Glowing pvc??

[Auqaman]

Hi all,
I just noticed pvc in my sump was glowing. The pipe is off the discharge after the uv sterilizer. I’m certain the pvc is glowing because of the uv light but it’s the first I’ve heard of it.
Is this common? Should I be worried about the plastic breaking down from the light and affecting the tank?
Here’s a pic.

thanks

 

[BeltedCoyote]

Never heard of this happening. Simultaneously alarming and giving me a “oh wow that’s cool” reaction.

@ReefSquad

 

[Miami Reef]

Following

@Randy Holmes-Farley

 

[deahttub]

Its normal. All of my uvs do the same….

 

[Miami Reef]

Could it be from the heat? Or is the glowing PVC exposed to the UV bulb?

 

[BeltedCoyote]

And it turns out…the reefer became super powered and also allergic to low ph LOL

 

[Smite]

Wow that's crazy. I use schedule 80* most times, so I can't comment on if that's normal or not.

I will say, looking at the orientation of that UV, I almost feel like that should be the feed? Unless you gate it on the discharge?

 

[Auqaman]

Its normal. All of my uvs do the same….

Nice. Makes me feel better someone has seen it before lol. Thanks

 

[Auqaman]

Wow that's crazy. I use schedule 80* most times, so I can't comment on if that's normal or not.

I will say, looking at the orientation of that UV, I almost feel like that should be the feed? Unless you gate it on the discharge?

It probably should be the feed yes. but it’s the orientation that would fit in the sump

 

[Smite]

It probably should be the feed yes. but it’s the orientation that would fit in the sump

Gotcha, I'm sure it doesn't make much of a difference but if you push up, all the pipes are full of water. Flowing down you can't control the flow rate past the bulb and the pipe probably is not full of water. I wonder if htat is a contributing factor?

How do you control flow to the UV? If a gate, try to move it after the UV if not there already. That will allow you to keep the pipes full of water and control the flow rate past the bulb.

 

[Shirak]

There is no way for the air to escape from the UV if it's plumbed with the discharge on the bottom. It can be plumbed horizontally if you can't get the connections reversed for vertical plumbing.

 

[G Santana]

Seen it a bunch of times in a Galaxy Far Far Away

 

[JXNATC]

Hi all,
I just noticed pvc in my sump was glowing. The pipe is off the discharge after the uv sterilizer. I’m certain the pvc is glowing because of the uv light but it’s the first I’ve heard of it.
Is this common? Should I be worried about the plastic breaking down from the light and affecting the tank?
Here’s a pic.

thanks

Looks like it might if Mr. Burns had a tank at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. I suspect it's nothing to worry about, but it does look awesome!