The benefits of genuine UV Pure lamps

A UV lamp is a UV lamp… right? Perhaps it’s not as simple as that, especially when it comes to protecting public health from harmful waterborne pathogens.

UV lamps often provide the final step (and sometimes the only step) in water disinfection, so it’s critical that they are tested and certified to operate properly within your UV Pure system and to consistently deliver the required UV dose.

We’ve learned that there are non-genuine UV Pure lamps available, but installing these lamps can adversely affect treated water quality and system operation.

Major risks that you and your UV Pure system can encounter when attempting to use non-genuine lamps:

  1. Non-genuine UV lamps are not tested by UV Pure, or verified by third-party certifiers, to meet stringent performance specifications or water quality certification such as NSF/ANSI 55—putting the health and trust of those that depend on safe, clean water at risk.
  2. UV Pure lamps are designed and validated to provide maximum UV output for 9,000 hours, or about a year. Non-genuine lamps may not provide the same assurance.
  3. UV Pure smart controls and sensors may not perform as designed. These systems monitor and alert operators when lamps are approaching end of life and when lamp output drops below optimum performance.
  4. System water quality certifications will become invalid as UV Pure can’t assure system performance when non-genuine lamps are in use, or even after they have been removed.
  5. Sensitive electronic components such as control boards and ballasts may be adversely affected by non-genuine UV lamps, causing poor system performance, reduced component life or sudden component failure.
  6. Damage to UV Pure systems caused by non-genuine lamps cannot be claimed as a warranty repair and any remaining warranty will be void.
  7. Non-genuine lamps are not covered by UV Pure’s industry-leading one-year warranty.

How can you tell if a UV lamp is genuine?

Genuine UV Pure lamps are marked with the UV Pure logo and the UV Pure web URL at the base.

To learn more about the risks of non-genuine UV lamps and how to identify them:

To order replacement UV Pure lamps and to arrange for installation services, please contact your local UV Pure dealer.

What to check when restarting UV Pure units for seasonal water systems

Are you getting ready to restart a UV Pure system at your seasonal property? Each UV Pure system is designed to make restart a simple process – almost as simple as flipping on the power and opening the water valve. To ensure optimum performance of your system, seasonal startup is a good time to perform a few simple inspections.

Before restarting your UV Pure system:

  1. Inspect the quartz sleeve for cracks, breaks and fouling.
  2. Inspect the reflector panels for damage.
  3. Inspect lamps for cracks and breaks.
  4. Inspect quartz around the filaments for discolouration at the ends, which indicates a bad lamp or a possible ballast issue.
  5. Reconnect all fittings and close all valves.
  6. Slowly apply water pressure and inspect the unit for any signs of leaks or loose plumbing joints.
    • If any components in steps 1 to 6 require attention, consult your manual or contact a qualified UV Pure service representative.
  7. When the system is fully pressurized, turn on the UV Pure system and allow the lamps to reach full power. This may take up to 24 hours.
  8. Once operational, flush water through the unit for at least five minutes.

Importance of having UV lamps:

We recommend making spare lamps available at each site to ensure uninterrupted system operation. UV lamps have a limited lifespan and should be changed after 12,000 hours of operation.

Your UV Pure system will alert you when:

  • the lamps require changing as they approach end of life, or
  • when lamp output has dropped below the optimum operating level. A menu screen in the LCD display of Hallet® and Upstream™ systems also shows the remaining lamp life.

Whenever changing lamps:

  • use only genuine UV Pure lamps to ensure the system meets certified performance standards and to avoid adverse effects to sensitive electronic components.

To understand all the benefits of using genuine UV Pure lamps, read this post.

For more information about restarting UV Pure systems, please see your instruction manual.

To order spare lamps or other parts, or to arrange for service of your UV Pure system, contact your local UV Pure service provider.