Can a UV sterilizer be mounted horizontally over a sump?

[glb]

Here is how I would do it. I know you said you prefer pvc. I would use silicone line from the pump up to the UV. From the UV to the tank would take me longer to figure out. Since it it going on up to the tank, I wouldn't be worried about air in the UV. It' should flush. I guess the mounting of the the UV could be a problem. I have a T-slot stand to bolt to, and have a set of UV brackets.


Mine. I'm not the best at figuring out these things. I'd probably stare at it for a month before I made a final decision, lol.

I think this might work. I have a structural beam in the middle of the stand above the sump. I like the idea of having all the plumbing over the sump in case of a leak. Are those the brackets BRS sells for the Pentair unit?

 

[glb]

Would plumbing the output from the UV into the main return plumbing to the tank cause any issues?

I have that concern too regarding flow. I may get the apex fmk to see what the flow is after the uv unit. I could always get a bigger return pump if needed but I’m hoping I don’t have too.

 

[foxt]

My 120W pentair is horizontal over the sump. Inlet/outlet up. Inlet is fed by a pump from the sump area where the drain dumps. Outlet flows into the fuge section of the sump. I have an apex flow meter plumbed into the UV outlet line so i can keep an eye on the flow rate.

 

[foxt]

One more comment. The other post that mentioned leaving room to change the bulb is important. I have 4 ft bulbs, but am using a 6ft tank for my sump so do have room to swap bulbs without moving the UV. On the other hand, i have to remove it every 6 months anyway to flush out detritus that settles in it. You may not have that issue, but something to consider.

 

[glb]

One more comment. The other post that mentioned leaving room to change the bulb is important. I have 4 ft bulbs, but am using a 6ft tank for my sump so do have room to swap bulbs without moving the UV. On the other hand, i have to remove it every 6 months anyway to flush out detritus that settles in it. You may not have that issue, but something to consider.

I think I can mount it with the opening facing forward in the sump area. I’m still trying to figure out exactly how to mount it this way. Thanks for your help!

 

[glb]

Here is how I would do it. I know you said you prefer pvc. I would use silicone line from the pump up to the UV. From the UV to the tank would take me longer to figure out. Since it it going on up to the tank, I wouldn't be worried about air in the UV. It' should flush. I guess the mounting of the the UV could be a problem. I have a T-slot stand to bolt to, and have a set of UV brackets.


Mine. I'm not the best at figuring out these things. I'd probably stare at it for a month before I made a final decision, lol.

Where did you get those brackets?

 

[glb]

I’m wondering if I should upgrade my return pump to the Quiet One 1200 (317gph) to make up for any loss of flow from installing the uv unit. Right now I have the 240gph one. I also read reviews of the apex fmk and am wondering if it would work well with 3/4” plumbing.

 

[glb]

So I think I’m going to mount it over the sump using a thick plastic cutting board that I cut holes in to accommodate the input/output plumbing. BRS said I can mount the input/output face down without a problem. I’ll lay the cutting board across the top of the sump and put the UV unit on top. The highlighted area in the pic is where I plan to put it. The stand is deep enough to mount it this way.

 

[vtecintegra]

Where did you get those brackets?

It's been years ago. Either Amazon or Ebay, but I don't see them. Best/cheapest place I see is Premium Aquatics. They are Aqua UV brackets. I believe BRS sells 3D printed brackets. That Quiet One pump isn't known for being so quiet, more for being inexpensive. You need double the length of the unit to get the bulb out, since it's basically as long as the unit.

 

[glb]

It's been years ago. Either Amazon or Ebay, but I don't see them. Best/cheapest place I see is Premium Aquatics. They are Aqua UV brackets. I believe BRS sells 3D printed brackets. That Quiet One pump isn't known for being so quiet, more for being inexpensive. You need double the length of the unit to get the bulb out, since it's basically as long as the unit.

I’ve had the Quiet One 240gph and it’s actually pretty quiet. Since the unit will be facing the front of the stand, I’ll be able to pull out the bulb easily. Thanks so much for your help!

 

[glb]

So my UV unit came yesterday! I have a plumbing question. I think I’m going to use hoses instead of pvc to plumb it to my return pump. My return plumbing is 3/4” (I think, lol). The unit can accept 1/2 or 3/4” hoses. I’m thinking I should use 3/4” to match what I already have but wanted to ask. Also, how should I keep it in place? The directions recommend what looks like metal clamps but I can’t use that on a sw tank. Are there plastic adjustable clamps I could use instead? Here’s a pic of what they look like in the directions.

I plan on mounting it horizontally with the hoses facing down. It will go over the sump facing front to back. I’m going to get a plastic cutting board and cut circles in it to fit the unions on the unit. Does this sound like a good plan? Any help is appreciated!!

