Ballast for T5 6 watt UVC bulb

[ekon]

Small water treatment system for drinking water..uses one T5 6 w UVC bulb. 240v mains driven Ballast is 17 years old like the system and has gone kaput. I am struggling to find a replacement.

Is the fact that it uses a UVC (Mercury) bulb crucial to good running, I see ballasts for "fluorescent" bulbs and "LED" bulbs..would these suffice if the right wattage?

 

[chivers67]

I convert Fluorescent fittings to use LED Tubes and label them up appropriately. Some don't need a driver just a Live & Neutral feed at one end.

Edit - Sorry mis-read this, was concentrating as watching footie.

 

[JohnW2]

I convert Fluorescent fittings to use LED Tubes and label them up appropriately.

Are UVC LED tubes available? I suppose that they may well be, but I've never had any reason to look for them (only 'visible light' ones).

Kind Regards, John

 

[winston1]

First one on this page:
https://www.covershield.co.uk/ballast.html

A UV tube is the same as a conventional one without the florescent powder inside so same ballast.

 

[ericmark]

First one on this page:
https://www.covershield.co.uk/ballast.html

A UV tube is the same as a conventional one without the florescent powder inside so same ballast.

No they are not, the 5 foot UV tubes where I worked used some thing like 200 watt, not the 58 watt of a visible light one, and as a result the ballast was also special.

 

[winston1]

No they are not, the 5 foot UV tubes where I worked used some thing like 200 watt, not the 58 watt of a visible light one, and as a result the ballast was also special.

I can't comment on one, but certainly the small T5 ones are the same.

 

[SUNRAY]

I can't comment on one, but certainly the small T5 ones are the same.

There are very different versions, the 4/5/6ft used for disco/stage use etc use standard control gear but the same size tubes used for chillers and filters are very different, fitting the wrong tube either way will result in almost instant failure. The only smaller versions I've handled are not standard control gear but I imagine others exist as per the larger sizes.

 

[ekon]

thanks all esp. Winston. I have emailed the Covershield firm you linked Winston..hope to get a reply tomorrow. There are a couple of old-style magnetic ballst that I think will be ok too ..though like the covershield one I'm not quite sure how the wiring goes. The one I have tha's now kaput has just to 2 leads on the output side that go direct on to the 2 pins on the T5 bulb which sits inside the silicon glass sleeve, which is itself sealed by o-rings in the metal housing that the water flows through. all the other potential replacements are a different style with the two mains input wires and what looks to be 4 potential push fit receptors on the output side?

 

[winston1]

Doesn't your T5 tube have 4 pins, 2 on each end?

 

[ekon]

sorry ..yes..late post + few beers. Covershiled got back to me and said part you linked to would be ok with UVC bulb. Thanks

 

[Tigercubrider]

Be careful testing the UVC - it can be pretty nasty

 

[SUNRAY]

Be careful testing the UVC - it can be pretty nasty

And don't look at a lit tube... Really don't.