# Can you have UV sterilizers with LED bulbs?



## Maryland Guppy (Dec 6, 2014)

SpaceLord said:


> Can you have UV sterilizers with LED lights?


I'm trying to understand why you would question this.
Of course they can be combined.

UV lights with low flow of 40-60 GPH are most effective.
Quick flow will not have enough exposure to the UV.
More retension in the UV chamber is best.
True UV is somewhere in the 250ish nm range, 257? for germicidal lamps.


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## SpaceLord (Feb 29, 2016)

Maryland Guppy said:


> I'm trying to understand why you would question this.
> Of course they can be combined.
> 
> UV lights with low flow of 40-60 GPH are most effective.
> ...


No, I don't mean combined them. I mean like LED light itself being the UV sterilizer frequency. 

Can a LED produce the light required for a UV sterilizer. 

The reason I ask is because UV sterilizer light bulb normally has to be changed like every 6 months. Whereas a LED should last considerable longer however I don't know if UV sterilizer as a LED is possible or not.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

SpaceLord said:


> No, I don't mean combined them. I mean like LED light itself being the UV sterilizer frequency.
> 
> Can a LED produce the light required for a UV sterilizer.
> 
> The reason I ask is because UV sterilizer light bulb normally has to be changed like every 6 months. Whereas a LED should last considerable longer however I don't know if UV sterilizer as a LED is possible or not.


There are LEDs that can produce light of UV wavelengths, however I am not sure they would be powerful enough to penetrate and kill microorganisms. 

It would also be relatively dangerous to be working with it, unless you are confident enough in your DIY skills to not allow any UV light to leak out.


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## SpaceLord (Feb 29, 2016)

Darkblade48 said:


> There are LEDs that can produce light of UV wavelengths, however I am not sure they would be powerful enough to penetrate and kill microorganisms.
> 
> It would also be relatively dangerous to be working with it, unless you are confident enough in your DIY skills to not allow any UV light to leak out.


LED lights in general use to be kind of for the hobbyist a number of years ago. Usually only used as computer on/off indicators, hard drive indicators in your PC,etc..

Now they are commercially available for streets light, parking light lights, home lights inside and outside, dock lights,etc.... Available at almost every store. In fact, my LED flashlight is more powerful then my older but expensive maglight(the type cops use) 

I wonder if UV for sterilization may be the next frontier . Might be a good kickstarter. I am sure there are many uses that extend way behind the aquarium. Such as Hospitals, water treatment plants, commercial and residential air conditioners and purifiers, etc.. 

Maybe we can make a prototype and pitch it to the shark tank tv show. :laugh2:


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

there are some strong UV LED's. I made a panel that I use to do photo negative etching on printed circuit board with. I would have to scratch through tonnes of paperwork to find out what wavelength it was though...waaay too lazy for that. I plan to make a little glass box with entry and exit ports and see how it functions for this though at some point though. I have a little wooden box I put it in...after I realised my eyes felt like it had sea sand in every time I used it in the room.

Here is an LED designed for sterilising... pricey though

http://za.rs-online.com/web/p/uv-leds/8801494P/


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## Maryland Guppy (Dec 6, 2014)

Got it now!

UV anything in LED is very pricey.
I'm sure it's out there just not leading the industry yet.

I use Aquafine and Trojan UV lights at work.
They are used for food grade water treatment.
I don't think these premium vendors have any LED offerings yet.


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## SpaceLord (Feb 29, 2016)

Nordic said:


> there are some strong UV LED's. I made a panel that I use to do photo negative etching on printed circuit board with. I would have to scratch through tonnes of paperwork to find out what wavelength it was though...waaay too lazy for that. I plan to make a little glass box with entry and exit ports and see how it functions for this though at some point though. I have a little wooden box I put it in...after I realised my eyes felt like it had sea sand in every time I used it in the room.
> 
> Here is an LED designed for sterilising... pricey though
> 
> LEUVA66B00HF00 | LG LEUVA66B00HF00, UVC LED, 285nm 121 °, 2-Pin Surface Mount Package | LG


I believe you are never suppose to look at a UV light with your eyes. In various UV products and sterilizer wands, vacuum(halo series) have all had safeguards which will automatically turn the light off if the light was ever pointed up to what might be the person eyes and would only operate if facing straight down such as when you are vacuuming the floor to pointing the wand down towards an object. 

Perhaps they have special glasses or goggles with filters to product your eyes.


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

Yeah, but I wasn't even looking at it, it was just from light reflected around it... until I learned just how strong my panel was.

It's a bit like looking in the sun. Everyone knows it is bad for you, but, everyone has done it.


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## BrassFinger (Mar 8, 2016)

It should be quite possible to have a LED UV sterilizer since from what I understand, a "white" LED works on the same principle as a fluorescent lamp, i.e. the LED chip itself emits only UV light and the phosphors subsequently react to the UV and emit visible wavelength light. The choice of phosphors and amount of each type give us the varying "color temperature" ranges, just like fluorescents.

Since a UV sterilizer fluorescent is nothing more than a standard lamp without any phosphors, it ought to be just as easy to make a LED UV the same way, provided the basic UV emission wavelength of the LED is correct for sterilizing.

Chris


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

That is the problem, the closer you get to the UVC spectrum, the crazier the price gets.


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## SpaceLord (Feb 29, 2016)

BrassFinger said:


> It should be quite possible to have a LED UV sterilizer since from what I understand, a "white" LED works on the same principle as a fluorescent lamp, i.e. the LED chip itself emits only UV light and the phosphors subsequently react to the UV and emit visible wavelength light. The choice of phosphors and amount of each type give us the varying "color temperature" ranges, just like fluorescents.
> 
> Since a UV sterilizer fluorescent is nothing more than a standard lamp without any phosphors, it ought to be just as easy to make a LED UV the same way, provided the basic UV emission wavelength of the LED is correct for sterilizing.
> 
> Chris


What about those 5 second fix? Is that led UV light??

Amazon.com - ONTEL PRODUCTS 5SF-MC12/6 5 Second Fix Compound -


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## BrassFinger (Mar 8, 2016)

SpaceLord said:


> What about those 5 second fix? Is that led UV light??
> 
> Amazon.com - ONTEL PRODUCTS 5SF-MC12/6 5 Second Fix Compound -


It is, but I don't know what wavelength UV is being produced to cure the stuff. It is the same idea as modern dental fillings that are cured with UV.

Chris


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