With more than 30 years’ experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Mark Nelson is a Class 1 Drinking-Water Operator and a CBWA (Canadian Bottled Water Association) Certified Plant Operator. As founder and president of Nelson Water in Ottawa, Mark focuses on dealing with challenging water treatment system designs for problem water. He also heads the largest water bottling plant in the city of Ottawa with a delivery network throughout the Valley.
The UV purification system in your home uses powerful UV-C radiation to damage the DNA of microorganisms that prevents them from replicating and spreading. Microorganisms, such as bacteria, pathogens, cysts, and more are rendered harmless and the health of your drinking water is improved. UV purification is largely a passive technology that adds no chemicals to the water supply. But, like any complex system, some essential maintenance is required. In this article, we will look at six tips to help you keep your UV purification system working efficiently.
1. UV Lamp Changes
The UV lamp is the heart of the system and if it isn’t working efficiently the water will be less clean. A UV lamp has a lifespan of around 9,000 or just over one year and then a replacement is required. Keeping an extra lamp on hand makes sense and ordering a new lamp at the same time each year is a great habit to adopt. This will ensure that you always have a spare UV lamp available in case of damage or for the next replacement. When the UV lamp is replaced it’s important to swap out the O-rings too. These tend to degrade quickly and a fresh set of O-rings will prevent any water from escaping around the UV lamp. The germicidal properties of the UV lamp are made possible by the beads of mercury suspended inside the unit. These degrade over time, but the lamps can be recycled and your local hardware store may have a drop off point. UV lamps are affordable so if you can’t remember when it was last changed, it’s a great idea to change them now.
2. Resetting the UV System Alarm
Many modern UV purification systems have a built-in monitoring and alarm system. If the UV lamp is not disinfecting the water an alarm may sound to remind the owner that they need to change the UV bulb. But, some people find this sound annoying, they turn off the alarm and then forget about the root cause of the problem. This is a bad idea, the water is not being disinfected and the UV bulb is still degrading. But, there is another problem, the UV ballast system will continue to work and it will even work harder in an attempt to maintain the UV wavelength required for disinfection. Without the mercury beads in the UV lamp, the exposure needed for disinfection is not possible and this can damage the entire system. So, when the alarm sounds it’s important to replace the UV bulb before the alarm is reset to maintain efficiency and to extend the lifespan of the system.
3. Understanding the Importance of Quartz Sleeves
Many people using a UV purification system focus on the UV lamp and they forget about other key components. One of the most important parts of the system is the quartz sleeve, this is a transparent sleeve that allows the UV light to reach the water safely. Without the quartz sleeve, the germicidal process cannot take place because the correct UV wavelength can’t be transmitted to the water. The quartz sleeve is not glass, standard glass is not sufficiently transparent for the UV light to penetrate it. This sleeve is also the surface that separates the water from the electricity used to power the UV light system. Once you understand the importance of the quartz sleeve, it’s easier to take the cleaning and replacement needs seriously (more on these next).
4. Cleaning the Quartz Sleeve
The quartz sleeve must be clear and clean or the UV-C radiation used to disinfect the incoming water cannot be transmitted. A pre-filter is required in the system to prevent microorganisms from hiding as the water passes through. The same principle applies when the surface of the quartz sleeve is dirty or cloudy. This is especially true if the incoming water is hard and a film of scale is developing on the inner surface. If your water has elevated levels of iron, or to a lesser extent manganese, the resulting stains can make the sleeve too cloudy for the UV-C light to penetrate. Removing these contaminants from your water will improve the efficiency and extend the useful lifespan of your UV purification system. The quartz sleeve can be washed gently with a cloth soaked in vinegar, CLR, or any mild acidic cleaning product. Gloves should be worn when cleaning the sleeve to prevent blemishes from the natural skin oils on your hands and fingers. When the sleeve is dried, it’s important to use a non-abrasive soft towel to prevent scrapes and scratches. The quartz sleeve is pretty fragile, it should be handled with care because any cracks or chips will make it unusable.
5. Replacing the Quartz Sleeve
Regular quartz sleeve cleaning and the removal of particles from the incoming water supply will extend the useful lifespan. But, eventually, even the best care will not get the surface clean and clear and a replacement will be required. A quartz sleeve tends to last for 2-3 years and regular cleaning will place it at the upper end of that range. Having a spare quartz sleeve on hand for unexpected breakages and the eventual replacement makes good sense. Bear in mind that a quartz sleeve is fragile, it’s easy to break during cleaning and if it does break you cannot purify the water.
6. Turning Off the UV System
It’s tempting to turn the UV system off when it’s not in use to preserve the lifespan of the UV bulb. But, this shortens the 9,000 hour lifespan significantly and this can expose the home to unpurified drinking water. For short periods of disuse, there is no need to turn off the UV lamp and it doesn’t consume much energy. For longer periods, you may want to turn off the UV lamp and shut-off the water valves at either end.
If you want to schedule some essential maintenance for your water purification system, contact your local water treatment specialist today.