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Gone are the days when a single water filter was used to target all the contaminants lurking in a home water supply. Times have changed and so have consumer preferences and water treatment methods. Today, homeowners are more concerned about targeting water impurities properly than ever before.
Consequently, filter brands manufacture products to cater to the unique needs of each household. A UV water filter is just another product making waves among homeowners who want to kill bacteria, viruses, and cysts in their water supply.
Many people are ready to purchase such a filter but are confused about its installation process. If you’re in the same boat, read on!
Attach a plywood board to the wall to serve as your mounting system.
Secure the bracket clamps and place the UV chamber into the bracket and tighten the screws.
Attach the connectors to the UV chamber.
Connect the system to your incoming and outgoing water supply using copper plumbing.
Install shut-off valves before and after the unit to help with maintenance.
Place the UV sensor and the UV lamp including quartz sleeve into the chamber, attach the lamp harness to the lamp, and plug the UV water filter in.
Turn on the water supply, check for leaks, and make sure the UV system is working correctly.
Before You Begin: Determine Where Your UV Filter Should Go
The ideal installation location for UV purifiers varies depending on system type.
A whole house UV water filter needs to be plumbed into the main water line, ideally close to where the water first enters your home.
A point-of-use UV filter can be installed at any sink, preferably in the kitchen.
Before or After Other Water Filtration?
Leaving microorganisms aside, you probably cannot claim your water supply is contaminant-free, regardless of whether you’re on well water or city water. From heavy metals to disinfection byproducts, our waters can contain tons of harmful substances.
For this reason alone, installing just a UV filter may not be enough for your water conditions. So, before you consider UV filter installation, it is imperative to determine if and what additional water treatment you want to install in your home.
What’s more, adding a supplementary water purification system won’t only benefit you but can also improve the efficacy of the UV filter.
After all, dirt in water blocks UV rays and keeps them from reaching microorganisms. Thus, sediment, iron, manganese and overall turbidity need to be removed beforehand. Well water is particularly problematic, since it has not received any treatment yet.
If you’re unsure of what exactly you need to remove from your water before UV filter installation, we got you covered. Water crossing a purifier should meet the following parameters:
Turbidity < 1 NTU
Hardness < 7 gpg
Manganese < 0.05 ppm
Iron < 0.3 ppm
Tannins < 0.1 ppm
This should allow for at least 75 percent UV transmittance.
Bottom line, install your UV water purification system after other water filters.
Before or After the Water Softener?
If your water is high in hardness minerals, you need to install a water softener – before the UV filter.
The reason for this is the same as with installing a water filtration system before the UV purifier: Scale can block UV rays from reaching bacteria and other microorganisms in the water.
UV Water Purifier Installation – Step by Step Instructions
So, how to install a UV water filter?
Well, first you must be cautious when proceeding with the installation process. Slight negligence at your end can lead to incorrect setup. On top of that, it may damage any UV purifier components or your plumbing.
Also, it is better to read the instruction manual before you get started. While our precise explanatory steps will come in handy, it is always better to see what the manufacturer says about the installation process regarding your specific product.
So, without further ado…
Collect Your Equipment
The equipment needed to install a UV water filter varies between models. However, the basic installation equipment includes the following:
Piping
Connector fittings
Shut-off valves (optional)
Solder supplies (optional)
Pipe cutter
Wrenches
Teflon tape
Screwdriver
It is always better to assemble the equipment before you begin the installation process. It makes things smoother and less messy.
To begin with, you might need to attach a plywood board to the wall. Here’s where you will install all the components.
Proceed with mounting the system. Secure the bracket clamps. Then place the UV chamber into the bracket and tighten the screws.
Plumbing the UV System with Copper
Attach the connectors to the UV chamber. Make sure you position it in a way that doesn’t block the plumbing.
Connect the system to your incoming and outgoing water supply using copper plumbing. Remember to apply Teflon tape to secure the piping system at joints.
By the way, when installing a UV water purifier, plastic or PVC is not recommended for plumbing. Copper is the most appropriate material as it doesn’t degenerate being exposed to UV rays, unlike other materials. If you don’t want to solder use shark-bite fittings.
Installing Shut-Off Valves Before & After the Unit to Help with Maintenance
We recommend installing a ball valve at the incoming end of the filter and a ball valve and hose bib at the outgoing end. This will facilitate a couple of things, including:
Allowing you to collect water samples.
Providing easy pressure release.
You can isolate the entire system within seconds.
Inserting the UV Lamp
Lastly, place the UV sensor and the UV lamp into the chamber. Then, attach the lamp harness to the lamp and plug the UV water filter in.
Please note: Your UV water purifier may require disinfection before use. Regular household bleach is best used for this.
Installation Cost
The installation costs differ for a whole house system vs. a point-of-use UV purifier. Hiring a professional, the former ranges between $100-500 if all goes according to plan, while the latter will cost you around $100-300.
Note that you also need installation supplies that add to the price.
On the other hand, if you choose to install everything yourself, you’ll save some money.
Should You DIY Install or Hire?
Whether you should go with DIY a hook-up or hire an expert for the purpose depends on you for the most part. If you trust your skills and have some basic plumbing knowledge, you can definitely pull this off yourself.
However, if you are not feeling confident about this, it is certainly better to hire a professional installer. Otherwise, you might run into unexpected trouble making the process more complex – damaging a UV filter part, for instance.
If you have any questions about installing a uv water filter please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
Gene Fitzgerald is one of the founders of BOS and currently head of content creation. She has 8+ years of experience as a water treatment specialist under her belt making her our senior scientist. Outside of BOS, Gene loves reading books on philosophy & social issues, making music, and hiking.
Learn more about Gene and the rest of the BOS Team.
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Leave a Comment:
Robin says
July 4, 2022
Very helpful article, thanks! Was wondering if this could be installed outside, connected to the outside tap? We own a 150 year old home with a dug well that has obvious contaminants, and the house is condemned. We plan on living off grid without running water attached to the tiny, and thought to run water by hose to a cistern. This is not my area of expertise at all, so I don’t know what’s possible for those who want to live alternatively. Any expertise would be very thoughtfully appreciated! Thanks!
Hi Robin,
For UV water disinfection to work, the water must be visually clear. Whether or not to install a UV filter outside depends on the weather conditions. The water must not freeze obviously. And the system must be protected from winds etc.
