Abstract: The application of a novel Automatic Dynamic Simulator of Fouling (ADSF) to evaluate the effectiveness of ion-rod water treater is reported.The effects of some parameters of the water treater were studied with an ADSF made according to patented technology, and orthogonal experimental design was adopted with the use of artificial hard water.Experimental results validated that the ion-rod water treater could mitigate fouling，and the anti-fouling efficiency varies with the test conditions.The anti-fouling efficiency of treater increased with the increase of flow velocity in the range of 0.8—1.2 m•s^-1 and output voltage in the range of 7500—15000 V.The efficiency weat up initially, and then went down with the increase in hardness.The rough surface of ion-rod was superior to the smooth one.The order of influence on treater performance with respect to these factors was as follows: water hardness, roughness of surface, flow velocity and output voltage.The research also provided a guide to improving the performance of ion-rod water treater.