Does UV Work in Swimming Pools?

The short answer is yes. But don't stop there.

There is an almost hysterical run to use UV light (ultra violet) to "treat" and extinguish the pool against waste and environmental waste. And you can't stop at the answers above. You need to understand what UV treatment really is. Like everything else, there are pros and cons. There are also myths that must be avoided and discarded.

First fact. There are 3 types of UV. UV-A: causes wrinkles on our skin and "burns". UV-B helps in the production of Vitamin D. Both are able to penetrate the earth's atmosphere. UV-C is used commercially and personally for the purification of food and objects. UV-C cannot penetrate the atmosphere and must be made artificial.

UV-C is excellent at disinfecting certain bacteria, viruses, cysts & protozoa (including cryptosporidia and giardia) - usually introduced from feces or environmental matter - both chlorine and halogen-resistant). It does not allow algae to grow and reproduce. It is not irritating to mucous membranes, eyes and ears. It does not affect your pool's water balance. It helps in reduce (do not eliminate) chloramines and chlorine requests.

How exactly does UV-C work? UV-C work by interfering with DNA and RNA bacterial cells. When DNA and RNA are disrupted, bacteria and viruses cannot reproduce and multiply. Please note: UV-C DOES NOT DO ANYTHING!

That is the first myth or the little bit of contradictory information. UV-C doesn't kill anything. Furthermore UV-C will NOT remove any microorganisms. Other things are UV-C won't do is:

• Protect against contamination. As swimmers enter the water with "new" bacteria and microorganisms, they must be treated.


• Work well in overcast water. Cloudy water will prevent UV-C absorption to do its job.


• Works well with the presence of heavy metals (iron, copper and dissolved manganese). Iron effectively inhibits UV-C absorption.


• Works well in high concentrations of Calcium Hardness (about 300 ppm). Hard water areas will tend to scale. The scale WILL be formed on the UV-C tube which prevents its effectiveness.


• Works as a standalone sanitation system. UV-C is intended to work in addition to chlorine, salt, bromine. Ionizers (Nature2, Frog, etc), biguanides (Soft Swim, Baquacil, etc.) are incompatible.


• Oxidate nothing. Shock treatments (using chlorine or non-chlorine shock products) should be done regularly to oxidize contaminants and other non-contaminated substances.

Keep in mind that the way UV systems are built, they must be well maintained at all times to be effective. I mentioned above that UV does not work when the pool water is cloudy. UV light cannot penetrate water turbidity. Water must be clear. The same goes for UV generators.

UV generator bulbs are usually surrounded and protected by quartz tubes. The problem is that the quarter tube will be cloudy; and it will turn cloudy quickly. How fast? The "occlusion" rate (on a cloudy day) is, on average, about 5% per week. What does this mean to you? This means that after 7 to 8 weeks, almost 50% occlusion will occur. Or in other words, only about 50% of UV light can work.

In areas of high calcium hardness or high scaling or high hardness or metal (iron, copper, etc.), UV-generating tubes will scale and cloud faster. Proper weekly chemical cleaning of tubes is essential to eliminate and eliminate scaling and build-up of bio-films naturally. Using bio-film removals such as AquaFinesse Pool Water Care tablets will help in cleaning. If not, clean it with a mild acidic cleaner.

Is the UV-C system right for you? You need to answer that question. The range of prices for a good UV system for an average pool can be anywhere from $ 1300.00 to $ 2500.00. That's a lot of money and can buy traditional chemicals and good chemical products.

Do your research. Anyone who claims to kill bacteria really denies the product. Remember, if that sounds too good, it might.

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