UV Sterilizers

[Noob1903]

Hi guys

 

Has anyone tried to use a UVC lamp to combat PM?

 

https://www.acdc.co.za/pages/product-individual?PTX003-WH

 

 

[donnob]

What does it do to your plants though? As far as I know the UVC damages DNA which is how it kills the pathogen but does it not also destroy the plant's DNA?

[The_StonedTrooper]

25 minutes ago, donnob said:

What does it do to your plants though? As far as I know the UVC damages DNA which is how it kills the pathogen but does it not also destroy the plant's DNA?

Yes it does, and did, fried my plant in 1H

Let me find a picture for you.

[The_StonedTrooper]

Couldnt find my plants picture, but you want to have the light inside a tube, and fans blowing air over the light, not the light on shining on the plant.

Also wasnt sure of the UV type of the globe that was used, as the shop only had the 1, and the box is gone, and not written on the globe.

Those plants, got fried bad, and my very first grow too.

Was the Jack HERER with GSC before the UV

Edited September 8, 2021 by The_StonedTrooper

[Noob1903]

Thanks for the replies

 

From what I have heard & read, leaving the lights on for an extended period will damage plants. This unit has time incremental settings and has a fan that draws in air to sterilize. I would start on the lowest setting (15min) maybe once per week?

 

Thoughts?

[donnob]

2 hours ago, The_StonedTrooper said:

Those plants, got fried bad, and my very first grow too.

Was the Jack HERER with GSC before the UV

Ouch, that must've been a heartbreaker man! 

2 hours ago, Noob1903 said:

From what I have heard & read, leaving the lights on for an extended period will damage plants. This unit has time incremental settings and has a fan that draws in air to sterilize. I would start on the lowest setting (15min) maybe once per week?

Give it a bash and document it here, even if it doesn't work for your grow it's still a handy gadget to have around 

[The_StonedTrooper]

To be honest, it doesn't appear that it would work as you might want to use it.

You'll need to have the unit on for long periods, and you cant with plants.

Which is why I suggested the enclosed version, which was what I really wanted, and run that 24h, and that will keep the air clean.

Getting the light, to clean and already infected area, will also give false hope. 

Also the plants are going to be upset if you run that amount of UV for that long, with direct light contact. 

[The_StonedTrooper]

This,

Air in fan, fully enclosed light, air out fan.

Done deal.

[PsyCLown]

I still feel it is a bit risky as the mold / spores would need to be in contact with the UV for an extended period of time as far as I understand it.

Also the device would need to draw the mold / spores into the UV light, so if for whatever reason the spore lands on your plant and does not get sucked up into the UV light, it is useless and won't make any difference.

Not to mention the spores / mold would most likely not end up chilling in the section with the UV light for the necessary period of time to be killed as it would be blown out just as quickly as it got sucked in.

 

Not sure how effective UV B is at killing mold / spores, but it is not uncommon for people to run UV B in flower for a bit and that could potentially help a bit. Not 100% sure though - it is not the reason people run UV B.

 

If PM is an issue, there are better ways to treat it and prevent it. Unfortunately this UV sterilization will negatively affect your plants in order to get rid of the mold / spores.

[Ill_Evan]

I'll be the guy that says no hobbyist should be playing with UV at all, there are better ways to prevent/deal with mold or mildew. 

[Prom]

Ozone generator... but you cant up the concentration to high, ozone is rather aggressive to organics. Kills spores better as chlorine. 

Over all, you have a permanent PM issue, double or tripple your tent ventilation first and see if that removes more effective the exhaled moisture from your plants. Climate control is key to keep PM out.

[CreX]

i agree with the boys here, UV for PM sanitation is probably the least effective method to combat PM. Like @PsyCLown mentioned, you have to get pretty close and keep the light there for an extended period of time... you couldn't use it like a wand and wave it over your plants, it would not be efficient. and if you had more than one plant, it would take a really long time...and you would likely fry your plant, because UVC is dangerous to literally anything organic... so this would be the equivalent of using a flamethrower on a spidermite (singular)... the spider mite and the plant will suffer extreme damage.

rather just buy a plethera of PM treatments with the cash you have to buy that thing.

copper soap

sulphur burner

biosulphor

milk/water mix

AQSF

and many many more

 

[Noob1903]

Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated!

I'll look at an enclosed unit that I can connect to my active intake rather. 

 

I have shut down my sheds to do a proper disinfect/sterilize and am looking at ways of preventing PM entering the shed via the active intake. Tried the stocking route to cover duct opening but that hasn't helped with the PM.

 

Ventilation has been increased to the following:

3 x 40cm oscillating fans

3 x 23cm oscillating fans

1x 9000Btu Aircon - oscillating

 

i currently have an 8" silent fan connected to a 6' carbon filter. Should i look at upgrading the extraction rather?

 

I am now aware of preventative measures to avoid PM, but am looking to make sure my shed set up is correct

[greenkush]

Just spray some Sulphur and be done with it.

[GGG]

I just upped my airflow through the growspace , got a humidity controller for when the lights go of there use to be no airflow through the space just in the space . Haven't had PM for awhile now and all because of the humidity controller that regulates my exhaust fan with the temp controller also on the same fan. Tried most ways but this is the best sofa

Sent from my Hisense Infinity H50 using Tapatalk

[Noob1903]

18 hours ago, The_StonedTrooper said:

This,

Air in fan, fully enclosed light, air out fan.

Done deal.

Hi bud. Where did you find this?

[Noob1903]

9 minutes ago, GGG said:

I just upped my airflow through the growspace , got a humidity controller for when the lights go of there use to be no airflow through the space just in the space . Haven't had PM for awhile now and all because of the humidity controller that regulates my exhaust fan with the temp controller also on the same fan. Tried most ways but this is the best sofa

Sent from my Hisense Infinity H50 using Tapatalk
 

I have a dehumidifier 20L as well that runs continuously.

