American Ultraviolet's UV-C air disinfection solutions for liquid storage tanks give food and beverage manufacturers a reliable food safety solution for tank headspace. If any part of your food or beverage manufacturing operation involves storing sweeteners like High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), or water used as an ingredient in your products, you already know how difficult it is to keep the headspace in your storage tanks and tank vents free from microorganisms. The dark, moist, warm environment of nutritive liquid sweeteners creates an ideal environment for microorganism growth.
Regular cleaning of your liquid storage tanks is a good start, but it doesn't address the headspace at the top of the tank. When the product is drawn out, it's replaced by ambient air from inside or outside your facility, and that air needs to remain free of bacteria, viruses, and mold spores. That's where American Ultraviolet's UV-C disinfection for food and beverages comes in, with a line of air disinfection systems built specifically for liquid storage tanks.
Liquid Tank Conditioners
Liquid tank conditioners are the air disinfection systems that mount on top of your tank, treating incoming air before it ever reaches the headspace. By passing all incoming air through a series of filters (up to 0.3 micron, 99.7% efficient HEPA) and a properly sized UV-C air disinfection chamber, sized for the required air volume, you can achieve a >99.9% (3-log) reduction of airborne microorganisms.
This air and surface microbial reduction for food and beverages happens without placing any additional equipment inside the tank itself. This UV-C disinfection for food manufacturers is accomplished with our LTC, BT, and SC series liquid tank conditioners. American Ultraviolet recommends pairing these conditioners with Tank Vents, which allow air to exit the tank and prevent contaminated air from being drawn back in during reverse suction.
Internal Tank Mounting
Internal-mounted fixtures are another UV-C air disinfection system option, using a lamp assembly installed inside the tank rather than a tank-top conditioner. Our STG series fixtures mount inside the tank to control yeast, mold, and bacterial growth within the tank itself, with an external Tube Guard indicator to confirm the lamp is operating properly.
For portable liquid storage tanks, an internally mounted setup of one or more UV-C lamps provides the air and surface disinfection for food and beverages needed to keep your tank clean indefinitely. Our TTG series units go a step further as an immersion fixture, sterilizing the liquid itself in addition to the headspace, with the same external lamp status indication as the STG series. These units are the ideal air disinfection solution for portable liquid storage tank applications.
Product lines:
LTC Series
Direct top-of-tank mounted fixture for product dropout rates up to 200 GPM
BT Series
More advanced fixture for dropout rates up to 1,500 GPM; mounts directly to the tank or remotely, up to 25 feet away
SC-4 Series
Top-of-the-line, fully customizable air treatment unit, floor-mounted beside large tanks for easier lamp and filter changes without climbing on top of the tank
Tank Vents
LTX series vents used alongside LTC, BT, or SC-4 fixtures to let air exit the tank and block contaminated air from entering during reverse suction; available with base 10-micron or upgraded 0.3-micron HEPA filtration
STG Series
Internally mounted fixture that controls yeast, mold, and bacterial growth inside the tank itself, with an external Tube Guard lamp-status indicator
TTG Series
Immersion unit that sterilizes both tank headspace and the liquid itself via a partially submerged, quartz-sleeved lamp, available in multiple insertion depths
Looking for in-line treatment of flowing liquids instead? See our In-line Liquids page.
Trusted by
American Beverage Association members and leading food and beverage manufacturers rely on American Ultraviolet for tank disinfection and microbial reduction, including Coca-Cola Bottling, Pepsi Cola, M&M/Mars, Heinz Co., Dr. Pepper/7-Up, Minute Maid, Hershey's, Sealtest Foods, Ralston Purina Co., Molson Lion Brewery, Kraft, Dupont, Seagram & Sons, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Morningstar Foods, Anheuser-Busch, Guinness Brewing, Domino Sugar, National Starch, Mott's Juice, and Caribe America Trading Company.
UV-C Air Disinfection Systems for Liquid Storage Tanks FAQ
What is UV-C Air Disinfection for Liquid Storage Tanks?
UV-C air disinfection passes incoming air through filtration and a UV-C lamp chamber before it reaches the tank headspace, reducing airborne microorganisms by more than 99.9% (3-log) without adding anything to the liquid itself.
What's the Difference Between the LTC, BT, and SC-4 series?
LTC is a direct top-of-tank mounted fixture built for dropout rates up to 200 GPM. BT is a more advanced fixture for drop rates up to 1,500 GPM that can be mounted directly on the tank or remotely. SC-4 is American Ultraviolet's top-of-the-line, fully customizable option, built with a remote NEMA 4x control enclosure and available with outputs to process controls for unique tank applications.
Do I need Tank Vents if I already have a Conditioner?
Yes. American Ultraviolet recommends pairing tank vents with an LTC, BT, or SC-4 conditioner. The vents let air exit the tank so the conditioner can keep feeding it fresh, treated air, and they prevent contaminated air from being pulled back in if reverse suction occurs.
Can Airborne Contamination in Tank Headspace Contribute to Product Recalls?
Yes. Airborne bioaerosols can carry pathogenic bacteria and mold into food processing and storage environments. Documented industry cases have traced pathogen contamination in food fill areas back to bioaerosols released through a contaminated cooling system and exhausted directly into the product fill space. UV-C air disinfection reduces airborne microorganisms in the tank headspace before that air ever reaches stored product, addressing this pathway directly.
How does UV-C Disinfection Compare to Chemical Sterilization Methods?
UV-C works differently from chemical sterilization: rather than adding a chemical agent, it disrupts the DNA of mold spores, yeast, and bacteria, rendering them sterile. Because nothing is added to or removed from the liquid, UV-C avoids the taste, color, or odor changes that can come with chemical treatment, and it doesn't introduce chemical byproducts into the product.
Does UV-C disinfection change the taste, color, or odor of the stored liquid?
No. UV-C disinfection has no effect on taste, color, or odor. Unlike chemical sterilization, it doesn't add or remove anything from the liquid sugar, syrup, or water.
What's the difference between the STG and TTG series?
Both are internally mounted fixtures with an external Tube Guard indicator to confirm the lamp is working. STG disinfects the tank interior and headspace. TTG is an immersion unit that goes further, sterilizing the liquid itself in addition to the headspace, since the lamp is partially submerged.
American Ultraviolet equipment is manufactured entirely in the USA.
Prolonged, direct exposure to UV-C light can cause temporary skin redness and eye irritation. American Ultraviolet systems are designed with safety in mind and, when properly installed by a professional contractor, do not allow exposure to UV radiation, allowing for safe operation and maintenance.