Why,...Are UV Sterilizers So Expensive ???

[Mike7744]

Buy a used one, I have one for sale in the market place. Lifegard aquatics QL15.
Good for 100 gal

 

[tsharpe291]

all this uv talk... aqua uv is 15% off on most sites, might as well get myself a bulb

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Bear in mind too, UVC is corrosive to nearly everything. So a cheaper unit witha cheaper housing will not last as long as better, more robust units. Ive seen the Coralife units have the plastic housing get so brittle and paper thing from the UV expsore that a finger can easily be pushed through it. Whereas the Aqua and Emepror UV have a much thicker, robust body.

 

[427HISS]

What makes one brand vs the others, better or even the best ?
Is there a poll/vote here on R2R ?

 

[areefer01]

Don't buy one. Simple as that.

Depending on the hobbyist some will argue that they are not an essential piece of equipment. I personally have not installed one and never well.

 

[urchin]

Well, think about this: these are a niche market within a niche market. The manufacturer needs to recoup development costs, tooling & equipment costs, cover low-volume parts costs, and cover ongoing operation expenses, plus make a profit, enough to make it worthwhile. If you make something by the millions of units, you can make them inexpensive. If you make a few thousand of that same something, cost per unit goes way up.

I disagree, it's not a niche market. I'm a pipefitter and install them on all sorts of systems. they are expensive in general. I've actually been thinking of diy build.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

I disagree, it's not a niche market. I'm a pipefitter and install them on all sorts of systems. they are expensive in general. I've actually been thinking of diy build.

Fair enough. I didn't know that the same models were used on non-aquaria systems. I thought aquarium supply had its own cheaped-down versions that were (slightly?) more affordable for hobbyists. If that is not the case, maybe this is an area of entrepreneurial opportunity for someone.
Just out of curiosity, about how many have you installed over what period of time?

 

[Biff0rz]

I realize they can do a lot for help for fish only tanks as well as reef tanks, but why, are they so dang expensive ? ​

For my 125g plus sump etc.​

25w $450

I realize it depends on price and brand, as this is from only one retailer, but $450 then how many bulbs per year.....?

​

I felt this way too until I got my hands on it-
Thick ABS plastic
Replaceable internal components
UV bulb
Crystal bulb shroud
UV fittings
ABS fittings and o-rings
Mounting hardware

it all adds up

Now question the same with an algea scrubber, and I'm with you lol, total scam on those!!!

 

[urchin]

Fair enough. I didn't know that the same models were used on non-aquaria systems. I thought aquarium supply had its own cheaped-down versions that were (slightly?) more affordable for hobbyists. If that is not the case, maybe this is an area of entrepreneurial opportunity for someone.
Just out of curiosity, about how many have you installed over what period of

Fair enough. I didn't know that the same models were used on non-aquaria systems. I thought aquarium supply had its own cheaped-down versions that were (slightly?) more affordable for hobbyists. If that is not the case, maybe this is an area of entrepreneurial opportunity for someone.
Just out of curiosity, about how many have you installed over what period of time?

I'm sorry, they are different brands, I don't know about manufacturers. I just put one in on a humidifier system for heat in a building. I work on bigger jobs so I don't install a bunch myself, but they are common in my trade. pretty big RO systems too.

 

[Privateye]

There are indeed a lot of factors that go into the cost.

The UV housing can actually be quite expensive - often nearly 50% of the cost of the whole unit. This is particularly true for the ones made in the US, as they are often glued together by hand. There are often proprietary parts (e.g. unions) that the company has paid tens of thousands of dollars just to make the molds for.

The quartz sleeves (the lamps are also made of quartz) are pricier than glass, but they only comprise maybe 25% of the cost.

The lamps will be a recurring cost about annually, but quartz sleeves can be cleaned. The exact amount of time they can run depends on the manufacturer and the type (e.g. low-pressure, medium-pressure, amalgam, etc).

Fun fact: the UV dose advertised is typically at the end of its usable life. So before that point you may get better-than-advertised performance. After the usable life, it still may still illuminate and even work for your needs. The UV dose just can't be guaranteed.

Then we have the seals. They tend to be quite cheap, but often times these are custom-made for the units as well.

The ballasts can be quite pricey, as the internals are usually sourced from other companies.

There's also a lot of certification involved in these things. UL-listing for one, but sometimes an EPA registration as well. These add cost. The ones used for swimming pools or drinking water need to be NSF-rated.

Finally, there's the R&D. It takes quite a bit of analysis to measure the UV dose at each point in the vessel, then somehow they get combined/averaged (or something) to determine the overall UV dose for water passing through the unit. This would need to be repeated for each unit offered.

