dendrosa
Member
Mekaeel could you please elaborate on this point of electrolysis damaging a UV unit. I have'nt heard of this before.
A couple of points about UV steralisers:
1. UV bulbs usually have a usefull lifespan of anywhere between 6000 hrs to 12000 hours untill it reaches end of usefull life which is deemed 60% of its output. This value is dependant of the make of lamp, usage ( ie frequent switchings decrease life ) design of unit ( quartz jacketed or not )
2 UV C is invisible to naked eye. The blue glow you see is part of the visible spectrum of light but does not indicate whether lamp is emitting UVC.
3 The effectiveness of the Unit is a function of the power of the unit, the length of time the organism is irradiated by the UV ( ie flow rate through unit) and turbitity of the water. Due to the last point it is important that the lamp / quartz jacket is cleaned monthly.
4 Different types of organisms require different exposure levels in order to eradicate. Bacteria require the
lowest levels, whilst protazoa ( ie white spot / ich ) requre the highest levels. Algae and fungal organisims are somewhere between the two.
5 Whilst it is impossible to ensure 100% protection through the use of UV - due to the fact that disinfected water is continually being mixed with infected water, about 90% effectiveness can be achieved with a tank volume turnover of 2X per day. This assumes that the power of the lamp is sufficient to provide the correct level of irradiation at that flow rate.
A couple of points about UV steralisers:
1. UV bulbs usually have a usefull lifespan of anywhere between 6000 hrs to 12000 hours untill it reaches end of usefull life which is deemed 60% of its output. This value is dependant of the make of lamp, usage ( ie frequent switchings decrease life ) design of unit ( quartz jacketed or not )
2 UV C is invisible to naked eye. The blue glow you see is part of the visible spectrum of light but does not indicate whether lamp is emitting UVC.
3 The effectiveness of the Unit is a function of the power of the unit, the length of time the organism is irradiated by the UV ( ie flow rate through unit) and turbitity of the water. Due to the last point it is important that the lamp / quartz jacket is cleaned monthly.
4 Different types of organisms require different exposure levels in order to eradicate. Bacteria require the
lowest levels, whilst protazoa ( ie white spot / ich ) requre the highest levels. Algae and fungal organisims are somewhere between the two.
5 Whilst it is impossible to ensure 100% protection through the use of UV - due to the fact that disinfected water is continually being mixed with infected water, about 90% effectiveness can be achieved with a tank volume turnover of 2X per day. This assumes that the power of the lamp is sufficient to provide the correct level of irradiation at that flow rate.
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