VGEM000-GB192
Pag. 20/68
VGE International B.V.
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Ekkersrijt 4304
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5692 DH Son Netherlands
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+31 499 461099
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www.vgebv.nl
Installation & User Manual
2.6 Quartz tube breakage
To protect the UV lamps from the water, they are positioned in quartz tubes in the irradiation chamber. To
ensure that the UV-C light emitted by the lamps is radiated in the liquid to be treated with minimal losses,
high quality quartz tubes have been used. Quartz tubes should be handled with care and should not be
exposed to large forces due to the risk of breakage.
During service work with quartz tubes, protective gloves and eye protection (preferably a face mask) must
be worn to prevent possible injury.
The quartz tubes built into the irradiation chamber are robust and can handle high water pressures.
However, there are a number of reasons why quartz tubes can break during the UV-C treatment process:
- The water pressure is higher than the specified maximum pressure for the irradiation chamber;
- Water hammer, pressure change in a very short time;
- Fixed parts/objects that are led through the irradiation chamber with the water;
- Overheating of the irradiation chamber;
- Mechanical vibrations of the pipe network in which the irradiation chamber is mounted;
- At high water flow rates through the irradiation chamber, possibly causing vibrations due to cavitation.
If a quartz tube is damaged or broken, the UV system must be switched off by removing the plug from the
socket. Stop the flow through the irradiation chamber by turning off the pump and/or closing valves in front
of and behind the UV irradiation chamber and draining the water from the irradiation chamber.
Follow the instructions in this manual for removing the UV lamp and quartz tube and opening the irradiation
chamber and carefully remove any possible quartz tube remains. Carefully follow the instructions for
rebuilding the irradiation chamber and starting the process.
Warning!
Broken quartz tube parts can be very sharp and should not end up in the process
water. The user of the UV installation must therefore take measures to ensure, in
the event of a quartz tube break, that quartz tube parts cannot cause damage if they
end up in the process water.
If a quartz tube (or several) in a UV system cracks or breaks, the quartz tube and
the relevant UV lamp connector will be filled with water. The speed with which this
happens depends on the water pressure and water supply. Since the UV-lamp
connector cannot stop the water, water will flow out of the UV system. The amount
depends on the water pressure and water supply, which means that the space
where the UV system is mounted can be filled with water.
That is why we recommend the area where the UV system is located:
- regularly check (for example daily) for water;
- provide the room with a monitoring system that can register water on the floor
with a reporting system and/or pump connected to it.
