UV lights

[nymapleguy607]

Just was wondering if any of you have ever built a UV light to suspend over your tanks? After loosing a lot of sap due to warm days and too little time to boil I thought that maybe I could build a light into the tank and treat the sap this way. Thanks Jeff

[brookledge]

yes I have a UV light hanging over my head tank. I only use it to keep the tank cleaner since it is a pain to clean. Anyways it will not penetrate the sap very deep to kill bacteria. That is why a regular uv light disperses the sap around the bulb so that only a thin layer of liquid passes by.
Before I had a light hanging over the tank sides would get slimmy quickly. Now it stays clean for a long time.
I don't think it will help you to keep sap from spoiling though. You would have to go with a conventional UV light
Keith

[nymapleguy607]

I think I may have found a light to try It is a 72 watt UV light for aquariums
for $159.00 it will do 1600 gph so I thought if I slow the flow down I should get a pretty good kill Any thoughts?

[Homestead Maple]

Aquarium suppy places have some of the best prices for UV lights. Check online. I bought one from a place in Calif. and hooked a small submersible fountain pump to it and just keep recirculating the sap from bottom to top through the type of light I bought and on warm days, (say around 50) I have kept sap for a day or so, that boiled out light amber. I used a small pump because the light is rated for a certain flow to achieve good bacteria kill. I think at the time I bought my light I paid $125 and a comparable preforming light at a maple dealer at the time was $699.00.I say comparable because they both flow the same but my light has a plastic housing, where the dealer one is stainless. If for some some reason you have to store your sap for an extended time (and I'm not saying 3-4 days but then some have) the light will keep the bacteria down, for sure. Check the Proctor Maple site for research they have done on UV lights.