Just wondering if anyone has experience with the UV clarifiers sold at Lowes. The one I seen was submersible and around $70 with a 1 yr warranty.
Does anyone use it? Any advice,? Thanks!
UV clarifiers at Lowes
I have not used the submersible ones but I did get a small non submersible at Lowe's last year and it worked great. I would imagine they get all of their small pond equipment like that from the same place.
well does anyone know about installing these?
Is it hard to add one 'later'?
I would like to go without one for a year or so and see how it goes. They cost about $70 Plus I seen that the bulbs have to be replaced anually or at least pretty often. That is quite costly over time!
I don't really see how they 'hook up'? I want to just drop it IN my filter box at the back of my waterfall where they pump brings the water up. Will it work that way? It looks like it is supposed to be hooked up to 3/4 in tubing or something and says it has to be used with a pump? Wow I must really sound stupid LOL :)
tetleytuna You said you got yours last year? Have you had to replace the bulb yet? I didn't see any replacement bulbs AT lowe's so I guess I would have to order them somewhere. Any chance of keeping the pond fairly clear without one? That's probably a dream huh!
I did get it last year and the non submersible one that I had could be put anywhere. I imagine it would be the same way with a submersible one. The way they work is that the intake water tube will pull the pond water through the unit and underneath the UV light which will kill the suspended algea. The pump is to drive the water through the unit. They are pretty inexpensive if you have a harbor freight or home depot nearby. I did replace the bulb this spring just as part of my spring startup. I have found that a way to tell if the bulb is still working is to place your finger in the stream of water near the entrance of the outlet line of the UV unit. Mine made my fingertip tingle a little, not unpleasant just enough to know that it was doing something. I would say that as long as it does that the UV light is working. It would be easy to add one at any time.
I am sure that eventually the pond would clear on it's own, but I gave mine quite a while and it never did. It is not really harmful to your fish unless it starves them of oxygen which might occur if the temps stayed really high for a while. It would really diminish your enjoyment of the pond though, as you could not see a thing in that murky water.
Ok so I have to have a separate pump for the clarifier than the one that is in my pond?
I have a pump Im putting in the bottom of my pond, then it will bring water up to the filter tub and that will empty by gravity onto the waterfall to return to the pond.
If the pump is not too powerful for the UV just split the line you already have to add the UV filter. It may not be necessary to get another pump. There should be a pump range specified on the box the UV light comes in.