UV Water Purification System Buyer's Guide

21 Jul.,2023

 

Prefilters Can Protect your UV System & Improve UV Efficacy

Prefiltration may be necessary: If water is cloudy, a pre-filter should be used. Otherwise, UV light cannot effectively reach and destroy microorganisms because the rays are blocked by particles in the water.  

Also, hard water can cause scale build-up on the UV lamp which decreases the efficacy of the ultraviolet process. "Hard water" means the water coming into your home is high in calcium or magnesium. Hard water should be treated with a water softener before the water enters the UV chamber. If left untreated, these minerals can coat the quartz sleeve and  

To understand what's in your water, refer to the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) (also known as an Annual Drinking Water Quality Report) available from your water supplier July 1 each year. If you're on a private well water, we highly recommend testing your water. Learn more about water testing from the EPA website. 

Quality of Water Before the UV System - To keep a UV system functioning at peak performance, it’s important to know what contaminants are in your water before installing a UV water filter system.

For example, high levels of hardness, iron, and sediment may not allow the UV system to properly treat the water. Thus, we recommend that incoming water to the UV system meet the following parameters:

  • Hardness < 7 grains per gallon
  • Iron < 0.3 parts per million
  • Manganese < 0.05 parts per million
  • Turbidity < 1 NTU
  • Tannins < 0.1 parts per million
  • UV Transmittance > 75%

If your water does not meet the above parameters before entering the UV chamber, then pre-treatment equipment may be necessary.

Installation NOTE: When you have multiple filters such as a water softener or "Big Blue" water filter in place, the UV system is usually installed last in the lineup. 

Prefilters Improve UV Effectiveness

Sediment found in city and well water can be large enough to create shadows for bacteria to hide behind and thus, hinder the systems' ability to effectively treat water. UV manufacturers highly recommend a pre-sediment filter be installed before the UV system to ensure proper water treatment.

To understand what’s in your water and what contaminants need to be removed, you can request a copy of your city or county’s annual water quality report from your municipal water supplier. All municipal water suppliers in the U.S. that serve more than 25 customers must comply with federal Safe Water Drinking Act regulations, which requires regular water quality testing and treatment, as well as making their reports accessible to the public. A good place to start is on the EPAs Consume Confidence state reporting page.

What Does a UV Water Filter Remove?

A UV system is primarily used for removing viruses and bacteria from water. An ultraviolet water disinfection system cannot remove sediment, hardness, iron, lead or chlorine. That's why pre-filters are often installed before a UV system.

UV light can only eliminate microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria.  UV technology is remarkable, but it does not address contaminants such as heavy metals, salts, chlorine, pesticides, arsenic, rust, petroleum products or pharmaceuticals.  Other filtration methods (or a combo UV system) should be employed with UV to ensure that all contaminants are removed from the water. 

Overall, UV water treatment is an outstanding way to meet your water purification needs. 

Well Water Treatment Considerations

If you’re on a private well, it’s important to know exactly what’s in your well water. Because private wells are not regulated by municipalities, contamination in the water can go undetected. That’s why having a sampling of your water tested by a lab is so important, and really the best way to understand what’s in your water, although bacteria levels in well water can fluctuate due to many external factors such as flooding, spring runoff or even simply a heavy rainstorm. If your well is older, there are also many ways that surface contamination could affect your drinking water.

Shocking a Well vs. UV Water Disinfection

Many well owners "shock their wells" with chlorine to address bacteria issues. 

Well Shocking means high levels of chlorine are introduced into the water source and plumbing system for a temporary period in order to kill bacteria. While shock chlorination is a relatively economical, "quick fix" to treat bacteria in a well, the solution is only temporary and not always reliable. It also requires re-testing, which can become very expensive.

As an alternative, UV Disinfection can protect the whole home from the threat of illness-causing microbes in water. 

  • UV provides a long-term reliable method of treating well water by running the water over a UV light that kills bacteria and viruses. 
  • This process of exposing water to UV light is simple but effective, and destroys 99.99 percent of harmful microorganisms, including some that are chlorine resistant (such as Cryptosporidium and some forms of Giardia). 
  • No chemicals added with UV disinfection, so there is no change to the taste or odor of your water. And, with UV, you don’t have to handle noxious chemicals, monitor the chemicals, or worry that someone in your home will become sick. 
  • Well Treatment with a UV Disinfection system (like the Viqua IHS12-D4) provides peace of mind that your well water is being disinfected continuously, 24/7.  

We highly recommend you read this article on Well Water Contamination by Viqua.

Image courtesy of Viqua

UV Pretreatment

Needs for Well Water Applications

Incoming water to the UV system should meet the following parameters:

  • Hardness < 7 gpg
  • Iron < 0.3 ppm
  • Manganese < 0.05 ppm
  • Turbidity < 1 NTU
  • Tannins < 0.1 ppm
  • UV Transmittance > 75%

If the water does not meet the above parameters, then pretreatment (a prefilter) and possibly a water softener may be necessary. Because well water often has a high level of organic matter and dissolved solids, a prefilter is used to prepare the water for the ultraviolet disinfection process. If a prefilter is not used and the turbidity level is high, the UV rays will be blocked by particles in the water making the UV treatment process less effective. Turbidity is the quantity of suspended solids in water which often causes cloudiness. While all UV Water Purification Systems will work for well water applications, many systems come with a prefilter or combination sediment and carbon prefilters to prepare the well water for UV treatment in an all in one system.

Video courtesy of Viqua

Whole House 18 GPD UV Sterilizer

VIQUA VH410-F20

  • Kills 99.9% of Giardia, Crypto, and E. Coli in Your Water
  • Flow Rates Up to 18 GPM
  • Lamp Replacement Indicator
  • Compact Design for Easy Installation
  • Integrated Pre-Filter
  • Free Shipping

Retail $1,025.00


Sale $885.00

Whole House 12 GPD UV Sterilizer

VIQUA D4

  • Kills 99.9% of Giardia, Crypto, and E. Coli in Your Water
  • Flow Rates Up to 12 GPM
  • System Status LED Indicators
  • Compact Design to Fit Tight Spaces
  • Free Shipping

Retail $743.00


Sale $640.00

Whole House 12 GPD UV Sterilizer

VIQUA IHS22-D4

  • Kills 99.9% of Giardia, Crypto, and E. Coli in Your Water
  • Flow Rates Up to 12 GPM
  • Lamp Replacement Indicator
  • Free Shipping

Retail $1675.00


Sale $1496.00

UV Systems with prefilter for Well Water Applications

All UV Systems

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