Aqua UV sterilizers with wiper, a problem?

[pacificdiver]

I just purchased an Aqua UV 40W sterilizer with wiper, and I'm having a bit of buyer's remorse. I found one source which said they nearly always corrode at the steel wiper arm. Has anyone who has owned an Aqua UV unit had experience one way or the other?

Thanks in advance.

[GimpyFin]

I have one without the wiper but I think member slief has some with the wipers and I thought he liked having them. Maybe he'll see this thread and chime in.

[slief]

Originally Posted by GimpyFin

I have one without the wiper but I think member slief has some with the wipers and I thought he liked having them. Maybe he'll see this thread and chime in.

Any chance I can borrow that crystal ball of yours? :LOL:


I have an AquaUV 114 watt with a wiper on my system for several years and the wipers reduce maintenance on the sterilizer a lot if you use them. The wiper arms are stainless and won't corrode but a bit of silicone grease on the wiper arm will insure it doesn't pit and will also keep the o-ring seal from drying out over time. Also, the wiper arms are cheap and easy to replace. Personally, I wouldn't buy a UV without the wipers.

I've kind of neglected to to use mine in a while but if you use the wipers a couple times a month a do a few swipes with it, it will keep the UV's sleeves clean and free of algae. Once a year when I swap my bulbs, I disassemble my UV and clean the crystal sleeves with vinegar by soaking paper towers with vinegar and wrapping the outside of the sleeves.

[scar79]

If it makes you feel any better, they have a good customer service department and are stand-up about replacing defective items.

It's good practice to plumb in a bypass for any inline equipment like a chiller or UV anyways, so if you haven't plumbed yet, it's worth the extra three valves should you ever need to send it back to them.

[pacificdiver]

Ok, thanks guys. Sounds like I'm going to stick with it.

[GimpyFin]

Originally Posted by slief

Any chance I can borrow that crystal ball of yours? :LOL:


I have an AquaUV 114 watt with a wiper on my system for several years and the wipers reduce maintenance on the sterilizer a lot if you use them. The wiper arms are stainless and won't corrode but a bit of silicone grease on the wiper arm will insure it doesn't pit and will also keep the o-ring seal from drying out over time. Also, the wiper arms are cheap and easy to replace. Personally, I wouldn't buy a UV without the wipers.

I've kind of neglected to to use mine in a while but if you use the wipers a couple times a month a do a few swipes with it, it will keep the UV's sleeves clean and free of algae. Once a year when I swap my bulbs, I disassemble my UV and clean the crystal sleeves with vinegar by soaking paper towers with vinegar and wrapping the outside of the sleeves.

That was fast!

[bif24701]

If you get any kind of precipitation in your system be warned it will happen in the UV first and make it useless until it is cleaned. This happened to me a few times


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[nycman]

I am getting one and having it plumbed in. Going with the 25W @~800GPH on a 220 gallon system. This was what was recommended by the customer support person. My question is the 2 inch versus the 3/4. If my plumbing is 1 inch, it seems 3/4 is the way to go. Make sense?

[slief]

I would go with a 2" and reduce it down so you don't increase friction losses. Also, I think the 25w is undersized for your system size. For salt water, the 25w is rated to 150 gallons. I would suggest the 40w or even the 57 watt for a 220 gallon display. You are better off having a UV that is a bit oversized vs one that is undersized. It will be more effective in the long run though your flow rates at 800 gph would be on the low side for the 40w or 57w though it's not really going to harm anything even in a reef.

[nycman]

Originally Posted by slief

I would go with a 2" and reduce it down so you don't increase friction losses. Also, I think the 25w is undersized for your system size. For salt water, the 25w is rated to 150 gallons. I would suggest the 40w or even the 57 watt for a 220 gallon display. You are better off having a UV that is a bit oversized vs one that is undersized. It will be more effective in the long run though your flow rates at 800 gph would be on the low side for the 40w or 57w though it's not really going to harm anything even in a reef.

