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UV Sterilizing?

T

TheBlank

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 15, 2006
Messages
164
Finally getting my new water setup complete (got a bad reservoir, waiting for the RMA) and I was wondering as to the best way to go about anti-biological upkeep. I have algaecide and the like, but I was wondering if it would be better to go with a UV sterilizer within the case itself next to the transparent res.

Is this practical, where do I look, and does this have any negative effects with coolants such as Fluid XP Extreme +?

Thanks in advance.
 
There's a thread at ProCooling regarding UV light and growth inhibition. What you'll want is UV-C light with an appropriate wavelength (less than ~280nm), but you're better off just avoiding sunlight, using anti-UV tubing (Tygon R-3603, for instance) and using a low concentration of biocides. I'd also get rid of the transparent res, but that's just me.

If you ask nikhsub real nice-like, he might be able to set you up with one of his cylindrical acetal reservoirs.
 
Eh, looks like it's not all that cost effective considering cost of hardware and replacement bulbs. That and the potential for added heat. Guess I will stick with the regular biocides.

And I used the transparent res (the microres) because it seemed like the best fit and quietest. Not to mention easier to maintain. But I could be wrong. What's done is done however, budget budget budget.

Trying to do all this with College and a family, PHEW.....
 
UV-c light will break down most plastics and fluids in suspension...Please, don't do this :)
 
I ran RO water with nothing added in my loop for a year and experienced no growth of mysterious organisms.
 
Last build saw a HUGE amount of Red Algae in my Fluid XP. Seems my biocide was not up to snuff.

And yeah, I suspected that the UV light would eat away at my plastics (Family is from a scientific background) but I wasn't sure if there was an alternative.

Thanks for all the help.
 
Arcygenical said:
UV-c light will break down most plastics and fluids in suspension...Please, don't do this :)
Click to expand...

Do you know for a fact that short wave UV light will affect the plastics commonly used in reservoirs?

A UV sterilizer will work just fine. Get one of the small ones made for aquariums. The light only affects biological organisms that pass within its field. This type uses a quartz tube to shield the light source from the water and typically uses PVC for the external housing. Do a Google and find the smallest one you can find.

You really don't need a sterilizer or even biocides providing you start with a clean system and use aseptic techniques when assembling your system. A clean system has no bugs in it so it won't grow any bugs in it providing you use distilled water.
 
Do you know for a fact that short wave UV light will affect the plastics commonly used in reservoirs?
Click to expand...

I was mainly talking about tubing. I know for a fact that UV light will destroy the plasticizes commonly found in PVC and vinyl tubing... Which includes masterkleer, most of the Tygon line, and about anything you find at the local hardware store. They become brittle and crack in as little as 1 to two years.

Yes, I know this for a fact.

As for reservoirs, if they use a high quality PMMA lucite product, it will withstand any UV bombardment for years to come. Delrin, however, can suffer a quick death at the hand of concentrated shortwave UV radiation.
 
Now that's interesting because I think I have Tygon in my Aquarium and I also use a UV sterilizer. The reflected light does reach out a slight amount in that you can see a lighted water coming out of the UV unit. It's been running like that for several years and no brittle tubes.

I'm also pretty sure that the exterior case of the UV sterilizer is PVC in my smaller unit and ABS plastic in my big Lifeguard unit.

I think we are talking about two different deals here. I think you are assuming that he wanted to just stick a UV bulb next to his water (which wouldn't be very smart as it can cause blindness) and I think he wants a self-contained UV sterilizer. :)
 
Yeah, if he used a self-contained UV sterilizer, that let no light leak out, then he'd probably be alright.. But the way he said it "A UV sterilizer beside my clear res" , to me, denotes he's just stickin a bulb with a reflector in or something.

But about Tygon and such, yes... They do become brittle under UV light. They become brittle under sunlight, which contains only a tiny bit of UVc radiation. Therefore, a concentrated source of UV light would severely harm them. UV stabilized tygon and PVC exist for a reason, but not all Tygon nor PVC is actually UV stabilized.

I mean, the number one failure for the glorious potato cannon is due to sunlight making the PVC brittle. You can get PVC with good UV protection (such as what the Sterilizers are made of I'm sure) but that used in flexible tubing is not said product!

Even then though, PVC will be made more brittle, regardless of whether it's UV stable or not... The reason they use UV for an aquarium purifier is simply because the purifier isn't moving, nor does it have much internal pressure. A reservoir, the glue that holds the reservoir together, or even the plastic ABS fittings that go into said reservoir, can all be damaged by UV at varying levels.
 
It should also be mentioned then the UV light used for sterilization isn't exactly something you should look at directly... taking it's decorativeness as an added bonus could leave you with a nasty sunburn..
 
filthysanchez said:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=7999&rel=1
Maybe this?
Click to expand...
Maybe. Just make sure you know what you're buying, as some of these products will inevitably reduce flow (if that bothers you). This looks to me like it would fall into the "will" category. Might be a good idea to go to a good aquarium shop so that you can see these things up close and examine the internals.

Try and find something that's essentially a tube with a light, with no 90 degree bends. You don't need "Turbo-Twist" triple exposure -- you just need what I described :)
 
I don't know if it's an algecide but silver wire kills bacteria. I use it, no problems yet other than slight gold discoloration from the copper I guess reducing onto it.
 
scwam said:
I don't know if it's an algecide but silver wire kills bacteria. I use it, no problems yet other than slight gold discoloration from the copper I guess reducing onto it.
Click to expand...
Silver works as a biocide for sure - of the few people who do/did run G5s (with their silver bases of course), I know several of them ran nothing but straight distilled water.
 
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