UV Wattage vs Flow Rate...

[Jason]

Hello, Have another question for UV enthusiast lol.
I am buying a 9w UV clarifier for my smaller 400 gallon pond, I will be splitting it off a 650gph pump and wanted to know what a good flow rate per my wattage for maximum results? Thanks

 

[Hangman]

Jason: I have a 9 watt UV and the manufacturer recommends 900 gph plus or minus 10 percent.
My pond is about 1000 gallons and my main pump is 2500 gpm. I added a second pump that I had laying around that is 600 gpm and I run that through the UV light and it works great.
I would recommend that you run your entire 650 gpm through the UV

Jeff

 

[Jason]

I hope you mean "2500 GPH" vs GPM lol, Thanks, I have a 13w UV that's fed by a 950gph pump and it does well in my larger pond. My Question would be more of would the slower the flow Rate be more beneficial then a faster one? Would my 650gph utilize itself better through all 650gph to the 9wUV or would lets say 325gph be more productive? The whole ponds volume being pushed through fast, twice or half the ponds volume being pushed through slower, once? Thanks again

 

[crsublette]

Check out What size UV?. Koiguy1969 shares his testament and use with a tetra 9watt UV.

Of course, much of it depends on the manufacturer so I would first look at the manufacturer's recommendations.

 

[Jason]

Good thread, Thanks Charles

 

[Hangman]

Yes - I meant GPH - not GPM (good catch Jason)

I'm actually starting to think a given pond /UV light system might actually have two optimum flow rates. You would want a high flow rate if your pond was dark green with algae - to clear it quickly - you would want a fast turnover rate to over run the reproductive rate of the algae. If your pond was visually clear of algae you would benefit from a slow flow and the UV would act as a sterilizer.

If your UV light was set up with a split bypass as a lot of them are - you could adjust the rate as needed. So getting back to Jason's situation, if your pond is visually clear - maybe 50 percent of your 650 GPH flow should go through the UV light.

Just my 2 cents

Jeff

 

[Jason]

I think that what I am going to do, Thanks Hangman. Both ponds have very high turnover rates at almost 4 times an hour on the 500 and 3 times an hour on the 400.

 

[koiguy1969]

a higher flow rate can greatly decrease a U.Vs effectiveness. flowing thru too fast, just cuts the exposure time of the algea to the U.V spectrum. every unit will come with a max flow rate. for this reason. with a clear pond you can increase the flow, and usually maintain clear water. flow rate can also be determined by what your using it for. higher rates for using it as a clarifier. meaning just clearing green water, lower flow for use as a sterilizer, meaning parasite and pathogen control. some units will have ratings for both. if your just using a unit to keep clear water, you can often turn it off once clear water is achieved. thats what i do.

 

[sissy]

need to ask I have seen these in pond uv.s online are they more effective or less .I see they give the pond a glow at night like aliens have landed .Would they harm the fish eyesight .