UV light placement?

[Cash]

I am trying to find out the best placement for a UV light.
A couple options I am considering are
Inline on the return pump.
A separate pump in the sump to the light and return back to the sump. (This is the way I would like to run it so it is not visible in the DT, just not sure if it is efficient that way.)
Or drop a PW/pump in the DT and run through the light and back to the DT.

Thanks for any input

And a BIG thanks to ReeferRob for the light.

[jimsflies]

I have mine plumbed off my return pump and flowing back into my refugium...it gets its flow from the flow that I bleed back to the sump because my return pump provides a little more flow than the drain can handle. I also have other things plumbed off the line like my chiller, phosban reactor, and calcium reactor.

[Fishgeek88]

I have mine plumbed into the return line

[Cash]

I am gonna try and plumb it in the return and see how that works
Thanks

[schminksbro]

If it is like Jim's using the bleed off then it is fine but running it on the return wide open is a very inefficient way to go. You want fairly slow flow through the UV so that it has time to work. I would run it on a separate pump.

[Cash]

well the answer I was looking for is it ok to pull the water from the sump to go through the light. From what it sounds like it will be ok. I do have a separate pump to use. Now the next question should I put the pump in the return chamber and pump it back to the intake chamber or visa versa.
Thanks for all the replys

[bluerexy]

I would go with the separate pump as well. I have mine going to my DT from my sump. You do need to run it slower so you have a longer contact time with the UV light. Good luck!

[AZDesertRat]

UV units have a preferred flow range. Whatever method you choose make sure you are within that range so you get best light exposure. I would plumb it into the retrurn if it were me so I get the cleanest possible water as particles shield organisms from the light and defeat the purpose, it also keeps the bulb or quartz sleeve cleaner for best penetration. Teeing off the return back to the sump is very inefficient since the return pump still has to work hard to produce that water flow. Valving the discharge side of a centrifugal pump is more efficient as they only draw the watts required to pump whatever flow is returned to the display, power will be less thus the pump will be more efficient and run cooler.
Adding an additional pump just for the UV adds more power consumption and more heat, both of which are probably not desirable.