 

[vtecintegra]

You can use plastic clamps, and I would if using soft silicone tubing. They are very hard to remove and sizing always seems to be a problem for me. I use them on my UV. You can use metal clamps on vinyl tubing. Get ones that are 100% stainless so they don't rust. Lowes and HD has them. Use the 3/4" and cut like they show. Your mounting idea is good given the space restrictions.

 

[glb]

You can use plastic clamps, and I would if using soft silicone tubing. They are very hard to remove and sizing always seems to be a problem for me. I use them on my UV. You can use metal clamps on vinyl tubing. Get ones that are 100% stainless so they don't rust. Lowes and HD has them. Use the 3/4" and cut like they show. Your mounting idea is good given the space restrictions.

My only concern is if the tubing comes loose for any reason, the unit will drain and could burn out because everything’s facing down. Do you recommend braided or regular silicone tubing? I really appreciate your help!

 

[vtecintegra]

Hate braided because it's so stiff. I use black vinyl from my overflow down to the sump bulkheads. And I use a short section of soft silicone straight off he return pump for vibration isolation. The silicone is good for short sections and no hard bends. It kinks easily. I just don't use braided. I wouldn't worry about hose coming off/draining as long as you use clamps. However, since you are feeding it with the return, the UV should be shut off anytime the return isn't pumping. I use a separate pump to feed he UV, but I have my Apex turn off he UV anytime the pump is off.

 

[glb]

You can use plastic clamps, and I would if using soft silicone tubing. They are very hard to remove and sizing always seems to be a problem for me. I use them on my UV. You can use metal clamps on vinyl tubing. Get ones that are 100% stainless so they don't rust. Lowes and HD has them. Use the 3/4" and cut like they show. Your mounting idea is good given the space restrictions.

Also, do you recommend silicone over vinyl? I’ve never plumbed this way. My whole setup is pvc.

Hate braided because it's so stiff. I use black vinyl from my overflow down to the sump bulkheads. And I use a short section of soft silicone straight off he return pump for vibration isolation. The silicone is good for short sections and no hard bends. It kinks easily. I just don't use braided. I wouldn't worry about hose coming off/draining as long as you use clamps. However, since you are feeding it with the return, the UV should be shut off anytime the return isn't pumping. I use a separate pump to feed he UV, but I have my Apex turn off he UV anytime the pump is off.

Thanks. I do the same thing with silicone off the return pump to decrease vibrations. I’ll have to think about the fittings to use and where to put them on the return pump side of things. I think I’ll use vinyl, and run it directly from the return pump to the uv unit. For the return, I have to figure out a way to run vinyl back into the pvc return plumbing.

 

[CoralB]

Looks like you have a lot of ways to figure placement out but if it were me I would be considering a lot more than 8 watts for a UV sterilizer . Unless your goal is only to clear the water . I don’t think 8 watts is strong enough to kill anything bad . I wouldn’t go less than 25 watts in my opinion . And I would connect a valve to alter the flow of the water passing through it to slow the flow for proper contact time .

 

[glb]

Looks like you have a lot of ways to figure placement out but if it were me I would be considering a lot more than 8 watts for a UV sterilizer . Unless your goal is only to clear the water . I don’t think 8 watts is strong enough to kill anything bad . I wouldn’t go less than 25 watts in my opinion . And I would connect a valve to alter the flow of the water passing through it to slow the flow for proper contact time .

It said 8w was good enough for up to 70g and I have a 40g. I’m still trying to figure out the flow. My return pump is only 240gph, which is good for my LPS tank. I might upgrade a little to make up for the loss of flow I’ll get running the water through the uv unit.

 

[glb]

Can anyone send me a pic of how you’ve plumbed your uv unit into the return pump using tubing when your return pump plumbing is pvc? The tubing from the return pump to the unit is easy, but I’m trying to picture the hookup from the unit back to the return plumbing. Thanks!!!

 

[glb]

Can anyone send me a pic of how you’ve plumbed your uv unit into the return pump using tubing when your return pump plumbing is pvc? The tubing from the return pump to the unit is easy, but I’m trying to picture the hookup from the unit back to the return plumbing. Thanks!!!

 

[Freenow54]

I’m thinking of buying this aqua UV sterilizer and wondered if I could mount it horizontally over the sump. I don’t have a lot of room in my cabinet but this would work if it doesn’t affect performance. Thanks for your help!

8 Watt Classic UV Sterilizer - White Body

Aqua Ultraviolet UV Sterilizers will eradicate algae, bacteria, and protozoa without any harmful chemicals or additives! UV lamps emit a wavelength that will alter and disrupt the DNA or RNA of single-celled organisms. Combining the UV lamp into a large housing allows for maximum contact time...

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