I have medium sized decorative pond that gets harsh western sun from about noon until sunset. Ironically, the algae got worse in winter. Visibility in the pond was down to about 1 inch. It was positively disgusting and it stank.2 week after putting the Pondmaster UV filter into the pond, the water was clear as crystal.
However, as the manufacturer indicates, "filter" isn't the proper terminology. It's a sterilizer. It doesn't eliminate the need for a normal bio filter. This kills the algae and other parasites so the bio filter can remove them from the water. If you have a particularly green pond (as I did) clear the filter pads weekly until you've regained control over the algae.
Again, note that the UV system addresses free algae not the string algae that grows on the sides. It's basic logic if the algae is stuck to the side, then it can't pass through the steriliser to be killed.
Change your filter pads regularly until you've gotten past the 2-3 week period when you're waiting for the pea soup to vanish. All that dead algae needs to be removed. Make sure you get any old leaves out too that will speed things up.
If you don't see results, make sure you have the right wattage, and also adjust the pump to ensure the water isn't moving to fast. Algae cells need about 1-2 full seconds exposure to the lamp to break the cell membrane and kill them.
Bottom line it does PRECISELY what it says.
It's also annoying that the input and output tubes have such a tiny diameter. I think they went out of their way to find a size that was difficult to convert to more standard sized tubes.
EDIT: I was very mad when I wrote the above. The next day I contacted Pondmaster to complain, but they quickly began to resolve my problem. They sent out a new ballast which arrived in a few days and a complimentary bulb. The new ballast works fine. They made this process extremely easy for me and they didn't need to. This was an example of how a company can turn a bad situation into a favorable one because after this experience I wouldn't think twice about purchasing another Pondmaster product.
I have the product a 1 because it broke when it shouldn't have, but after seeing their customer service in action I'd like to change it to a 4 but I can't. I won't change it to a 5 because I still find the UV's tiny in/out pipes annoying ;)
Buy Pondmaster 02940 40-Watt Ultra Violet Light Pond Water Clarifier Now
I have used the 40 watt Pondmaster units for several years. Generally they do an excellent job of clarifying the water. Three units keep my 6000 gallon pond very clear. However, the ballast is subject to damage because the gasket around the quartz sleeve pushes into a pressure switch at the base of the unit. After using the unit for a few years, the gasket becomes distorted, lets water into the electical fixture, allowing the ballast to burn out. A replacement ballast costs over $100 and is difficult to find. I have a collection of four or five burned out ballasts that can't be repaired. Since bulbs last about two seasons, it generally costs about the same amount to buy a new unit as it does to replace all of the parts (ballast, quartz sleeve, and bulb). Hopefully this is not a deliberate strategy by the company to sell replacemente units, but one has to wonder.Read Best Reviews of Pondmaster 02940 40-Watt Ultra Violet Light Pond Water Clarifier Here
I rarely write a review, but wanted to say a few words that might help anyone thinking about buying this product. The water in my pond looked like pea soup. I did partial water changes and cleaned the filter twice a day, nothing seemed to help. Finally I bought this, although I was kind of a skeptic. The first few days I didn't think it was doing anything, but as the days went by it got better and better. After a couple of weeks the water was crystal clear. Amazing!The clarifier does NOT come with attachments to connect it into the pump and into the filter. We took it to the hardware store to figure out what parts we needed to connect it all, so be prepared!!
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So let me try to make this story short. I basicly got this UV sterilizer 3 1/2 to 4 years ago used from a friend of mine that owns a pet shop. The previous owner and I invested in the sterilizer for our saltwater aquariums. The unit was pretty new, I think it had been used for a year or less. Used the unit for my 90 gallon saltwater tank for approx 3 1/2 to 4 years with really no problems. I even moved a year ago and hooked the unit back up to my tank with no problems. Every once in a while i would have to tap on it alittle when I plugged it back in after doing a water change on my aquarium. 6-8 months ago I notice that I had small puddles of water around my aquarium on tile floor or stuff under my tank was wet( I have unit sitting ontop of my home made wet dry filter under my tank. Thought at first it was just water splashing from where it pours into wet dry filter. Negative,noticed one of the halos on unit was leaking alittle. At this time it was just a constant drip of water, which over months increased to a small squirt of water at times. Took care of that by placing something over leak where water would drip/stream down instead of squirting up and weting my tile floor. Have notice increase in water on my tile floor last couple weeks. Got off work one morning to find that the halo had started squirting so much water out of aquarium that the water level got low and my water pump could not ciculate water in aquarium. This caused my saltwater fish to have a lack of oxygen over who know how many hours!! Almost lost several fish, ended up that only my lunar wrasse died from inccident!! I am upset, but I did get 3 1/2-4 good years with this sterilizer!! So does anyone know how to fix the halos to keep them from leaking or should I just buy a new sterilizer??? Halos are not cracked and it is just 1 halo that needs repairing. Any ideas?????? Over all a good product.Save 43% Off
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