Chapter 51: How to Use the mUV Water Purifier From Meridian Design

The mUV (pronounced “move”) Ultraviolet Portable Water Treatment system weighs just 2.5 ounces. It is lightweight, rugged, and simple. It costs about $49.

The mUV can treat a liter of water in less than 2 minutes and give you 12 liters or 3 gallons of clean water on a simple charge of its internal rechargeable Li-ion battery. It can be used in plastic, metal, and glass containers.

Wash your mUV with a mild detergent and water prior to its first use. The unit is shipped partially charged, so charge it completely. Recharge at least once per year.

If your water is cloudy or has a lot of particulate, pre-filter it until it is clear, or agitate the water more so that it better comes in contact with the lamp, or run the water through more than one cycle. The nylon mesh bag that comes with the unit can filter down to .2 mm.

To use the unit, remove the protective end cap. To start the cleaning cycle, press and hold the button for about two seconds until the white LED blinks and then release. The tube will light after 3 seconds of blinking giving you time to immerse the bulb end in the water. Immerse the bulb totally. The bulb will glow blue while the cleaning cycle runs.

If you use an open-mouth container, stir with the unit during the cleaning cycle to improve the disinfection process. The unit will float if dropped into your water container, but this is not the most effective way to treat the water. Agitating the water thoroughly assures a complete treatment. The unit will fit into and plug a standard 1-liter or 2-liter soda bottle. Shake well to assure you treat all the water.

The cleaning cycle will run for about 75 seconds. If less than 1 liter is being treated, the cycle can by terminated early by pressing the button again. The blue UV-C lamp will turn off and the flashlight end of the unit will glow briefly. Also, a very small green LED will turn on when the disinfection cycle has finished.

Cover the UV-C lamp to protect the bulb when not in use.

The mUV contains a handy, separate, low-power white LED for lighting. One short click starts the flashlight. This LED light does not clean water and is safe to use out of your water container. The light is self-timed and will go dim in 12 minutes, and will go off a minute later. Clicking the button when the light is in dim mode will return it to bright mode for 12 more minutes. Each cycle of white LED light uses approximately 5% of the battery capacity.

The mUV comes with a special charging cable that has a USB plug at one end and a plug that fits into the unit at the other end. Open the top screw cover on the mUV with a counter-clockwise ¼ turn to reach the charging connector socket. When both ends are connected the white LED will start blinking to show it is charging. This takes about 3 hours.

When the temperature is below 40 degrees, the dosage time should be doubled. Battery life will be shortened in cold temperatures, so keep the unit as warm as possible.

Clean and store it in a dry environment when not in use.