UV water purifiers are some of the lowest-hassle water treatment systems you can buy. However, that doesn’t mean that you can get away with performing no maintenance whatsoever on your UV lamp.
If you want to be permanently protected against harmful microorganisms in your drinking water, follow the instructions in this UV system maintenance guide carefully.
Table of Contents
🔂 Changing a UV Lamp
Changing the UV lamp is the biggest maintenance task involved in owning a UV purification system.
The lifespan of a UV lamp is measured in hours, not gallons of water treated. Most UV lamps have a lifespan of 9,000-10,000 hours, equating to about 375 days. This means you should change the UV lamp annually to keep the system in good working order.
Some UV water purifiers have visual or audible reminders, like a traffic light system or an alarm, to let you know when a new lamp is needed. We recommend making your own reminder on your phone or calendar so that you always replace the lamp on time.
When UV lamps hit the end of their lifespan, the mercury powering the lamps dissipates. This causes the lamps to lose their effectiveness by more than 60%, so the water passing through the quartz sleeve may not be treated effectively enough to make it safe for drinking.
Why Change a UV Lamp?
There’s a good chance that you bought a UV water purifier for a specific reason: to kill potential bacteria, viruses, and other harmful living organisms in your drinking water.
UV lamps only work for a set period of time. The beads of mercury in the lamp will gradually deplete from the moment the lamp is put into use. Eventually, the mercury’s effectiveness will be exhausted, and the lamp won’t be able to emit UV-C light as powerfully as it once did.
How to Change a UV Lamp
To change the UV bulb in your UV system, you’ll need:
- A new UV lamp
- O-rings
- Latex gloves
Shut off your water supply and unplug the UV water purifier from the power supply. Allow the system to cool, then remove the safety cap and lamp plug, and slide the sleeve out of the chamber.
Dispose of the old lamp (UV bulbs can be recycled), then slide the new lamp in place and re-insert the lamp plug and safety cap. Switch on your water supply and plug the lamp back into the power supply.
For more in-depth steps on how to change a UV light, check out this article.
⏰ Resetting the Alarm
If your UV system comes with an alarm that alerts you when your UV light is no longer working, you’ll need to reset the alarm after you’ve replaced the lamp.
To reset the alarm, you usually just need to press a button or flick a switch (check the user manual if you’re unsure). It’s important to only reset the alarm when you replace the UV lamp, or the alarm will begin the countdown before the new lamp is installed, and will be inaccurate.
Related: Why is my UV water filter beeping?
🧽 Cleaning the Quartz Sleeve
The quartz sleeve is made from clear, transparent glass. This glass allows UV rays to easily penetrate the glass and purify your water.
If the quartz sleeve becomes cloudy or dirty, this dirt will act as a barrier between the ultraviolet light and the water. The result? Only some of your water will be purified, allowing some microorganisms to linger.
How does the quartz sleeve get dirty? It depends on what your water contains. High hardness levels can leave limescale deposits on the quartz sleeves, while iron and manganese can accumulate orange stains on the glass. Sediment-rich water may leave dirt, particulate matter, and other debris on the UV sleeve. Even if your water doesn’t look dirty, the sleeve will eventually become too cloudy for use, simply from everyday wear-and-tear.
How to Clean the Quartz Sleeve
To clean the quartz sleeve, you will need:
- A cloth
- A mildly acidic cleaner, like vinegar
- Protective gloves
Put on a pair of protective gloves to prevent the oils in your skin from blemishing the sleeve during cleaning. Switch off and unplug the UV filter, then carefully remove the sleeve (remember, it’s glass, and one wrong move will cause it to smash).
Dip the cloth in the acidic cleaner (like vinegar) and gently rub the sleeve, holding the sleeve bolt to keep it stable. Wipe the entire sleeve, handling it gently. Remember, it can easily break.
Note: Don’t use a coarse or rough cloth to clean the sleeve, as this could scrape or scratch the glass.
