Thread: Draco drum and Filtreau amalgam UV owners advice

Hello,
Filtreau Amalgam owners:

Long story, short - if I use the Filtreau Amalgam tank connector, is there a blank cap you can use if you ever need to remove the UV for whatever reason. Ie. Unscrew the purple UV collar and screw on a blank cap so you can run the filter without the UV and ballast in situ?

Draco Drum owners:
Long story Long - I'm considering fitting an filtreau Amalgam UV into the clean side of my Draco drum. Others have fitting similar UVs into the dirty side (under the waste chute), but I want to avoid that, if possible. Reason being, I purge the bottom drain through the clean side of the drum and that could crack the UV glass.
The sides of the Draco Solum 16 are curved so the only options are the flat ends on the clean or dirty side, or I suppose I could drop it in the top.
So I need to investigate if I can squeeze it in on the clean side, by drilling a hole. A bit scary, but it would need to be high enough so the tank connector Nut will do up inside the drum and the quartz would also need to clear the cog and the drum itself. It would replace the drain tap, in roughly the same position.
Anyone done similar?

This doesn't really answer your question. But I've dropped an amalgam UV into the dirty side of a solum 16 drum. Basically because it was the easiest way to install it into the drum without having to cut holes into it.

I put it in front of the skimmer line rather than BD line as I too purge the BD into the drum. I've not had any issues with the quartz cracking. Although if you have 2 BD then you won't be able to keep it out of direct flow from the BD's.

One thing I have done though is create a shield (by sliding the amalgam into a bit of waste pipe where I have cut it in half length ways, about 90% the length of the pipe).

I have it set up so the shield is on the side of the quartz sleeve facing the silicone seal to stop it perishing from UV exposure. Works a treat!




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Ok yep, hadn't considered the seal.

I purge the BD through the clean end and out through the skimmer line so dirty side is the only option for me, unless I make it easily removable from the clean side I suppose.

I worry a bit about the UV being out of the water on the dirty side as the level drops, but if you hadn't had any issues...

...got a photo of how yours sits?

I'm happy to show you a photo of how it's set up. I just need to psyche myself up going out in the sub zero temperatures.

I was concerned too, about too much of it poking out above the water level.

I have it so the bottom of the metal collar on the amalgam sits just below the waste chute. It means that only a few centimeters of the quartz at most is exposed. Not had any issues with the quartz/bulb overheating.

I have a 40 watt amalgam. So in the solum 16 it sits slightly diagonally, due to the curving bottom of the drum. But it works fine and keeps the water clear, and I only have it come on for a couple of hours in the summer and have it switched off at the mo.

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I went for an external amalgam UV build to protect the insides of the drum.

Sorry. Forgot to get a picture of the amalgam.

So here is the amalgam sitting within the UV guard. I just stand this upright in the dirty side of the drum (it actually stands diagonally due to the curve in the bottom. Of the drum). I stand it in front of the skimmer inlet and it works fine

The cable ties at the top of the UV guard I.e. waste pipe stop it moving. But as I don't have the UV running at the mo I leave the UV guard dangling outside of the drum.

The only amendment I made to the drum was to cut out a small notch at the top to allow the cable of the amalgam to go into the drum whilst allowing the lid of the drum to close properly.

.PXL_20241203_153504148.MP.jpg

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Ta,
Mine has a bloody great big fitting on the end which could hinder me.

Providing its not too tall, the black waste pipe / UV guard could just butt up against it, so the quartz sleeve is just dangling down within the UV guard. Could still work if you don't want to be drilling holes into your drum.

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All good food for thought, thanks.