Water conditioning method and apparatus

Claim 1

A METHOD OF TREATING WATER CONTAINING FOREIGN MATERIAL THAT TENDS TO BE DEPOSITED AS A HARD LAYER OF A FERROUS CONTAINER INTO WHICH SAID WATER IS DISCHARGED TO MINIMIZE SUCH DEPOSITION, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) DISCHARGING SAID WATER THROUGH AT LEAST ONE ELONGATE PASSASGE THAT IS AT LEAST PARTIALLY DEFINED BY A FIRST SURFACE OF A MAGNESIUM-CONTAINING MATERIAL AND A SECOND SURFACE OF A COPPER-CONTAINING MATERIAL, AT A RATE OF FLOW OF SAID WATER THROUGH SAID PASSAGE SO THAT SUFFICIENT MAGNESIUM IS DISSOLVED THEREIN TO SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE OXYGEN CONTENT OF SAID WATER THUS FORMING GELATINOUS THIXOTROPIC SUPSENSIONS WITH SAID FOREIGN MATERIAL THEREIN TO THE EXTENT THAT SAID FOREIGN MATERIAL IS NOT DEPOSITED AS A HARD LAYER IN SAID CONTAINER; (B) MAINTAINING SAID MATERIALS DEFINING SAID FIRST AND SECOND SURFACES IN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTING ENGAGEMENT; AND (C) MAINTAINING SAID MATERIAL DEFINING SAID SECOND SURFACE IN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FERROUS CONTAINER TO EFFECT GALVANIC COUPLES BETWEEN SAID FIRST SURFACE, SAID SECOND SURFACE, AND SAID FERROUS CONTAINER.