How to Replace the Quartz Sleeve
Even cleaning the quartz sleeve won’t protect it throughout the lifespan of the UV filter system. You’ll need to replace the sleeve every two to three years to allow the system to operate effectively and keep you protected against waterborne diseases.
It’s best to replace your screen at the same time as replacing the bulb in your UV water filter. This means you can discard both the screen and the lamp, without the hassle of fitting the existing bulb into the new screen.
To replace the screen in your UV purifier, you will need:
- A new UV screen and bulb
- O-rings
- Latex gloves
Switch off your water and unplug the system from the power. Allow the system to cool, then remove the safety cap and carefully take the sleeve out of the chamber. Dispose of the old sleeve and bulb, then slide the new sleeve in place and install the bulb. Re-insert the lamp plug and safety cap, then plug the system into the electricity supply and switch on your water.
📝 How to Reduce UV System Maintenance
Maintenance is an essential aspect of owning any water treatment system, and UV water purifiers are no different.
However, there are several things you can do to reduce the frequency of maintenance in your UV water purification system:
Install a Pre-Filter
Regardless of your water quality, a sediment pre-filter is almost always recommended. This will remove any physical particles and sediment that could shield the microorganisms in your water and form a dirty layer over the quartz sleeve.
It’s worth testing your water to see what it contains, as you may need to consider installing an iron filter alongside a sediment filter if your water is rich in iron or manganese. The better quality your water, the better the UV light will be able to purify it.
Install a Water Softener
Another water treatment system that can reduce how often you need to maintain your UV system is a water softener. Water softeners remove minerals that deposit limescale on a UV system’s quartz glass sleeve. Softened water contains no minerals, so won’t damage the quartz sleeve and will decrease the frequency of routine maintenance.
Again, test your water if you don’t know how hard it is. Millions of homes in the US have hard water, and it’s likely that yours is one of them.
Buy a Longer-Lasting UV Light
Most UV systems have a bulb lifespan of around 9,000 hours, or one year, but some bulbs are much longer-lasting than that. We wouldn’t recommend choosing a UV water purifier solely for its long lifespan, but definitely consider longer-lasting systems if you hate maintenance.
Check out the systems in our best UV water filters guide where we review the top rated products in 2024.
📖 UV Purifier Maintenance Tips
Looking for some quick tips on how to maintain UV purifiers? Read on.
- Regular maintenance is best. Make notes in your calendar if you don’t think you’ll remember maintenance yourself.
- Replace your UV bulb annually, or as advised by the manufacturer. Don’t wait for the bulb to stop working before you buy a replacement – it will lose its intensity even if it’s still shining.
- Clean the UV water filter sleeve whenever you make a bulb replacement, and buy a sleeve replacement every two to three years.
- Remember that other parts may need to be changed over the years, such as o-rings and the sleeve bolt. Speak to a member of your manufacturer’s customer service if you’re unsure.
🧠 UV Water Purifier Maintenance FAQs
How do you maintain UV purifiers?
The majority of UV water purifiers just need two maintenance jobs: replacing the bulb and cleaning the glass sleeve once a year, and replacing the sleeve every two to three years.
Is it safe to dispose of a UV lamp?
You might be wondering what to do with a UV lamp, since it contains mercury. UV lamps only contain small amounts of mercury, so they can be disposed of safely. In fact, you can recycle a UV lamp just like you can recycle a fluorescent light bulb. This is the best way to dispose of your old UV lamps as it allows the mercury to be reused in other applications. Your local recycling center or hardware store might have a section for recycling used UV bulbs.
How often should I clean a UV sterilizer?
Clean the quartz sleeve every year, when you replace the bulb.
How can you tell if a UV light is good?
A UV bulb turns a violet shade when it’s functioning. However, the bulb loses up to 60% of its effectiveness by the end of its lifespan, so replace it based on how long you’ve used it, not what it looks like.
