UV filter maintenance – how to service your UV system

UV water purification is one of the most common and effective methods to disinfect water as it enters your household. But like any other water treatment process, it needs service. There are a few things you need to be aware of when getting UV filter maintenance.

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UV filter maintenance  – how to service your UV filtration system

Why does your UV system need maintenance?

Overview: 

• • • All water treatment systems need annual service and maintenance 
    • The manufactures recommend an annual UltraViolet filter service
    • UV maintenance is a job for a professional to ensure safe drinking water
    • Keeping your family healthy and safe requires a functioning UV filter system
    • Aqua Works UV maintenance guarantees E.Coli free drinking water

Unfortunately, UV filter systems are often sold and installed by plumbers with no service plan or structure for annual maintenance. Be sure to keep your family healthy and safe; it requires a serviced, effectively working UV filter system. Aqua Works offers a comprehensive UV maintenance service with a WOF checklist for your water system and a guarantee for E.Coli free and safe drinking water. Call Aqua Works on 0274 787 427 to book a service.

How often should your UV maintenance be done?

Please do not be deceived: Even if the UV lamp still glows and appears to be working, it may no longer be effective. This visible pale blue light does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about the UV radiation power of the UV lamp. The reason is that ultraviolet radiation is invisible. 

The intensity of the UV light decreases within 12 months. For example, a new UV lamp could emit 42,000 mj/cm2. After 9,000 hours (12 months), it is reduced to 14,000 mj/cm2. However, your UV lamp must have more than 12,000 mj/cm2 to kill bacteria like E.coli effectively. So, it looks like the UV lamp is working, but it is not emitting enough light to kill the germs. 

Important: NEVER look into a UV lamp. The radiation can cause acute and chronic damage to the eye. 

It is also essential that the water filters are changed every 12 months as part of the UV maintenance. Failure to replace the water filter may affect the working parameters of the UV lamp and cause premature water pump failure. So, call our customer service team on 0800 AQUA UV to make an appointment to servicing your UV filtration system and your water filter. 

Why use a trained professional for your UV filter maintenance?

The UV performance of a UV lamp decreases continuously during use. Firstly, it is an internal blackening of the glass bulb due to the electrochemical processes taking place inside the glass bulb. And secondly, the gradual decrease in the permeability of the glass bulb caused by UV radiation.

The manufacturer’s recommendation is an annual service of your UV filtration system. This includes the professional cleaning of the quartz sleeve as required and the replacement of the UV lamp. Since it is not a standard light bulb but a special lamp, we strongly advise against doing this on your own. It is not a job for a DIY person. Dirty quartz sleeves should be removed every 6 – 12 months.

Also, the Ministry of Health recommends that the cleaning and maintenance of the UV filtration system, including the quartz sleeve, UV lamp, and UV sensor, should be carried out by a qualified person. There are various hazards when servicing a UV system by yourself. If this job is not done correctly, there could be a severe risk to your health. 

The Manufacturer’s recommendations are beside the annual service and cleaning of the quartz sleeve, sterilising the whole UV system and the water lines in the house. This is an often underestimated or forgotten task to do to keep your entire water system safe. 

Do you know if your house water lines are sterile?

The manufacturers also insist on sterilising the UV lamp and water lines after the service by a qualified person. Biofilm build-up on the inside of the water pipes in your home. Essentially, biofilm refers to the slimy ooze that develops in damp areas of your water pipes. It usually consists of an accumulation of bacteria along with some metabolites of those bacteria. Research has shown that this biofilm has a significant impact on your health and leads to various infections, including MRSA infections.

If you do not sterilise the water pipes, bacteria can be reactivated after UV irradiation. In the worst case, this can make you sick. We insist on doing this when we install a UV system and perform annual maintenance. Additionally, it is the only way you can get the Aqua guarantee of E.coli free water. *

What are the hazards when servicing a UV system by yourself?

When cleaning and replacing the UV filter system, a few pitfalls can quickly become a problem for a layperson. 

Starting with knowing when to replace the quartz sleeve. Then using the wrong (spare) parts or having issues with the UV-monitored sensors. As a non-professional, it might be difficult to notice any change in the water quality or turbidity problems. At Aqua Works, we have many years of experience dealing with “water”. Our service team will recognise any shifts. From our experience, it is also quite common for causing leaks in the UV plumbing when servicing. 

