UV lamp problem, HELP

[justin_tyme]

Hi,

I had a UV lamp installed about 10 days ago, and I noticed this morning it had a small leak.

I used silicone (specific for water leaks) to seal the leaks, which where occuring around the area where one of the hoses is connected. Please notice we are talking one or two drops of water every few minutes, it was minimal. Nevertheless I completely circled these area with the silicone, for peace of mind.

I let it dry and tried the lamp in the bathtub to check if the leaking was still in order: the lamp now works fine, but the outcoming water is strangely polluted with stuff that very closely resembles 'skin fragments'. Some of these transparent, hard to see things are up to 1" long, and there's lots of them. I obviously first assumed it was the silicone, but how on earth could it get into the water flow and melt to assume that form?

So, I'm asking: do UV lamps produce some kind of layer of dirt that can subsequently pollute the water like that if the are left idle for a day or so (that's how long it took for the silicone to dry?)

I'm very worried as to use this thing again in the tank...

 

[fishfreek]

It would not be a result of the UV but probably more a result of the disolved organics in the water. It would probably be best to take the UV apart to clean the bulb housing, etc.

Obviously make sure the UV bulb is unplugged before doing this.

 

[reefrunner69]

It is slime that has built up inside the UV over the past 10days. Once you emptied it, the slime loosened and putting water back through it it started to come out. Personally I would just flush it until no more slime is coming out then hook it back up, it will build up again withint the next few days

 

[Guest]

I second what RR and FF said, The UV should be cleaned out at least once every 2 weeks. This is because of the slime buildup. Slime is not good because is keeps the UV Lamp from killing the micro-organisms it is designed to kill. The slime will not hurt anything and is merely dead bacteria and such... It is really the same thing that coats the inside of any tubing or pumps, etc...

If the unit is only 10 days old, and it is of no fault of yours the unit is leaking, I would take it back to the LFS and request an exchange... It shouldn't be leaking at all. If it is at the connections, depending on what type, you could get clamps that may work...