[PsyCLown]

1 hour ago, Noob1903 said:

Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated!

I'll look at an enclosed unit that I can connect to my active intake rather. 

You missed the point, even something like this will not be effective as the spores need to be exposed to the UV for an extended period of time.

Simply passing through UV will not work and kill the spores. I believe it takes a while - probably varies a bit depending on the strength of the UV light and how far the spores are from the light.

Google seems to suggest 10 seconds at a distance of 6" from the light, but then at the same time suggest 1 to 2 hours but I suspect this is if a UVC device was left in a room to sterilize the entire room so at a further distance.

I am no expert in this though, but even 10 seconds is far too long as the air is being moved at a much quicker speed and you'd need it to be killed instantly basically - as soon as it is exposed to the UVC in order for it to be effective.

 

Keep in mind that as soon as you open the door to enter the room, you're letting in air which has not passed through the UVC sterilizer and spores could get in this way and you could even bring some in with you on your clothes as you enter.... So do you feel it is worth it?

 

Spraying sulfur or copper soap works very well in veg to get rid of PM and prevent it. Coppersoap should not be used during flower at all, sulphur may affect the taste / terps negatively if sprayed in flower. Typically most experience issues in flower and often towards the end of flower as the plant is getting older and weaker. Preventative sprays can assist, such as aq sf but I know not everyone is a fan of spraying plants in flower.

[Dookie69]

I’ve seen this sort “dangerous” UV being used in marine fish tanks, where the object is to run a completely sterile environment, ie no good bacteria and no bad bacteria. The light lives in a black tube which forms part of the under-tank filtration system. The tanks have a finite amount of water which pass at a high hourly rate through the UV filter.

[Noob1903]

Thanks guys

 

i went through the documentation and they advise removing the plants prior to use

 

i think I will use for cleaning/sterilizing  between grows and not daily use.

 

Night all

[PsyCLown]

10 hours ago, Noob1903 said:

Thanks guys

 

i went through the documentation and they advise removing the plants prior to use

 

i think I will use for cleaning/sterilizing  between grows and not daily use.

 

Night all

This makes more sense and would work well, just ensure the light can get to everyplace in the tent!

 

Won't help if you have a PM problem already though, but there are sprays which can be used for that.

[Noob1903]

2 hours ago, PsyCLown said:

This makes more sense and would work well, just ensure the light can get to everyplace in the tent!

 

Won't help if you have a PM problem already though, but there are sprays which can be used for that.

I shut down the sheds for over 2 months already to try break the PM cycle. I'll do a deep clean, then run the machine for a few hours and then switch off. Existing mold spores should be killed off and then I can spray Copper Soap in Veg (not sure of ratios or frequency) and perhaps AQ-SF in Flower to prevent new PM

Sounds like a plan?

[Noob1903]

14 hours ago, Dookie69 said:

I’ve seen this sort “dangerous” UV being used in marine fish tanks, where the object is to run a completely sterile environment, ie no good bacteria and no bad bacteria. The light lives in a black tube which forms part of the under-tank filtration system. The tanks have a finite amount of water which pass at a high hourly rate through the UV filter.

Yeah bud, have one on my tank already. If you see what UV does to that tube, its quite scary

 

[PsyCLown]

13 minutes ago, Noob1903 said:

I shut down the sheds for over 2 months already to try break the PM cycle. I'll do a deep clean, then run the machine for a few hours and then switch off. Existing mold spores should be killed off and then I can spray Copper Soap in Veg (not sure of ratios or frequency) and perhaps AQ-SF in Flower to prevent new PM

Sounds like a plan?

I personally do not use copper soap, aq sf can be sprayed in veg as well.

 

In veg sulphur sprays are what I typically do, normally just one before I flip to flower and then can do a preventative aq sf spray in flower on a weekly basis.

If you have a PM issue, then perhaps sulphur on a weekly basis to prevent PM and then once in flower switch to aq sf, if you notice any PM then bump up the aq sf dose.

 

If purchasing the aq sf and other sprays from Jamies garden shop, go for the 1L and not the 250ml.

I have purchased both and suspect the 250ml is just decanted with a printer label stuck on and at times have not noticed the usual globs floating around like in the 1L version - so makes me wonder whether they shook the 1L before decanting into 250ml bottles.

Also keep the aq sf in the fridge to help extend the shelf life.

[CreX]

14 hours ago, Dookie69 said:

I’ve seen this sort “dangerous” UV being used in marine fish tanks, where the object is to run a completely sterile environment, ie no good bacteria and no bad bacteria. The light lives in a black tube which forms part of the under-tank filtration system. The tanks have a finite amount of water which pass at a high hourly rate through the UV filter.

yea, that is the trick with marine tanks, you cycle the finite amount of water through the filter over and over to purify it and kill off pathogens(or anything organic that finds itself not attached to anything and water borne)

where doing that for air, you will likely never reuse the same liter of air ever again once its been exhausted out the tent.

 

42 minutes ago, Noob1903 said:

I shut down the sheds for over 2 months already to try break the PM cycle. I'll do a deep clean, then run the machine for a few hours and then switch off. Existing mold spores should be killed off and then I can spray Copper Soap in Veg (not sure of ratios or frequency) and perhaps AQ-SF in Flower to prevent new PM

Sounds like a plan?

sheesh so long!? but you may have missed an important note about the spores... they can last in soil through the winter, or for years until the right conditions allow it to germinate.

you should spray your entire tent down with a fungicide like sulphur or copper soap, spray the tent walls, lights, fans... cables... everything, and let it dry.

i have even found that i battle less with PM when my walls are coated in a fungicide and not just my plants