Blue Eco Conversion to Electric Drive:
After reading ICU2's great post on his conversion of a Blue Eco RFD, I decided to try a similar project. I picked up a used Blue Eco at a great price which I figure was less expensive than trying to build my own case and DIY drum. Made from thick 316 stainless, it is built like a tank and makes a great starting point. The project is described here in several posts.
The used unit needed some TLC, so I stripped out all the hydraulic drive parts and gave it a good cleaning with vinegar and calcium remover. I removed all the hydraulic tubing and plugged the threaded holes with 1/4 nylon plugs from the local ace hardware store. On my unit, most of the pvc pipes were standard USA sizes, although some had non-tapered electrical threads. I kept the existing pipe that holds the spray bar but replaced their irrigation control valve with a section of 1" sched. 40 pipe.
The UV unit was broken, so I used a 1 inch threaded bulkhead fitting to fill the hole, then cut a 3/4" compression fitting in half to hold and seal a 3/4" quartz tube in place (see photo). When the compression fitting was cut and lightly sanded, it fit nicely into a 1" threaded to 3/4" slip adapter (compression fitting -> adapter ->bulkhead). I had to use a grey electrical adapter because it was larger inside than a standard plumbing adapter and allowed my 3/4” quartz tube to pass through. Inside the unit, I epoxied a 1" Tee fitting to the bottom of the unit and inserted the other 3/4" compression rubber seal to hold the quartz tube in place inside the unit (see photo). My 40 watt UV bulb slides inside the sealed quartz tube and since my filter house is enclosed, I didn't need to waterproof the electrical connector.