers that can help.
Aquasana Salt Free Softener and Filter System(Conditioner & Filter) | SpringWell Whole House Filter & Salt Softener(Traditional Salt Water Softener & Filter) |
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| - Powerful salt-FREE water softener. - 1,000,000 one million gallon capacity. - Aquasana Rhino exceeds NSF standards. - Treats hard water WITHOUT salt. - Removes chlorine, bacteria, iron, sulfide, manganese, mercury, lead etc. - Includes pre-filter, copper-zinc and carbon filtration stages with standard fittings. - Treats hard water up to 25 ppm WITHOUT needing salt. - 90-Day Pure Satisfaction Guarantee. | - Powerful salt-BASED water softener. - Also includes a multi-stage filter. - Easy installation (inside or outside) - 6 month satisfaction guarantee and limited lifetime warranty. - Sufficient for 1-3 bathrooms (options for more bathrooms available). |
| Does NOT require electricity or back-flushing. | Requires electricity if using the electronic head monitor. |
| N/A | Effectively treats: calcium and magnesium. |
| Control Your System With An App:? NO | Control Your System With An App:? YES |
| Treats hard water UP TO 25 ppm (low to medium low hard water). | Treats hard water OVER 25 ppm (medium to extremely hard water). |
| Sale prices automatically applied by clicking this link. | |
| If there is *no* sale try coupon code: AQGEEK50 | Coupon Code: GEEK5 |
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| $$$ Ships to US and CA. | $$$ Ships to US, CA and Puerto Rico. |
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I had a softener for years. We retired in Florida and only came back for 5 mo in the summer. Our softener stopped working so bought the Scale Blaster. We are in Michigan and the water was Really Hard and I couldn’t use my dishwasher because everything came out with spots and everything was getting ruined. I bought the cheapest scale buster to just see if it did anything! It took a couple weeks but it did make a difference. I could actually use my dishwasher because no more spots. (Note! I added a teaspoon of Dawn which helped). It’s like the water heater needed to get rid of all the old lime. I have to say the water was not soft but it did not stick on anything like it did before. If you don’t care about really soft and just want better water IT WORKS! but takes time to get the old stuff out of your water heater and pipes! A more expensive one might work better but I didn’t need it for just the short time we were there. Better than leaving a softener idle for 7 months a year.
Costco has the ScaleBlaster SB-30 on sale for $239 right now. Would this be a good investment for our hard water scale with aging municipal water supply?
Hi Cynthia
Unlikely. In the few instances where I have seen the ScaleBlaster work it has been on very low to medium hard water not water like yours which is very hard and comes from an ageing municipal water supply.
You are better off with the cheapest whole house water softener and filter combo you can find or simply get an under-the-sink reverse osmosis filter if money is tight and you just want to make the water scale free and drinkable from your kitchen.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
We had well water and I did see a difference. It wasn’t soft but at least better and I could at least use my dishwasher if I added a teaspoon of Dawn. Before a scale buster everything came out white and spotted. I could visually wipe the white off the glasses and everything was chalky. Our water softener went out and was causing issues with our septic. Couldn’t drain it anywhere else because of being on a lake and would damage environment. We chose the Scale Buster. Even though we had the hardest of hard water it helped. After a year it was much better because I believe the pipes and water heater and all the other stuff was getting flushed out. Plus! no salt and no maintenance! I would recommend it if you don’t or can’t have a softener because it does help on all types of water just less the harder the water is.
Hi: Our house was built in 1952. We’ve lived here 50 continuous years with no soft water conditioning. Yes, we have hard water. The original pipes are galvanized metal (and magnetic), so does this mean No ScaleBlaster model will help ?
I have scale build up on the tile in my in-ground pool. Would the scale blaster correct this if installed into the filtration system?
Ok I just called the city and was told that city water is 12 PPG so thank you for your help and expertise.
Thank you for your quick response. I got a test kit that measures in PPM and it says around 250 ppm. Would that system work if my water is at that level? Do I need to also test for GPG?
I calculate 250 PPM to be 14.59 GPG (approx) which is still well below the 19 GPG threshold.
Glad you got a resolution!
Stay hydrated,
Luke
Hi, I’m wondering if the SB-75 would be effective in a newer home with 2 adults and 2 children? We have pex pipe throughout and are only worried about the hard water damaging our appliences. Also would it be ok if the water went through the SB-75 before it goes out to the sprinkler system?
Hi Joel
It depends on how hard the water is. The SB-75 can treat hard water up to 19 GPG (grains per gallon) so you should perform a hard water test if you’re unsure how hard your water is.
Yes, your sprinkler can benefit from SB-75 treated water if you correctly place it at the water mains point.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
According to specification, SB-75 can treat hard water up to 19 grains per gallon (gpg, not 19 ppm is your review) or 325 parts per million (ppm) and SB-175 can treat hard water up to 35 grains per gallon (gpg, 25 ppm in your review) or 600 parts per million (ppm)
Hi Frank
Thanks for this correction, the article has been updated.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
Hello Can you use a scale blaster device in line with a traditional water softener?
Hi Dipak
Yes you can but you don’t need a scale blaster if you’re going to use a traditional water softener too.
This is because the softener is guaranteed to treat hard water so there isn’t really anything for the scale blaster to do.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
It sems my cold water is direct from the outside. With separate line to hot water line.. it seems I would have to have an exterior unit installed in front of my house to treat all my water. Am i correct and is there a solution
What is the best water treatment for lime and rust in your well water
Hi Cole
Unfortunately, treating this will most likely be very expensive.
Limescale is most effectively treated with a water softener and if the rust you are experiencing is caused by iron then a well water filter is necessary.
So really you need a whole house softener & well water (iron) filter combination like this.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
Hi, What about the Scale Blaster SB-30 for a 3300sf rental house?
Hi Christine
Sure you can use that, however, I’m stil unsure about how effective the Scale Blaster devices are against hard water.
Stay hydrated,
Luke
How do I determine the GPG of calcium in my well water?
Which water conditioner would you suggest for a 5,000 sq ft house ?
Thanks
Hi Aida
You just need a test kit that specifically checks for the level of hardness in GPG (grains per gallons).
For 5,000 sq ft, I would suggest you go for a high capacity conditioner like the Aquasana Rhino that is capable of treating 1,000,000 (1 million gallons) of water before you need to change the filters. It includes a salt free conditioner, whole house filter (powerful enough to treat lead) and UV filter (for bacteria and viruses).
Stay hydrated,
Luke