UV Plumbing

[HoosierHero]

General question for UV’s. Would it work to run a line from the return line to the uv and then back into the sumps return chamber?

 

[blecki]

That's a common way of doing it.

 

[Dburr1014]

General question for UV’s. Would it work to run a line from the return line to the uv and then back into the sumps return chamber?

What's your goal?
Is this in general to run constantly or for a specific problem like Dino's?

 

[malacoda]

If all you want it to do is polish the water, then that should work fine.

If you want it to reduce algae, fight dinos, help to control parasites, etc. then you will need to put a ball valve before the UV in order to slow the flow. In order to kill them, the flow through the UV typically needs to be much slower then the flow through the display tank return lines.
**see the UV manufacturers guidelines for the recommended flow for killing bacteria and protozoa.**

The most ideal situation is to have the UV on its own line out of, and straight back into, the DT with its own pump. But this is usually difficult/space consuming.

The second most ideal set up is to have it pull from the sump and exit into the DT.

The least ideal is to feed it with the return pump and have it exit back into the sump.
Doable for sure. But much more of the same water will cycle through the UV back to the sump ... through the UV, back to the sump ... through the UV, back to the sump ... which means it will take much longer for 100% of the water in your system to actually pass through the UV.