The quartz sleeve can easily break when replacing the UV lamp, and then you do not have any replacement at hand. If the quartz sleeve breaks, removing all broken glass out of the UV chamber must be done extremely carefully. Otherwise, they can get into the drinking water, and you will drink glass shards. In this case, you should call us out immediately at 0274 787 427 to remove the UV chamber, flush it out and ensure that all glass shards are collected/removed. 

Things can also go wrong when sterilizing the water pipes if you don’t know what to do. Using the wrong chemicals can lead to the destruction of septic tanks. Another pitfall is all the taps are getting blocked in the house from debris while sterilizing the water lines. Finally, physical harm can also occur by spilling strong oxidizers on skin/eyes etc. 

These are the most critical reasons from our point of view to leave the servicing of your UV water system to a professional. Call Aqua Works on 0800 278 288 and make an appointment for your UV filter maintenance. 

Why is your UV filter beeping after 12 months?

Most UV systems have an alarm system that indicates when the UV lamp does not emit enough rays to disinfect your water correctly. 

Therefore, the beeping of the UV filter indicates the service interval. An expert, in this case, must carry out a comprehensive check of the entire UV filtration system. In addition, our service technician will reset the UV alarm clock correctly only after he has carried out a full service . 

However, it can also be an alarm sign if there is an issue with your UV filter systems. If your UV system starts beeping, you should not drink the water until we are on site and have fixed the issue. Especially in rural areas, power outages can cause problems with UV filters systems and water pumps. In an emergency, boil the water for at least 2 minutes to make it safe to drink. Call us on 0800 AQUA UV in case of an emergency or if you need more information.

What encompasses an Aqua Works UV filter maintenance?

Aqua Works offers a comprehensive service of your UV water filtration system. This means that we take care of the entire process and carry out an overall inspection of the whole system. So you can be sure that you can enjoy safe and clean drinking water in your home. 

First, our service technician will start with removing the filters to clean the filter housings. Secondly, he will strip down the UV, remove the UV Quartz sleeve, clean it, or replace it. During the next step, he will install a new UV lamp and new water filters. Finally, the process will end with the sterilisation of the UV system and water lines in your home.

As part of our UV water filter service, we have a WOF checklist with a total of 11 steps. This ensures that every service is carried out correctly and that a professional is monitoring your rain harvesting system every 12 months.

Which water filter brands do we service?

Viqua UV,

Aquasheild, 

Splenvue UV,

Luminor UV

and many more.

Aqua Works – experience the difference in UV filter maintenance

• • • A scheduled programme for maintenance – you get an annual reminder
    • We only use certified quality water filters for your UV system
    • Aqua Works installs and services NSF certified UV systems
    • It keeps the equipment within warranty if professionally serviced
    • Two dedicated UV service vehicles just for UV servicing
    • Service vans carry huge spares on site for your UV maintenance
    • Disposing of UV lamps correctly (mercury-filled vapour lamps)
    • We use accredited recyclers to reuse/recycle the mercury safely
    • 20+ experience in the professional water treatment & UV filter service

Remember, if you don’t have a filter, YOU are the filter.

Aqua Works Guarantee* – E.Coli free drinking water from every tap at home

In our opinion, UV water filter systems are the simplest and safest method for eliminating germs, bacteria and parasites in drinking water. UV can be used in private households and suitable for higher flow rates in the commercial sector. Our team of specialists will be happy to advise you on which UV water filter will meet your individual needs. 

You should regularly maintain your UV water filter system to enjoy healthy drinking water at home. Consequently, a professional must service the whole equipment annually so that your UV disinfection works efficiently. UV filter servicing is not a DIY job, so ensure this is carried out by a trained service technician and according to the UV manufacturers recommendations. This is very important. Otherwise, your UV filter system does not do its job, and you are not protected against the risk of sickness.

Aqua Guarantee – you will have E.coli free water – water that meets the NZ drinking water standards. Aqua Guarantee – you will have E.coli free water – water that meets the NZ drinking water standards.* Call us today at 0800 AQUA UV and book your annual UV maintenance. Enjoy Aqua Works professional service giving you peace of mind and safe drinking water.