UV-C to prevent Bud rot and mildew

There are some devicces for sale that claim that they help to prevent bud rot and mildew amongst others.
You hang the device in your room and it will kill the spores.
This is such a device:



They are also placed in hospitals, kitchens, bakery's, dentist, etc. to help prevent bacteria and viruses.
Experiments show that they can work.

Now the device on the picture looks very simple. It is not much more then a steel tube, a fan and an UV-C lamp of about 8 Watt.
At least that is what I think if I look at this sheet from the company.
https://www.uvpro.de/fileadmin/Produktbilder/Umluftentkeimer/V50/Datasheet_V50.pdf
This device costs about $ 1000, which is a lot.

It looks to me that it is an 8 Watt UVC bulb inside a steel tube.
If I search for 8 watt UVC bulbs, they are less then $ 25.
Also UVC-devices for fish like koi are way cheaper.

So my questions:
- Is this a special UVC bulb inside the device?
- Would it be possible to build it yourself?
- Is there a danger that you could produce ozone as well with UVC in a steel bulb?
- And if yes, would it help if you would make the tube from PVC?

I'm glad you made this thread I would like to know

Caliverner said:

I'm glad you made this thread I would like to know

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I looked for YouTube videos about it, but couldn't find any.
Perhaps guys like @Randomblame can shine a light on it.

I don't think its an 8 watt bulb in there.
The one in the datasheet is drawing 35watts and putting out 8 watts of UV energy.
Their bigger V1000 has 6 tubes so that might be driving up costs as well.
Most importantly, anything rated as medical cost significantly more.
Kinda like how a bag of saline costs $500...

You can find screw base UV-C bulbs on Amazon that will do the same thing using your tent fans to move the air. Just be sure to use a ceramic base (think old style overhead garage/basement lights). Most plastics don't stand up to UV-C. Also, be sure to run your wire in conduit or use UV rated wire.

Isn't that just an ozone generator?

OldMedUser said:

Isn't that just an ozone generator?

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Basically, yeah.

OldMedUser said:

Isn't that just an ozone generator?

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Not if you order the ozone free versions

.

Hand held UV-C light:


.

Bosgrower said:

Not if you order the ozone free versions

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KYVRVX7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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I wonder how that works when it's UVC that is used in an ozone generator like the one I have and it stinks up a room in seconds. I know different frequencies of UV do different things so it must be something other than what's in my unit. I took the cover off and tried using it to kill mould on some buds and it did nothing and I left it exposed for 30 min.

Ain't science grand!

Hobbes said:

.Hand held UV-C light:

Stop powdery mildew with CleanLight USA

Stop powdery mildew with CleanLight is a website where you can find Crop protection with UV-Light against for example powdery mildew

stoppowderymildew.com

.

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Pricey little units but better than spraying for PM if that's a common problem. I've never had issues with it myself and only once had to spray some potassium silicate for it on some plants I was gifted that came with it and a good dose of thrips and mites to boot. Never again! lol

have you looked at these https://www.amazon.com/Germicidal-Compact-Light-Covers-400sq/dp/B07KYVRVX7/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=uv+bulb&qid=1599511825&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEySjdSOFNBNVIyOFhEJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjcyNzM3M0FHSkRFV0E4UFdFMCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTAxMDE0M1RES1NWSkdZUUFBRiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= any UVC bulb strong enough to kill mites or mold will also kill your plants

mauricem00 said:

have you looked at these https://www.amazon.com/Germicidal-Compact-Light-Covers-400sq/dp/B07KYVRVX7/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=uv+bulb&qid=1599511825&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEySjdSOFNBNVIyOFhEJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjcyNzM3M0FHSkRFV0E4UFdFMCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTAxMDE0M1RES1NWSkdZUUFBRiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= any UVC bulb strong enough to kill mites or mold will also kill your plants

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That's the same link @Bosgrower posted above.

Solacure is also offering a uvc lamp. Its labelled as a germicidal lamp, around 250nm. 2 ft, i think its 15ish watts. 90$ with the fixture. Its not for plants but for sterilizing. I cant speak how useful these thing are in our context.

You can vary the wavelength of light produced via vapor pressure.
You can filter out various wavelengths of light by doping the glass. (I think...)
If you mix up the type of bulbs your using or turn certain types on and off, you can kill germs, generate ozone, both, either...

OldMedUser said:

I wonder how that works when it's UVC that is used in an ozone generator like the one I have and it stinks up a room in seconds. I know different frequencies of UV do different things so it must be something other than what's in my unit. I took the cover off and tried using it to kill mould on some buds and it did nothing and I left it exposed for 30 min.
Ain't science grand!

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Might also be because of the shading effect. Like how low intensity lights don't penetrate through the canopy. Air also blocks UV, like the oxygen molecules that get split by your ozone generator also absorbs the energy.

It is my understanding that shorter UVV wavelength (185nm) is what breaks O2 in to two Oxygen atoms that are then unstable and combine with O2 to make O3. Lamps that only emit the longer wavelength UVC (253.7nm) don't make ozone. Some UVC lamps make some UVV while others don't or it is filtered out by coating on the glass.

The product that I showed, the UVPro 50 is not a ozone generator as far as I know. Because then they probably would have said so.
On their website is also not detailed info about the bulb or about a spare lamp. Fuckers

A little bit on ozone in the room where you work is also no problem.
But you have to be sure the ppm is not too high. So better not use a lamp that creates ozone.

So the wavelength determines if it produces ozone?
Do you guys think the lamps used in a fish pond produce ozone?
And what is the bandwidth in nanometer where there is no ozone produced?

With a device in a tube, you don't shine the light on the plants. Because indeed you can damage them.
But you pull the air of your room through the tube, and spores that will be hit by the light will die (hopefully).

UVC lamps are used nowadays in hospital rooms where covid-19 patients had been.
So these people trust the killing factor.

Keesje said:

So the wavelength determines if it produces ozone?

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Anything under 242.4nm can split oxygen molecules.

Keesje said:

Do you guys think the lamps used in a fish pond produce ozone?

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Who really knows? It's not like we can tell what uv spectrum the bulb is putting out. All we have to go on is the manufacturer information, and that's if they give it out and aren't lying.

There isn't a specific wavelength that kills microbes. There's a ranged and that varies in effectiveness. Which means factors into the exposure time and power required to sterilize a given area, volume, etc.


But this is for E. coli...... I have yet to find the graph for mold...

nunyabidness420 said:

There isn't a specific wavelength that kills microbes. There's a ranged and that varies in effectiveness. Which means factors into the exposure time and power required to sterilize a given area, volume, etc.

But this is for E. coli...... I have yet to find the graph for mold...

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Very interesting!
I also tried to find research papers about the subject, but there are not that many.
Most reports come from companies that manufacture UV-C and ozone devices for greenhouses.
But what most of the time is lacking, is good scientific research.

Keesje said:

Very interesting!
I also tried to find research papers about the subject, but there are not that many.
Most reports come from companies that manufacture UV-C and ozone devices for greenhouses.
But what most of the time is lacking, is good scientific research.

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There are more and more research becoming available now that this is legal in parts of the world and a major cash crop.

I think what's more important is unbiased testing.
Testing takes time and money.
And as you stated, most reports are coming from UVC manufactures.
Even if testing was done by an unbiased individual, why should that person not benefit financially from the task by starting a UV light company?

That being said... I don't think an air filter and low pressure sodium lamps are the most effective method of utilizing UV to reduce pathogenic issues with cannabis grows.