UV Question

dbroncos · Aug 22, 2023

Hello hoping someone can provide some insight. So I am thinking of pulling the water from my sump running it through the UV and then back into the sump in the return chamber, any issue? If I am using silicone tubing how can I anchor the silicone tubing in the return chamber?

Waters · Aug 22, 2023

dbroncos said:
Hello hoping someone can provide some insight. So I am thinking of pulling the water from my sump running it through the UV and then back into the sump in the return chamber, any issue? If I am using silicone tubing how can I anchor the silicone tubing in the return chamber?

No, no issues with pulling and returning to the sump. I guess the only thing I would be concerned about is affecting the water level in the return section (assuming you have a ATO there). I am running mine that way (with PVC though) but I return it to the same section I pull from. You could use any of those heater suction cups and stick it to the inside wall of the sump? Maybe zip tie it to the return pump?

Doctorgori · Aug 22, 2023

no issues but efficiency in processing untreated water or bypass would be the only issue I envision

blaxsun · Aug 22, 2023

You can find plastic hose clips (Amazon, etc.) that have a pair of loops that you can feed the tubing through.

richiep · Sep 2, 2023

Waters said:
No, no issues with pulling and returning to the sump. I guess the only thing I would be concerned about is affecting the water level in the return section (assuming you have a ATO there). I am running mine that way (with PVC though) but I return it to the same section I pull from. You could use any of those heater suction cups and stick it to the inside wall of the sump? Maybe zip tie it to the return pump?

What section of the sump do you take and return to,

Waters · Sep 3, 2023

richiep said:
What section of the sump do you take and return to,

I take (and return) to the skimmer section.

exnisstech · Sep 3, 2023

Ideally you would pull from the sump and return to the display. Not easy for many to do. When I ran UV I pulled from the first chamber of the sump and exited in the return chamber. I would try not to pull and exit into the same chamber as it seems like it would just be recycling the same water.

Waters · Sep 3, 2023

exnisstech said:
Ideally you would pull from the sump and return to the display. Not easy for many to do. When I ran UV I pulled from the first chamber of the sump and exited in the return chamber. I would try not to pull and exit into the same chamber as it seems like it would just be recycling the same water.

It is really no different than doing AWCs from the sump, back into the sump. The rate at which water moves through the sump makes any chance of cleaning the same water pretty negligible

. I think somebody did a test on this....BRS maybe?

Gundy · Sep 3, 2023

I think the general consensus by knowledge hobbyists is that it it significantly better to run the UV from the sump and exit the tank. This way you are assured of getting 3-5 time the turnover rate needed for Protozoa and 10 times or more turnover for algae control. Some are not able to accomplish this and resort to having a loop within the sump. The second best choice would be to draw water from the fist section and then return it to the last section. If this is the direction you need to go, you might have to adjust your flow to the sump from your drain line and Have a faster flow into the tank To compensate.

richiep · Sep 3, 2023

Gundy said:
I think the general consensus by knowledge hobbyists is that it it significantly better to run the UV from the sump and exit the tank. This way you are assured of getting 3-5 time the turnover rate needed for Protozoa and 10 times or more turnover for algae control. Some are not able to accomplish this and resort to having a loop within the sump. The second best choice would be to draw water from the fist section and then return it to the last section. If this is the direction you need to go, you might have to adjust your flow to the sump from your drain line and Have a faster flow into the tank To compensate.

Thanks gundy that makes more sense to me now as when I first tried that my skimmer was turning the same water around due to the flow, so I'll adjust the flow to stop that happening

The_Paradox · Sep 3, 2023

It really comes down to the differential between the between the return pump and pump for the sterilizer. In the case of something like a 1000gph return and a 200gph sterilizer pump it’s not going to matter. If both pumps were the same size then there could be an issue with circulating the same water.