Introducing UV Water Filters

By Scott Rodgers


Water filtration systems are a necessity rather than a luxury in most rural areas where ground water is the main water source. UV rays eliminate water borne disease-causing organisms, which tend to be present in ground water along with other types of contaminants.

UV filters can be used for the whole house' water supply or just for the drinking water supply at a single faucet. Either ways, the installation and functioning of a UV filter are similar. When water softeners and filters are used along with UV purification system (and they are recommended!), the UV filter comes at the end, just before the faucet.

Short wave, medium wave and long wave UV light are the three types of UV light. The last of these is bountifully present in sunlight and does not harm microbes. Medium wave UV light is more useful than long wave UV, but microbes need to be exposed to it for long durations for it to be lethal for them. Short wave UV light is the best at getting rid of microbes.

99.9% water borne organisms are killed by short wave UV light, which is produced in small quantities by mercury vapor lamps. Among the kinds of microbial organisms susceptible to UV light are bacteria, viruses, yeasts, molds, algae and oocytes. These die because UV damages their DNA.

The UV lamp is enclosed in a quartz shielding. This ensures that the bulb produces as much UV light as it is possible for it to produce and also helps maintain a certain temperature. The water flow is parallel to the bulb and the bulb needs electricity to work.

The UV system's electricity utilization is comparable to a 60-watt bulb. The amount of UV rays from the bulb begins to decrease at the end of one year and bulb needs to be replaced then. Water needs to be pre-filtered to remove sediments before it enters the UV system as sediments can reduce the efficacy of UV transmission to water. Sedimentation will also increase the number of time the quartz shielding will need to be cleaned per year.

While installing a UV filter, it is best to couple it with non-plastic plumbing, as some plastics are not UV resistant. The power receptacle should be placed above the water lines to prevent water entering the receptacle when repairs are done on the system.

When a whole house UV water purification unit is set up, it will become useless if there are microbes in your pipes that can dirty your water again. Therefore it is vital to introduce bleach and let it get rid of organisms in the pipe. It should be drained thoroughly after 2 hours. This process is called bleach shocking.




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