UV sterilizers have been used in modern times to disinfect water in aquariums and fish ponds. UV sterilizers are very effective in purifying green water, eliminating algae, and removing harmful bacterial pathogens from water, preventing disease.
Typically, a UV lamp has a lifespan of 12 months, or about 9,000 hours. The lamp can last longer than 12 months, but after a year of use, its germicidal ability will gradually diminish, making the fish in the tank or pond susceptible to disease. Its ability to remove algae will also decrease. Therefore, you should replace your UV bulb at least once a year.
Most quality lamps will emit at least 80% of their original UV-C output after a year.
Annual plans consolidate replacements into one service interval, allowing facilities to purchase a large number of bulbs to save money and time.
In "remote" systems (mechanical rooms, interstitial spaces), there are accessories available for continuous monitoring of lamp ballast function (UV-Com Lamp Ballast Monitor™ ), which communicate with the building management system. Monitoring of overall system performance and lamp on-hours meter (UVReport™ Fixed Radiometer) for critical environments (hospital isolation rooms, etc.) is also available.
Unfortunately, the locations where UV-C lamps are commonly used have created a situation where the lamps are "installed and often forgotten." This leads some users to believe that they are not functional, when in fact, the lamp's useful life has already passed. Whether the UV-C lamp is factory installed by the air handler manufacturer (as is common today) or retrofitted into an existing system, or even installed in the upper air of a room, UV-C should be installed and added to the building PM program immediately. That way it will not be forgotten and its many benefits can be enjoyed for many years to come.
