How To Maintain Your UV Water Purifier

Last Updated on October 4, 2022 by Rupesh Patil

Having a water purifier in every home has become a necessity to protect yourself and family from waterborne diseases considering the increasing amount of pollution. Talk of water purifiers and you have a choice between UV (Ultraviolet) and RO (Reverse Osmosis) water purifiers. They both do the job of filtering out impurities from the water but they function differently. UV water purifiers work with UV rays to kill the germs and microbes, while RO purifiers with the help of a membrane purify water using the RO technology.

If you have a UV purifier at home or if you plan to buy one soon, read our UV water purifier maintenance tips to keep it lasting longer….

How UV Water Purifiers Work

A good thing about UV purifiers is that they’re easy to maintain and are cost effective. All you need to spend on is the UV lamps that require annual replacement for better performance. A UV water purification system uses a UV light source that produces radiation to purify water. Plus, they consume very little energy, only as much as a 60-watt bulb.

Which is why they are more commonly used in Indian homes. UV purifiers cost anywhere between Rs 6,500 to Rs 15,000. Just like RO purifiers, UV purifiers are also measured on the basis of TDS (total dissolved solids) levels of water and the cost factor. Water between 45 to 70 TDS is considered healthy drinking water. If your area has high levels of TDS, also known as hard water, an RO purifier is more suitable for you. (Click here to know more about RO purifiers)

The two main components used in a UV water purifier are the UV lamp (or bulb) and the quartz sleeve.

Change The UV Lamp Once A Year

This is the most important part in the purifier that produces clean and pure water, so ensure that you change it once a year. UV lamps don’t burn out, they solarize, which means the light wave intensity reduces over time and it no longer effectively kills bacteria. So after a year even if it still appears to be working, remember that there is not enough UV produced for healthy drinking water so get the UV lamp replaced once a year without fail.

If you recently changed the lamp and you can still see the difference in the water colour, you may need to clean off any debris built on the lamp itself. In case, you’re wondering how to keep a track of when it next needs to be changed, let us tell you that some UV water purifiers have an alarm as a reminder to change the lamp.

Cleaning And Replacing The Quartz Sleeve

UV lamp is protected from water with the help of a quartz sleeve. Water running through a UV system often carries minerals, sediment, and other debris. These contaminants eventually build up on the UV sleeve that protect the UV lamp, which is why it’s important to keep the sleeve clean. They’re called quartz sleeve, as they’re made of quartz glass since UV light used in the purifier best travels through normal glass. This also means that they’re delicate and the chances of damage are higher.

However, it’s quite easy to clean the quartz sleeve at home. All you need to do is:
1. Turn off the water supply and unplug the purifier
2. Remove the safety cap (placed at the top of the UV purifier) by squeezing the tabs. Ensure the lamp plug wires remain connected
3. Next, remove the lamp plug and then the lamp/sleeve assembly with the sleeve bolt from the chamber
4. Lastly, unscrew the UV lamp by holding the sleeve bolt. Once done, unscrew the sleeve bolt and remove O-rings from the quartz sleeve.

To clean the quartz sleeve, take some vinegar and soft tissue papers. You can cover the quartz in the tissue paper from the outside, soak the tissue with some vinegar and leave it aside for about 20 minutes. You could clean it the same way towards the inside and then finally wash it with water. We recommend cleaning the quartz sleeve once a year while replacing the UV lamp and getting the sleeve replaced once in 2 years.

If you’re not confident about following the steps above, we recommend you call an expert home to replace the UV lamp and clean the quartz sleeve.

Advantages Of Having A UV Water Purifier

They are environment friendly, as there is no wastage of water
They take less time to purify water, as compared to RO purifiers
You need not worry about chemicals in the water, as they do not leak any chemicals
Although they are more economical as compared to RO purifiers, they do an effective job in killing all bacteria, viruses and other microbes
They are quite economical and cost anywhere between Rs 6,500 to Rs 15,000.

To keep your UV water purifier functioning at its best, regular servicing it a must. The Onsitego Annual Maintenance Contract covers 2 scheduled maintenance services a year, annual replacement of filters and complete breakdown support. Click here for more information.

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