HELP! Turbo Twist UV Leaking!

[volcomstone]

You guys might have a easy solution for me...

I just bought a coralife turbo twist UV filter and using it inline w/ the return on my FX5. I tried setting it up earlier but the output side of the UV keeps leaking. I'm attaching a flexible tube w/ 1" inside diameter w/ the 1" outlet. I tightened with the hose lock nut as tight as I could but the damn thing keeps leaking. Any suggestions on how I can stop the leaking? Anybody have an similar problems?

For some apparent reason the intake side of the UV filter is not leaking and I just attached the FX5 stock tubing there

Please help stop the leaking!

 

[tcarswell]

Are you sure your not overtightening ? Also petroleum jelly or vaseline has always helped my aquarium tubing and gasket connections. Pics?

 

[volcomstone]

Are you sure your not overtightening ? Also petroleum jelly or vaseline has always helped my aquarium tubing and gasket connections. Pics?

Thanks for your inputs. No matter how much I tighten, it continues to leak drop by drop. Will Vaseline help with clogging any areas where the leak could come from?

I'll try get some pics and post soon.

 

[volcomstone]

Below is a pic of the outlet.

I got tubing which is 1" inside diameter but I noticed that it doesn't seem tight enough when I connect it to the barb outlet Any more ideas?

 

[brianp]

You have the FX5 outlet attached to the uv unit...correct? The FX5 is pumping at approx. 500-600 gph and this is excessive for a uv sterilizer. Generally, the flowrate through a uv device is 250-300 gph, as I recall. This slower flow allows enough "dwell time" for the microorganisms to receive a lethal dose of uv. However, I guess if you zap a particular microorganism enough times you'll kill it. I would not use a uv sterilizer with an FX5...but that's me. Push a short piece of 5/8" ID pvc tubing over the hose barb on the uv unit and use a metal hose clamp to secure the FX5 hose to it (over it). I assume it's a 5/8" hose barb.

 

[volcomstone]

Thanks for your inputs Brian. I just remember seeing some folks actually use the FX5 inline w/ their UV. My FX5 is completely filled with media dropping the flow rate a bit so I guess it's a little more suitable for the UV but maybe not ideal still.

You have the FX5 outlet attached to the uv unit...correct? The FX5 is pumping at approx. 500-600 gph and this is excessive for a uv sterilizer. Generally, the flowrate through a uv device is 250-300 gph, as I recall. This slower flow allows enough "dwell time" for the microorganisms to receive a lethal dose of uv. However, I guess if you zap a particular microorganism enough times you'll kill it. I would not use a uv sterilizer with an FX5...but that's me. Push a short piece of 5/8" ID pvc tubing over the hose barb on the uv unit and use a metal hose clamp to secure the FX5 hose to it (over it). I assume it's a 5/8" hose barb.

 

[tcarswell]

I assumed it was a 36 watt being hooked up to an FX5 and all. Otherwise you may want to do what I did with my 18 watt and use an Aqua clear 50 power head with adjustable flow. It rocks

 

[KaiserSousay]

Just wonder
A "T" in the output of the fx5, valve on the tank line, open line to the UV= controlled flow into the UV.
Or, maybe just a smaller ID line to the UV from the "T".

 

[volcomstone]

Yea its the 36W version.

Thanks everybody for your inputs. I really only want to use minimal piping so I thought only hooking up a 1" ID would be fine. Anybody else have any suggestions?

 

[Toby_H]

Having used many different set ups for UV lights over 5+ years… I suggest the formula of:

1W of UV strength per 10 US gallons…
10 gph of flow rate per 1W of UV strength…

I have found this formula to be effective in killing parasites as well as removing green water, bacteria, fungus, clarifying water, etc…

Please note that the Unit is not leaking, the connection hose is. A solution to this is to use the right size hose and clamp it with a hose clamp…

Although to get the full effect of the UV lamp (killing parasites) you will need to lower the flow rate passing through the unit considerably.

Effects of UV lights will not build up… meaning if a parasite moves past it once and is not killed, it will likely fully recover before passing through the UV light again.

KaiserSousay’s advice about adding a T connection to the output of the UV is the best solution I see for your situation…