"Carlos Alden" wrote in message ...
snip
There are folks that make electromagentic collars that surround the water
intake pipe and thus make the water softer. This supposedly realigns
something in the minerals' molecular structure which then makes it
impossible for it to stick to anything. As a side benefit this process
claims that it eventually cleans out encrusted water heaters.

This has got to be totally bogus. A conventional water softener might help.