In some cases, like with the Pentair units, they purchased a company (Emperor Aquatics) and any issues that came along with it. You may have noticed there are no more "Smart Lite" UVs offered by them for over 10 years now. Those were made with 2" PVC vessels, which just weren't large enough for the lamps installed in them. Pentair had to honor Emperor's warranties on those housings, so they provided upgraded 3" housings when the "Lite" vessels failed. I imagine this factors into cost as well, but I don't know how much.

So it's kind of all of the above. Outside of the aquarium trade it only gets worse. I was at a facility looking at a $50,000 UV the other day.

 

[Freenow54]

More than that . I really want to make one but that part is the most difficult . It appears that the fittings are not pipe sizes , also you have to seal them , and be able to remove and change the light , and get the intensity of the bulb concentrated. Take a look at how complex some are protective reflective shields ect

 

[Freenow54]

I'm sorry, they are different brands, I don't know about manufacturers. I just put one in on a humidifier system for heat in a building. I work on bigger jobs so I don't install a bunch myself, but they are common in my trade. pretty big RO systems too.

If you are dealing with fresh water it is way cheaper a whole house stainless can be found for 250. However that grade of stainless will not tolerate salt water . It is 304 when for salt you need 302 it must be a plot or way more money . My idea is to try to have a sealed lining in the cheaper and still be able to change the quartz sleeve and bulb easily . The problem is what to seal it with . I am not going to quit yet

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

As someone in this industry, I will also include that purchasing manufacturing insurance for any aquarium device with a power cord is very expensive. The last quotes I received were in the $50,000 per year range.

Now consider insurance for a UV that has glass in direct contact with the water a fraction of an inch from a lamp containing mercury. I imagine the insurance is expensive. There is also a factor of EPA certification. During Covid people starting using UV lamps for everything and suddenly, all units sold needed to be manufactured in an EPA-certified facility, which is only extra paperwork and cost for the manufacturer.

 

[theMeat]

Uv sterilization is not rock science. Water exposed to a uv light is simple. Just figure tank size, whether you want to sterilize algae or pathogens, then figure bulb wattage and flow rate. Change the bulb every 10-12 months and a cheap Chinese unit works just as good.

 

[larrysaltisfun]

Does anyone have any thoughts on whether the quartz sleeve should be replaced yearly? I know aqua suggests it I replaced bulb only without thinking about it at the end of 1 year and was going to wait to year 2 to replace the quartz sleeve. Alternatively, if it is not handled with bare hands can it be cleaned?

 

[Freenow54]

There is a little more than that involved which one part was pointed out to me so I researched it. It is more than merely flow. It is an actual calculation that involves the volume of the UV chamber which hopefully was done by the manufacturer since I noticed they recommend how to use their Product. Its called Dose rate which involves a) identifying the actual intensity if you will of the bulb. Do not rely on claimed Wattage of the bulb unless the proper rating is stated. Some Manufacturers just state watts not the proper UV-C rating which is expressed in if I remember and too lazy to confirm Micro watts per CM squared. The calculation once that is confirmed involves volume and flow. If you ie readers want to know research it yourself . I am sure Meat knows

 

[Freenow54]

I forget the replacement recommendation it is only because of deposits on the sleeve that blocks the light itself. I am sure there are ways to clean it. Not all lights have parts available . Which to me is crap. So before you buy one ensure that they are also the cost

 

[Freenow54]

As to cheap Chineese lights . I will go through it again. First you have to establish that the light is UV-C which is important because it changes the intensity by around half, Most of them do not state that . Nor are they meant for Salt Water as any of the Stainless are 304 quality which after research I found will corrode with Salt water. I have yet to find the better Quality. The Cost difference is huge . The GEEK I found which was a whole house was $250 but was 304 stainless. I was not pleased . If you find a cheap one let us know please. Next you have to establish the proper dose to get the flow you want to achieve either or. That said I dont understand why people dont plumb them to run seperatly using the same light just do it in parrallel a set and forget thing with isolation valves also a by pass so you can shut it off completly as I dont think 24 hours a day is needed. That said people have pointed out that if set for parasites it will also kill good stuff needed for Coral and Fish.

 

[Jimbo327]

Used to be years ago that you can get Lifegard UV for cheap because they were more for the pond market. A large 90W UV for a pond was $200-$300 before pandemic. I bought in 2022, and it was $415 total shipped. I was kicking myself for not buying before pandemic.

I'm not sure what happened, but prices have just gone higher. And BRS carries Lifegard UV now. That same exact UV I have is now $700 for everyone. Same model as what I purchased.

 

[rtparty]

Tariffs are also in play for most of these items. The cheap Chinese units use garbage housings that are not UV rated and disintegrate routinely. They provide no customer service so they don’t care if it fails in 6 months