Viqua VH200-F10 Bundle Review
Trying to decide the best way to eliminate dangerous bacteria in your well water, ranch, or home? This Viqua VH200-F10 bundle review takes a detailed look at an interesting new option for homeowners who need to get rid of harmful bacteria in their water supply.
You can’t afford to take chances when it comes to disinfecting water contaminated by harmful pathogens. Across the West Coast, public water systems are increasingly reporting dangerous levels of contamination for a number of harmful bacteria. But no city is safe anymore from the global water crisis that’s expected to displace as many as 700 million people by 2030.
A quality UV water filter, however, has proven to be highly effective at killing most viruses, protozoa, and bacteria. There are exceptions, particularly microorganisms and cysts, so research your options carefully.
Read on to find out if the Viqua VH200-F10 UV Bundle is right for your water treatment needs. You may also be interested in learning more about the best reverse osmosis water filtration systems to further help your research.
Part 1: Viqua VH200-F10 Bundle Overview
Quality Rating: 96%
Description:
POE Whole House UltraViolet Light Water Filtration System
Key Features:
Product Dimensions: 17″ x 10.5″ x 18″ inches
Weight: 27.3 Pounds
1 x VH200-F10 UV system
9 GPM Max Flow Rate
2 Authentic VIQUA lamps (S200RL-HO)
1 Viqua Quartz Sleeve (QSO-001)
100-240V 50-60Hz 35W N. American Plug
Best Suited For:
Well Water Sanitizer
1 – 3 Bathroom Home
Removal of sediment, dirt and rust
Kills bacteria, viruses, cryptosporidium, giardia, and more
Part 2: Viqua VH200-F10 UV Bundle Review (Full)
Economically bundled for effectiveness and affordability, the Viqua VH200-F10 UV Filtration System is a relative newcomer to the water treatment industry, but a welcome one. Compact yet powerful, the VH200-F10 UV system is engineered for disinfecting water contaminated by sediment, dirt and rust, while also killing bacteria, viruses, cryptosporidium, giardia, and more
Rated 99.99% for effectiveness by the manufacturer, this 9GPM point-of-entry system is a great choice for average sized households with as many as 3 bathrooms. You can also install it on a ranch or at a camping ground where well water has been contaminated.
Built-in UV sensor technology provides you with constant feedback on the performance of the UV filter, keeping you alert to the need for any replacements. The Viqua VH200 Bundle is also backed by extensive warranties for the UV chamber, hardware, electrical, and components, ensuring quality parts and construction.
How Does The Viqua VH200-F10 Bundle Work?
The Viqua VH200-F10 unit is compact and designed for DIY installation at the point of entry where water from a private, public water supply or well water source enters your home.
To remove harmful bacteria, first the contaminated water enters the unit by means of a pipe connected to the water intake. Inside the water tank, powerful UV lighting kills the DNA that allows the bacteria to reproduce [1]. Exposed to the high levels of intense radiation, the bacteria are eliminated from the water.
The process has been proven to be effective at removing 99.99% of contaminants, including some microorganisms that are typically removed by distillation, such as cysts. Since there are no additives used to disinfect the water such as chlorine, the VH200-F10 produces purified water that is both safe to drink and great tasting, without any funny aftertaste.
Unlike a RO water filtration system, for example, the Viqua VH200-F10 doesn’t require a storage tank. It leaves behind no disinfectant byproducts, allowing for a cleaner, more eco-friendly method of water treatment.
You won’t notice any loss in the water pressure in your home, either, once the VH200 system is properly installed. It’s high 9GPM flow rate can handle high demand in a home as large as 3 bathrooms. With proper maintenance, the VH200-F10 Bundle could last you beyond the 10 year warranty coverage.
Viqua VH200-F10 Bundle: Assembly And Installation
Quality engineering have gone into all the components for the VH200-F10 UV filtration system. Included are:
- High capacity 5 micron sediment and/or carbon pre-filtration
- 2 Viqua VH200 UV lamps (One is a replacement)
- AWP 3-piece Housing
- Heavy Duty Steel Mounting Bracket
No assembly is required to install the device. If you have some experience, a DIY installation can be done at the point of entry with relative ease.
Viqua VH200-F10 UV Bundle: Toxin Removal
As mentioned earlier, the Viqua VH200-F10 UV is engineered to filter up to 99.99% of harmful bacteria in your water. Due to the inclusion of micron prefiltration, however, this UV filtration unit is also effective at removing sediment, dirt and rust.
As stated by the manufacturer, the VH200-F10 can also be used to kill most bacteria, viruses, cryptosporidium, and some microorganisms such as giardia and protozoan cysts [2].
