Can you see UV filter light?

drizcol

drizcol

Member
this is probably a stupid question but can you see UV light with the

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eye? I just got a uv filter and I cant see it giving off any light. I can see the bulb but not the light coming from it. I know uv lights can be dangerous if you are exposed to it but Im not looking directly at the light when I plug it in. I accutaly have it under something and Im plugging it in and checking for light from underneath. Im trying to find out if its defective. I have two bulbs and neither of them seem to give off light.
Thanks
Sean
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
There are no stupid questions...
but
WHAT are you talking about?
As near as I can figure you are thinking an UV filter gives off light.. UV filters UV light out, doesn't allow it to pass through.
No, you can't see UV light with the

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eye.
 
drizcol

drizcol

Member
Im not sure if we are thinking of the same thing. what Im talking about is a UV light bulb that goes inside of a filter and kills any organisams that pass through the UV light.
 
phixer

phixer

Active Member
The spectrum of UV light used to kill harmful bacterial can cause severe damage to the retina. I may be wrong but most UV light is visible by the human eye and fairly bright. IR isnt without specialized gear.
 
drizcol

drizcol

Member
is it safe to say its defective then or is it possiable that there is a safety mechinsim that wont allow it to work unless its in the filter. if thats the case how are you to know if the bulb is burnt out?
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
You can see an operating germicidal UV lamp by looking at it, but it's the light you can't see, the UV, which causes retina damage.
Humans cannot see UV or IR. IR is below the visible spectrum, UV is above. Although it's possible that some individuals can perceive some outlying specturms of each, it's not common and a moot point in this case.
The bulb emits a fair amount of visible light, but it emits a whole lot more UV that you can't see.
At any rate, you can briefly (like for a fraction of a second) look at a germicidal lamp to verify it's operation without any harm, but you shouldn't if you can possibly help it. Generally, UV sterlizers have a small UV filtered window that allows you to see if the light is operating without looking directly at the lamp.
No UV unit I've seen has any kind of safety mechanism in it... you just have to be careful not to look at a bare lamp while operating.
 
tank watch

tank watch

Member
i plugged in my uv sterilizer the other day without the cover on it. it gave off light, blue-ish, similar to a tanning bed color, plenty of light like a small or weak lamp.
 
lazypinoy

lazypinoy

Member
so it cause eye damage? ive been lookin at my uv lamp a couple a times at about 2-3 feets range from my face! jus to see what it was like. yeah it is like a super/blue white weak lamp.
 
mfp1016

mfp1016

Member
Lights emit a variety of wavelengths, some visible and some not. As a result, you see some white light emitted from a UV lamp.
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
Originally Posted by LazyPinoy
so it cause eye damage? ive been lookin at my uv lamp a couple a times at about 2-3 feets range from my face! jus to see what it was like. yeah it is like a super/blue white weak lamp.
Yes, it can cause eye damage. Don't do that.
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
Sorry, don't have much of a sense of humor about this kinda thing.
I like my eyes... I use them to look at the ladies....

I just don't want people to get the wrong idea...
 
lazypinoy

lazypinoy

Member
Originally Posted by SCSInet
Sorry, don't have much of a sense of humor about this kinda thing.
I like my eyes... I use them to look at the ladies....

I just don't want people to get the wrong idea...
next time im wearin shades to look at the light.
yeah i would miss checkin out tha ladies if i went blind...
 
turbo21

turbo21

Member
just a little story about the damage they can do to your eyes,
about 5 years ago i had an emperor aquatics 25 watt uv, that is about 3 feet long- after running it for a few months i decided to clean the quartz sleeve, i found that i could see the residue on the sleeve better if i put the uv lamp inside of it, and turn it on, so i got within inches of it and went away scrubbing at it, i wanted to make sure i cleaned it really well.
so the rest of the day went by fine and i went to sleep. at about three in the morning i woke up out of my sleep and i could not open my eyes, i had basically gotten sunburn on my eyes- from what was explained to me is you eyes have layers like your skin, and i burned the outer one
everytime i tried to open and close my eyelids it felt like sandpaper was be used on my eyeballs. i spent the weekend in bed with cold compresses on my eyes to releive the pain...... the good thing was that there was no permanent damage....
these units are very dangerous, always read the GIANT warning labels, and let my insane mistake remind you of this

bob
 
tank watch

tank watch

Member
I didnt say it was a good idea to look at it, but it does put out visible light.
the coralife unit i have has a small diffused window on one end to let you know the light is on. it always pointed away from me, and I could see the glow against the wood under the tank stand.
 
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