Discuss Having Fun With Some DIY Plumbing in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

Status
Not open for further replies.
Didn't get around to finishing the MkII air sep but I did manage to get some filters installed.

IMG_1.jpg
 
There's light at the end of the tunnel now, I've got one more activated carbon filter and a UV-C steriliser left to install then I'm finished. Those two items will mean I can go off-grid entirely even with my drinking water should the need arise.
 
I installed the UV sterilizer and the drinking water filter this weekend.

IMG9.jpg

The UV-C tube in the sterilizer has a life rated at 8000 hours. This is about 10 months if it runs continuous so I wat to install controls so it only operates when there's water flow.

I need a flow switch that can give me a signal for water flow between 0.2 and and 25 l/min. I'm struggling to fine something suitable that doesn't cost a fortune and there's also very limited options in this neck of the woods as far as stock available of the shelves.

I thought I'd give it a bash with fabricating my own and I've been mulling over a few ideas but I'm not sure the best way to go about it. I thought I might use a standard brass check valve to give me a small pressure drop and use that to cause water flow in an auxilliary circuit to cause a shuttle in a sleeve to raise against gravity. If the shuttle has a small magnet on the top it could operate a reed switch mounted externally if all the components and non-magnetic.

I'm not sure if this is the best way, there's a lot of variables involved and I've got a suspicion it could get a bit messy with the tolerances and the tweaking involved to get it to work. Anyway, I did a sketch which is below, if you've got any advice or better ideas on a completely different track please let me know.

Flow Switch.jpg
 
Last edited:
I don't think you should be too concerned about replacing the globes.
The biggest issue we come across is the tubes have a build up on them reducing the efficiency of the globes.
My main concern for you would be to keep the tubes clean.
Check them at 3 monthly intervals or less if you like.

It would be far better to have the globes running constantly to protect the water supply than have them switched by a flow switch.
 
The 15 and 22 bends were done with one of theseView attachment 32217

The bends on the 3/8 refrigeration pipe with one of these
View attachment 32218
I have some spring benders but I've never found them easy to use and be accurate. Probably just need some practice.
I have one of them 3/8 benders!!! my granddad passed them down and I deemed them useless until It dawned on me that thay are perfect size for bending plastic coated 10mm oil line!
 
You would need it running 24/7 marv esp you could have things growing in between cycles
 
@oz-plumber the UV-C fluorescent tube sits inside a quartz glass tube of a slightly larger diameter that's closed at one end. The quartz glass tube is easily removable so it will be cleaned every month or maybe every few months depending how much crud has accumulated on it between the first couple of cleans. Hopefully it won't be much because the upstream filters are removing everything down to about 1 micron.

The biggest problem I have is that living in the bum-end of nowhere, the UV-C tubes aren't available locally so I was hoping to extend the life as much as possible. I was going to operate the UV-C lamp via a delay timer so it comes on instantly when there's water flow and over-runs for maybe a minute or two when the water flow stops. I could even introduce a cycle of 5 mins on every hour as well regardless of flow.

@sammathias the imperial hand benders are old school but they've got lots of uses. I've got sizes ranging between 1/4 in all the way up to 1 1/4 inch and you'd be surprised how often they get used for all sorts of things including shaping heater tubes when I make custom shaped heater elements to name just one.

@ShaunCorbs I'm considering it, letting it run 24/7. I'm going to phone around a few more suppliers in Johannesburg to see if I can find stock. If I hit lucky I'll dump the flow switch idea.
 
It doesn't matter what filters you have, what attaches itself to the quartz tubes is bacterial growth.
Once the growth starts, it just blooms and cover sections of or all the quartz tubes.
Also the quartz tubes are delicate and do deteriorate over time, so it might be worth having a spare quartz tube and a couple of uv globes on hand when needed.
 
Okay, the good news is I've found a supplier who had both the quartz tubes (they call them 'thimbles') and the UV tubes in stock so I've purchased enought to last me a few years hopefully and I've dumped the idea of installing a flowswitch. I'm just going to leave the sterilizer running 24/7/365 which I'm guessing will also prevent any algae or bacterial growth fogging up the tube.
 
You will have to check the quartz tubes on a regular basis.
I would start monthly and see how they look.

The UV light will only kill the bacteria it can reach.
Once you get a film of material on the tubes the UV light will render itself useless in a short period of time.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Reply to Having Fun With Some DIY Plumbing in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

Creating content since 2001. Untold Media.
Back
Top