The Viqua VH200-F10 does not remove:
- Chemicals (ie Chlorine, fluoride, arsenic, sulfates, pesticides, herbicides)
- Heavy Metals Toxins (ie copper, iron, chromium, radium, and lead)
- Hard Water Toxins (ie sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, nitrate, and phosphorous)
Viqua VH200-F10 UV Bundle Filter Replacement
For added value and convenience, the VH200-F10 unit already comes with a replacement UV lamp. You can only use Viqua UV lighting designed for the unit, however.
Once the unit is installed, maintenance is only required once a year to keep it in optimum condition. A built in digital UV sensor technology includes a count-down timer that alerts you when the lamp needs replacing.
What We Like…
- High capacity 5 micron pre-filters effectively remove bacteria and even some harmful cysts from water
- Powerful UV Lighting kills 99.99% of harmful bacteria without chemical additives or byproducts
- Fairly easy installation due to compact pre-assembled design
- Constant current engineering ensures stable UV output regardless of any power fluctuations
- UV sensor technology alerts you when the UV light needs replacement
Drawbacks
- Not as effective for removing chemicals, metals or treating hard water
- May be better suited for 1 -2 bathrooms rather than 3
UV Light Vs Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration Method: Which Is Best?
Before investing in a whole house water filtration system, it’s only natural to consider other possible options that might be less costly. There are quite a few methods of treating tainted tap water effectively. The last thing you need is a filtration system that doesn’t work, leaving you with the same contaminated water and a worthless device.
UV Light Water Filtration
Among the different methods of water disinfection, ultraviolet light is considered the best at removing harmful bacteria. Some can even remove harmful microorganisms, which are usually too small for industry standard carbon filters.
Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration
- Many city water systems currently use reverse osmosis instead of chlorine as the best method for treating chloramines in water.
- The EPA regulates that reverse osmosis is the preferred treatment for high levels of sodium (ie hard water), asbestos, arsenic, as well as cancer causing radionuclides [3].
- Reverse osmosis with active carbon filters is the preferred choice for removing the gasoline additive MTBE, an increasing concern for many public water systems.
Does UV Light Filtration Cause Cancer?
Ultraviolet light, quite simply, includes the spectrum of natural sunlight that can’t normally be seen by the naked eye. Only when a fleeting rainbow passes, for example, or in the brilliance of dawn, can we perceive the other gradations of light, but they are not X-rays.
A UV light filtration system doesn’t use x-rays to kill the bacteria in water. Instead, it uses a lamp specially designed to radiate ultraviolet rays that are harmful to the bacteria, not humans. The UV light attacks the DNA cell structure of the tiny bacteria, making them unable to reproduce or grow.
Is UV Filtration Effective Against All Bacteria?
Experts agree that under the right conditions, and carefully maintained, UV light is normally effective at eliminating all viruses, bacteria and protozoa from contaminated water.
There is a risk, however, that some very small microorganisms can survive the heavy bombardment of UV light. Certain microorganisms such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia, for example, are protected by thick cell walls that some low power UV light systems can’t penetrate.
When researching your options, investigate carefully and read the manufacturer’s description to ensure the UV light disinfection systems is specifically designed to kill these microorganisms if necessary.
Should You Filter Water Before UV Light Treatment?
Experts advise that you should definitely filter your water before using a UV light to kill bacteria. For this reason, some UV light filtration systems, like the Viqua VH200-F10 UV, include a micron pre-filter for purifying water before it reaches the UV light chamber.
UV light is harmful to bacteria, but it can’t remove sediment, dirt, chlorine, lead, sodium, calcium, or other types of contaminants found in many public water systems.
You’re much better off investing in a UV light filtration system that includes high quality pre-filtration.
Does An RO Water Filtration System Remove Bacteria?
An RO water filtration unit contains, at its heart, an RO membrane with incredibly small pores. These pores are typically ten times smaller than even the smallest virus. So technically, bacteria such as E. Coli, a giardia or cryptosporidium cyst would find it impossible to get through the RO membrane.
A RO water filtration system, however, is not designed specifically for treating high levels of bacteria that may be present in a groundwater source, for example. Chlorine, bleach, and boiling are more common methods of removing bacteria in water.
As with any water filtration device or water appliance, however, you should read the manufacturer’s directions for best practices and proper maintenance. Even brands that claim to be effective at removing bacteria may have fine print that also states there are conditions. Water usage, contamination levels, flow rate, and temperature can all impact the durability and integrity of the micron filter.
References
[1] How does ultraviolet light kill cells? (Scientific American)[2] Parasites -giardia (Centers For Disease Control And Prevention)
[3] Nanotargeted Radionuclides for Cancer Nuclear Imaging and Internal Radiotherapy (US National Library Of Medicine)
