Many homes use a UV water treatment system to get clean water and protect themselves from harmful microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Unlike regular light bulbs, UV lamps utilize a light wave intensity for the disinfection procedure of your water supply. Extending your UV lamp life will require maintenance and yearly replacement. To correctly change a UV lamp in a filter, it’s essential to follow the instructions in the user manual for the precise model you’re using.
UV Lamps Replacement General Guide
- To replace your UV light, you’ll need o-rings, a new lamp, and latex gloves, but the latter is optional. Below are the steps:
- Switch off the main water line to prevent water from coming to your UV water purifier and shut off all indoor and outdoor faucets in your home.
- Apply pressure on the pressure buttons to trigger the release of pressure from the ultraviolet filter cartridge.
- Disconnect the UV lamp plug from your wall socket. A warning alarm may sound off in the process.
- The unit has to be cool before you can put back the UV bulb in your filter. So first, check the temperature of your UV water system to ensure that it’s not too warm. If your UV system is very warm, give it some minutes to cool down.
- Slowly detach the protective cover or safety cap from the top of your UV system. To detach it, squeeze the tabs, but ensure that the ultraviolet light cord is connected.
- Detach the UV lamp plug, but ensure that the strain relief wires are not disconnected.
- Before you remove UV lamps, it’s essential to wear latex gloves to shield the lamp from the oils on your skin because they can damage ultraviolet lamps.
- Disassemble the sleeve/lamp assembly by removing the sleeve bolt from the lamp chamber.
- Hold the sleeve bolt to unscrew and remove the lamp.
- Then unscrew the sleeve bolt and detach the o-rings from the quartz sleeve.
- You can either replace or clean the sleeve using a cloth soaked in a mild acid such as vinegar. Then rinse with clean water.
- Replace the o-rings you removed with new o-rings and then secure the sleeve bolt to the quartz sleeve.
- Install the new ultraviolet lamp and slowly secure it into its protective sleeve. Avoid tightening it too much to prevent breaking the sleeve.
- After installing the replacement lamp, restore the lamp assembly.
- Slowly rotate the ring clamp to align the connections, then install the plug.
- Restore the protective cap and reattach the power plug to the wall socket.
- Reopen all the faucets and switch on the water.
- Check to ensure there are no leaks.
FAQs
How often should I replace a UV lamp?
To keep your filter performing optimally, change the bulb before it’s overdue. Most of these ultraviolet lights are manufactured to run continuously for up to 9,000 hours, equivalent to 1 year before their effectiveness declines.
Contrary to conventional light bulbs, ultraviolet lights solarize instead of burning out. As a result, their rays reduce by 60% compared to a new light. That’s why you must change your UV lamp in your water filter right on schedule to ensure your system remains efficient in removing microbes from your water.
Water gets treated as it flows through the chamber and gets exposed to the UV rays from the light. The microbes present in the water will absorb these rays, modifying their DNA and preventing them from reproducing or creating an infection.
We recommend you don’t wait till your ultraviolet light stops shining before replacing the bulb in these UV water filters. It’s better to be on the safe side.
When is the tight time to change a UV filter light?
Some ultraviolet filter units usually come with a controller or ballast that indicates when the light is due for replacement. The indicator can be in various forms; an audible alarm, green light, or an LED display timer counting down from “365” to the due date for replacement.
For those who own an ultraviolet unit without an indicator, the best course of action is to set a calendar alarm to remind you when it’s time to change your UV lamp in your water filter.
Will switching off the UV light extend its lifespan?
The short answer is no. We don’t recommend switching the ultraviolet light off and on. Turning off and on a light designed to be permanently switched on can trigger premature lamp failure. The light can lose up to 6 hours of life for each off, and on-cycle you initiate.
Ultraviolet lights are energy-efficient, so leaving them on won’t jack up your utility bills. On the other hand, forgetting to switch on the ultraviolet unit will expose your home to water contamination.
