BluGarda BluClear UV-c Devices
What are UVC devices?
There is a lot of talk about how UV-c devices work. Often people talk about UV-c filters. That designation is not quite correct, because they do not filter the water. Therefore, a UV-c device should always be used in conjunction with a pond filter.
With the ultraviolet radiation generated by a UV-c lamp, microorganisms are destroyed, which are carried along with the water by the device, the pond pump provides the flow.
Not all organisms are destroyed and that is not necessary, the devices main task is to destroy green floating algae, which multiply at lightning speed when the water warms up and cause a green soup in your pond, which you would rather avoid.
Many beneficial organisms, which help maintain the biological balance, do not float in the water, but attach themselves to supports such as foil, plants and filter fillings. Thread algae also do not enter the unit because they also attach themselves.
How does UV-c work?
UV-c radiation penetrates the cell wall of a microorganism and damages the cell nucleus, they are still alive, but have lost their ability to cell division and therefore can no longer multiply.
- UV is very safe, only water in the lamp is irradiated, the casing around the lamp ensures that no direct contact is possible with people or animals, the ultraviolet radiation is harmful to humans and animals on direct contact.
- UV has low maintenance costs
- UV helps with disinfection without the use of chemicals
- UV does not add or alter odor or taste to the water
- It is impossible to use too high a capacity of UV
- BluGarda's UV-c lamps are easy to disassemble. So you can easily clean them without any hassle.
How is UV radiation generated?
UV-c lamps generate an ultraviolet radiation, which has been proven to be very effective in killing microorganisms.
An electrical voltage, along the entire length of the lamp, passes through the gas inside the lamp and generates UV-c radiation. The UV-c lamp and the protective glass are made of quartz glass, through which the UV radiation passes easily.
The gas in the lamp is consumed after about 9,000 hours of burning (about one season), then the lamp loses its function and must be replaced. The lamp then no longer generates blue UV-c light.
Practical use
UV-c devices are used for ponds primarily to combat green water. Green water occurs in newly constructed ponds, in unplanted ponds and in ponds overcrowded with fish.
The green color comes from countless microscopic algae floating in the water. As they float, they are carried along with the water flow by the UV-c device and destroyed.
To combat green water, the formula generally used is to use 2-3 watts of lamp power per 1,000 gallons of pond water for "standard" ponds. For koi ponds (many fish, no plants) it is recommended to increase the power to 4 to 5 watts per 1000 liters of pond volume.
With the BluFilter underwater filters are pump, filter and UV-c lamp in 1 device united, ready for use in ornamental ponds / mirror ponds, with the included fountain heads can be made a beautiful fountain.
Cleaning
It is important to clean the quartz tube from time to time, therefore it is wise to choose a device where lamp and quartz tube can be easily disassembled.