Plumbing in UV in sump cabinet

[Goodair]

Recently got a used uv sterilzer from someone, bulb will have to be replaced but the unit is good. Thinking of attaching it to the back of the stand, for easy access to the bulb.

I am not sure sure if I should plumb it into my return line (pushing ~400gph) or do something else. Roughly 5 feet of rise from sump to top of tank. My concerns are if plumbing into the return line and using a ball valve:
-will too much water get cut off the return to the DP
-will the flow be slow enough for the uv to be effective
-will the uv be fully filled so the bulbs don't get exposed to air

Is there any considerations I should take into account?

 

[KStatefan]

What does the manufacturer recommend for flow?

 

[lapin]

It would help us a lot to know what model UV it is

 

[Goodair]

 

[Goodair]

Didn't dig too deep, but all i could find are turbo twist models, guessing they don't make this model anymore. Not even sure if I can get bulbs are compatable...

 

[SuncrestReef]

I have my UV on the return line running at 400 gph. Be sure to plumb a bypass so you can turn off flow to the UV during maintenance without needing to shut off the return pump.

 

[Goodair]

I have my UV on the return line running at 400 gph. Be sure to plumb a bypass so you can turn off flow to the UV during maintenance without needing to shut off the return pump.

Can i get a pic of your setup?

 

[lapin]

You might be able to ask these people . Prob better to get the bulb out and see what it is.

Electronic Ballast Guaranteed to Work with Coralife - 15 Watt UV Light

Ballast guaranteed to work with your Coralife - 15 Watt UV Light Bulb for Germicidal Water Treatment along with necessary wiring instructions to set it up properly. If even new bulbs are failing in your system or flickering significantly, it is likely time to replace your electronic ballast

www.cureuv.com

400 gph should work as a sterilizer with a new bulb. I would not go much beyond that or it will become a clarifier.

 

[AZMSGT]

First thing is that UV is just a tad light for your total volume of approx 105-110g. Since it’s on the small size you want to run it on the slow side of it’s rating. Best guess would be to run it around 300-350gph for Algae control and 45-50gph for protozoa control. Those are ratings for a 18w unit.

Odds are a new bulb and ballast are needed for it which would put it in the price range of a new unit.

Depending on what you want out of it you could run it off the return, off a Y connection or a separate pump.

 

[Goodair]

If the ballast got replaced, would I be able to get a stronger ballast to support a bigger bulb, or does the sleeve matter too? I'll give them a call and see what is compatible with what. (if it's worth doing, instead of just getting a new unit)

First thing is that UV is just a tad light for your total volume of approx 105-110g. Since it’s on the small size you want to run it on the slow side of it’s rating. Best guess would be to run it around 300-350gph for Algae control and 45-50gph for protozoa control. Those are ratings for a 18w unit.

Odds are a new bulb and ballast are needed for it which would put it in the price range of a new unit.

Depending on what you want out of it you could run it off the return, off a Y connection or a separate pump.

It's more for preventative control, I don't mind some algae and your right about ~110 total volume with the sump. There are some unions in place the return line, its not a hassle to add a T fitting and some valve. Im just not sure how well it would be able to control the flow going to the uv and not choking out water from going back to the tank.

 

[lapin]

If you just want to run it as you say and not be 99% sure of kill rate ect....I would just plumb it in as you wanted. It will restrict a bit of flow to the DT but you prob have power heads for DT flow anyways.
I would look at a different unit instead of trying to upgrade this one. Would prob be cheaper too.

 

[Goodair]

To avoid confusion:
- return split to tank and some diverted to uv and back to sump
-or all of it pass through uv and directly back to tank

 

[SuncrestReef]

Can i get a pic of your setup?

Since everything is really crammed into my sump cabinet, it’s hard to get a good photo of the UV. Here’s a shot of it back when I was first designing my plumbing. You can see two valves connected directly to the UV, and the bypass connected between them.

The return pump connects at the lower left, and the return line connects to the display tank at the upper right in this photo.

 

[Goodair]

Since everything is really crammed into my sump cabinet, it’s hard to get a good photo of the UV. Here’s a shot of it back when I was first designing my plumbing. You can see two valves connected directly to the UV, and the bypass connected between them.

The return pump connects at the lower left, and the return line connects to the display tank at the upper right in this photo.

Looking at your build thread, it makes more sense with the sketches. Do you channel all the flow through the uv, or do you leave both paths open?

 

[SuncrestReef]

Looking at your build thread, it makes more sense with the sketches. Do you channel all the flow through the uv, or do you leave both paths open?

During normal operations, the return flows completely through the UV. When it's time to replace the UV bulb or clean the quartz sleeve, I open the bypass valve in the middle, then close both valves on the UV. This diverts the return flow past the UV so I can safely open it up to remove the bulb without shutting down the return pump.

 

[Goodair]

Unit wasn't worth replacing parts. Can anyone recommend a UV for a 90g tank + ~15g sump? I can do a bypass or have its own flow line, so GPH reqs aren't as much as a concern.