Months later...I went with the 57W as you suggested, with a wiper. I know you like wipers. I had to install mine vertically with the wiper parked on top. I have had to replace the wiper ring twice b/c it dried out, got stuck, and then damaged when I pulled the rod too hard. To prevent this I need to keep it moist, and the vendor recommends installing it horizontally for this purpose. That would require replumbing hard PVC. Do you think I can park it at the bottom of the unit, with the rod fully extended, or will this cause it to drip?

The other thing I have noticed is my quartz sleeve gets calcified frequently. I can notice it build up only a week after cleaning it, and a month or two it is completely coated (and useless). I had my large biopellet reactor on the same external network with the reactor first in sequence, so the only water entering the UV was output water from the reactor. I have since removed the reactor so the UV gets water direct from the sump, and returns it there. If this is not the cause, then I must have precipitation occurring.

[slief]

Originally Posted by nycman

Months later...I went with the 57W as you suggested, with a wiper. I know you like wipers. I had to install mine vertically with the wiper parked on top. I have had to replace the wiper ring twice b/c it dried out, got stuck, and then damaged when I pulled the rod too hard. To prevent this I need to keep it moist, and the vendor recommends installing it horizontally for this purpose. That would require replumbing hard PVC. Do you think I can park it at the bottom of the unit, with the rod fully extended, or will this cause it to drip?

The other thing I have noticed is my quartz sleeve gets calcified frequently. I can notice it build up only a week after cleaning it, and a month or two it is completely coated (and useless). I had my large biopellet reactor on the same external network with the reactor first in sequence, so the only water entering the UV was output water from the reactor. I have since removed the reactor so the UV gets water direct from the sump, and returns it there. If this is not the cause, then I must have precipitation occurring.

Use silicone grease on the seal. That should prevent it from drying out. Just regrease the seal semi annually if not when you change your bulb. You can also apply some grease to the rod itself. That said, I wouldn’t suggest having the wiper facing down if that is what you are asking.

If your sleeve is getting calcified that quickly, I’d wonder if you are using the wiper quickly enough. It would also lead me to wonder if you are dosing kalk near the intake for the pump that feeds the UV.

[nycman]

Originally Posted by slief

Use silicone grease on the seal. That should prevent it from drying out. Just regrease the seal semi annually if not when you change your bulb. You can also apply some grease to the rod itself. That said, I wouldn’t suggest having the wiper facing down if that is what you are asking.

If your sleeve is getting calcified that quickly, I’d wonder if you are using the wiper quickly enough. It would also lead me to wonder if you are dosing kalk near the intake for the pump that feeds the UV.

It is the wiper ring that moves up and down the sleeve that is drying out, and sticking to the sleeve, and then being difficult to move up and down along the sleeve. I was considering pulling the rod all the way out and leaving it that way full time since the water enters the bottom of the unit, and exits the top, but below where the wiper ring is parked when the rod is fulling inserted into the unit (normal position). So question is can I pull the rod out entirely, or partially, full time, to keep the wiper under water (i.e. moist).

My dozing is a mile away from the UV unit. All the dosed water goes to DT before having any chance of entering it.

[slief]

I get way you are saying now. From the sounds of it, you’re not able to get all the air out of the inside of the sterilizer because you have it mounted vertically? If that’s the case, I think you need to rethink your install. I wouldn’t leave it with the wiper arm extended. While mounting with the wiper amp facing down probably won’t be an issue, I think the smart thing to do would be to mount it properly. If a portion of the sleeve inside is exposed to air during operation, it’s likely adding heat to the sleeve which would facilitate calcification of the sleeve.

[Bmezz]

Originally Posted by scar79

If it makes you feel any better, they have a good customer service department and are stand-up about replacing defective items.

It's good practice to plumb in a bypass for any inline equipment like a chiller or UV anyways, so if you haven't plumbed yet, it's worth the extra three valves should you ever need to send it back to them.

Can you or someone send pictures of a plumbed bypass inline from return for a UV?