UV Pond Filters

UV Pond Filters

UV pond filters are in-line pump filters combined with the ultraviolet lamp to irradiate the water. The pump sucks in water at one end of the filter and passes it by the UV-C rays which sterilize the water by killing the algae. The way this works is that the UV rays affect the DNA of the algae’s nucleic acid, causing it not to be able to reproduce. The single cell algae microorganism then dies. This is the sterilization function that any UV light performs.

The ability of the UV pond filters to remove the algae from the pond is a function of the size of the pond and the pump capacity. Water cannot flow past the UV rays too quickly or they will not have enough time to sterilize the water. So to size your UV pond filters you need to know the capacity of your pond as well as the allowable throughput in gallons of the pump. The manufacturer of the pump will specify how many gallons can flow through their device and will also tell you the maximum number of gallons in the pond that their unit will effectively treat. Make certain that you size your unit properly in order to be happy with the results you obtain.

UV Pond Filters; Not Really a Filter At All

Using the term UV pond filters is a bit of a misnomer. Because UV does not filter it only sterilizes. Here’s why that is important. Water filters filter out particulates, trace metals such as calcium and magnesium, chlorine, and anything else that you can see smell or taste. Those filters have to be replaced over time because as water flows through them they trap the particulates until they get clogged. Ultraviolet rays, strictly speaking,, do not filter anything. Instead they sterilize. What any UV light does is kill microorganisms and single cell contaminants such as algae. When we use UV pond filters in a pond we are killing algae and any other biological organisms they are designed to kill but they are not designed to be filters. As a result if the problems in your pond are not caused by microorganisms then using UV pond filters will not address the root cause of the problem. You could have totally sterile pond water and still have a problem. That’s just the nature of how  ultraviolet rays work. As a result you really need to know what the condition in your pond is that you are trying to treat. And the only way to really know that is to get a water test to see what you are dealing with. Only then will you be sure of what you need to buy to correct the problem.

UV Pond Filters: Use With Water Filters

However when you combine the UV light rays used to sterilize and water filters used to filter particulates and minerals and trace chemicals together, you take care of almost any conceivable problem that will come up in your pond. Also make sure that you maintain your UV pond filters properly by cleaning off the sleeve around the UV light. Unless you do this the UV light will not be able to “see”  through the gunk to irradiate the water.