What Are Water Ballasts? When Should I Replace Them?
Water Ballasts are electronic ballasts that are typically used in UV water filtration systems. Their main function is to convert hydropower into electrical power to energize UV lamps used in UV water filters. If electronic ballasts get damaged or start malfunctioning over time, your UV lamp will not work, which means your UV water filter is not disinfecting water.
How to Know You Need to Replace the Ballast in Your UV Filter System Water ballasts come with a separate circuit for the alarm. You will hear the alarm’s sound when the ballast stops giving power to your UV lamp. There can be two reasons behind that. Either the UV lamp is burnt off or the ballast itself is not working. A UV lamp usually has a lifespan of 9,000 to 11,000 hours when it emits germicidal UV light effectively. After this time, though the lamp will still light up with a bluish light, it won’t kill any bacteria in the water. Thus, it is highly recommended to change the UV lamp once every year. If you choose to ignore its replacement on time, the UV lamp will eventually burn out and the filaments of the lamp will become brittle and not light up anymore. This will trigger your alarm. However, if your UV lamp is new and working fine, the reason for the alarm going off is that the electronic ballast is itself damaged and it needs to be replaced. While this ballast comes