The Brio UV-C Ultraviolet Light - 12 GPM is an ultraviolet water disinfection unit for installation on a building's water line. It is the 12 gpm model in Brio's UVS series and carries a 55 watt UV-C lamp in a 37.4 inch by 2.5 inch chamber with 3/4 inch MNPT inlet and outlet ports. Water passing through the chamber is exposed to ultraviolet light; no chemicals are added and nothing is removed from the water, so the unit does not change taste, odor, or mineral content.
Placement matters to how the unit performs. Brio specifies installing it downstream of all other water treatment equipment — deionizers, softeners, carbon filters, pre-filters, reverse osmosis systems, pressure tanks, and pumps — and as close to the point of use as practical, both to reduce the chance of the treated water being re-contaminated further along the line. The unit is for indoor use only, must be protected from freezing, and must be supplied from a GFCI receptacle; if no GFCI receptacle is present, Brio requires one to be installed by a qualified electrician. Ambient temperature in the surrounding area should be between 36 and 104 °F, and at least one chamber length of clearance is needed at the chamber end so the lamp and quartz sleeve can be cleaned or changed.
Ultraviolet treatment depends on the water being clear enough for the light to pass through it, so the unit is intended for use with visually clear water only. Brio states it is not to be used with water that is colored, cloudy, or turbid, is not intended for water with obvious contamination, and is not intended to convert wastewater into safe drinking water. Brio publishes maximum influent concentrations for effective transmission: turbidity under 1 NTU, total suspended solids 10 mg/L, no color, iron 0.3 mg/L, manganese 0.05 mg/L, pH 6.5 to 9.5, hardness 6 gpg (102.6 ppm), and tannins under 0.1 ppm. Water above those levels can be treated, but may require additional equipment upstream to bring it within range.
Routine maintenance is lamp replacement. Brio rates the lamp at 8,000 hours and directs that it be replaced annually to maintain continuous treatment. The lamp, ballast, and quartz sleeve are all replaceable items, and Brio specifies that only its listed replacement parts be used.
