UV size and plumbing help... Lost & Confused :(

[New&no clue]

I believe I have prorocentrum dinos. I want to add a UV sterilizer to my tank. My tank is 180 gallons with two 30 gallon sumps less rock, sand, and equipment for a total water volume of 210ish gallons.

Question 1: What size UV do I need for 210ish gallons?
I was thinking 40 Watt - Pentair Aquatics

Question 2: What flow rate do I need?
On BRS's video for UV, they said for Dinos a 6x turnover rate, so that would be 1260ish gph. However, others have said 3x turnover rate. Not sure which it is.

Questions 3: What is the best way to plumb into my system?
It would appear either a closed loop in the DT or directly into the return pump. I would prefer to have it in the sump as that is in a separate room and has more space. However, I don't want to connect to the return as I am not confident in doing that work. Currently, the two sumps are connected to one external return pump. Can I close the connection to one sump and instead have a new pump in there go to the UV and return to the second sump?

 

[|Tom the Bomb|]

For question 1 and 2 you would need to check the manufacturers ratings for flow and size, I would assume 40W should suffice,
As for placement, if you connect the 2 sumps with the UV in between it should be OK as all the water that is coming down from the overflow is passing through the UV correct?
My only concern would be dialing the flow rate, but I'd assume the flow rate through the UV would be the same as the return pump flow rate.

 

[New&no clue]

For question 1 and 2 you would need to check the manufacturers ratings for flow and size, I would assume 40W should suffice,
As for placement, if you connect the 2 sumps with the UV in between it should be OK as all the water that is coming down from the overflow is passing through the UV correct?
My only concern would be dialing the flow rate, but I'd assume the flow rate through the UV would be the same as the return pump flow rate.

My concern with the return pump would be too high of flow through the UV. That is why I thought a smaller pump with lower flow would be better.

 

[|Tom the Bomb|]

My concern with the return pump would be too high of flow through the UV. That is why I thought a smaller pump with lower flow would be better.

ah maybe I understood your diagram wrong then? in the first model, what is the piece in the center for, at first I was assuming the stick on the left (first sump) was the drain and the stick on the right (2nd sump) was the return

 

[DCR]

You can use a separate pump for the UV, but you need to keep the two sumps equalized. Pumping from one sump to the other without an equalizing line is going to result in one going empty and the other overfilling.

 

[piranhaman00]

The best way to use UV for dinos is to plumb it into display. I would buy the 65 watt Jebao on amazon with a pump that does around 1500gph. Put the pump in your display and the end in the display. It will be ugly but only needed for a few weeks.

Also you must blow off the rocks each night for this to work in any case.

 

[ChuckTownReefer]

I would never put something that can cause the flow in my sump to or slow down. I would just add its own pump and value and be done. Don't try and make it more difficult than it needs to be.

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

the UV is best to exit in the tank. I definitely would not connect two sumps with a UV in between. May work, but it is definitely a flood potential.

I would plum the UV into the return to the tank. The plumbing off my return pump splits--one way goes straight to the tank and the other way to a UV, then chiller, then tank (same place). Gate valves let me control the flow going through the UV, chiller route, and a flow monitor lets me know what the flow is before it meets back up at the tank.

I bought a 120 watt pentair for my 200 gallon. The pentair's have pump and recommendations in the information section on BRS website. 120 watts is run for parasite control. IMO oversize your UV. 50 to 75 watts is probably fine for algae/bacteria control.

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

This is what I did

 

[dlai]

This is what I did

Thinking about copying this design but curious if having a Gate valve is necessary in both the UV input and outputs? Can't flow through the UV be controlled with just a gate valve at either the input OR output?

My bulkhead return to the tank is also 3/4" and was also wondering if there was any benefit to trying to run 1" piping like you did for most of the return plumbing? Wouldn't the 3/4" bulkhead be the limiting factor here and having all that 1" piping not really increase flow?

 

[DCR]

Thinking about copying this design but curious if having a Gate valve is necessary in both the UV input and outputs? Can't flow through the UV be controlled with just a gate valve at either the input OR output?

My bulkhead return to the tank is also 3/4" and was also wondering if there was any benefit to trying to run 1" piping like you did for most of the return plumbing? Wouldn't the 3/4" bulkhead be the limiting factor here and having all that 1" piping not really increase flow?

The gate valves on the UV are probably there for maintenance on the UV. You are correct that you do not need both for control (or probably either for control. Upgrading the 3/4" piping will still increase the flow even if you have to live with the 3/4" bulkhead. Each section/fitting of piping contributes a head loss and it is the sum total that determines the overall resistance. Consequently minimizing the head loss in any section will still reduce the overall resistance and increase the flow. I would generally not expect a 3/4" return line to carry much more than 300-400 gph.

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

Thinking about copying this design but curious if having a Gate valve is necessary in both the UV input and outputs? Can't flow through the UV be controlled with just a gate valve at either the input OR output?

My bulkhead return to the tank is also 3/4" and was also wondering if there was any benefit to trying to run 1" piping like you did for most of the return plumbing? Wouldn't the 3/4" bulkhead be the limiting factor here and having all that 1" piping not really increase flow?

Well..the tank had 3/4 inch return bulkheads and the pumps output is one inch so I just ran one inch as long as possible but I knew I'd have to reduce it down. I heard some issues with the 3/4" flow meters so I opted to stay one inch until as late as possible.

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

The gate valves on the UV are probably there for maintenance on the UV. You are correct that you do not need both for control (or probably either for control. Upgrading the 3/4" piping will still increase the flow even if you have to live with the 3/4" bulkhead. Each section/fitting of piping contributes a head loss and it is the sum total that determines the overall resistance. Consequently minimizing the head loss in any section will still reduce the overall resistance and increase the flow. I would generally not expect a 3/4" return line to carry much more than 300-400 gph.

Exactly. I wanted to be able to shut the UV down and perform MX or if it developed a leak somewhere I could bypass it all and have return flow straight back to tank.

 

[dlai]

Well..the tank had 3/4 inch return bulkheads and the pumps output is one inch so I just ran one inch as long as possible but I knew I'd have to reduce it down. I heard some issues with the 3/4" flow meters so I opted to stay one inch until as late as possible.

That totally makes sense. I’ll probably run the 1” as well in order to keep possibility open for a apex flow meter. Actually I don’t think Neptune even makes a 3/4” flow meter

 

[DCR]

Those Apex paddle wheel flow meters add a lot of flow restriction. If you feel you must have one, I would oversize it significantly even above 1"

 

[dlai]

Thanks I had no idea! Wasn’t planning to plumb it initially with the flow meter but want to be able to easily add one in the future.

apex only makes 1/4, 1”, 2”. So you’d suggest getting the 2” meter and then just adding reducers on both sides to connect back online to 1” piping?

maybe it doesn’t really matter for me since I’m only planning to run UV to target parasites so flow should be fairly low anyways.

 

[DCR]

If you are OK with a lower flow of say 300 gph, then the 1" meter will probably be appropriate. They state that the 2" meter only has a turndown to 300 gph so you probably do not want it.