Aqua UV leaking at wiper - anyone have experience?

[Doubledown]

I have a 2 1/2 year old Aqua Ultraviolet 25 watt unit with the wiper attachment. I took it apart to clean and now the unit leaks from the hole where the wiper rod goes into the unit.

For anyone with experience on these - is this a common occurance? It has not leaked before and everything was put together exactly as it was dis-assembled.

Thank you for your help.

Chris

 

[ostrow]

Are you sure you didn't lose/drop/leave out an o-ring or gasket or something?

When you say "no" to that, did you take it apart again and check? Re-seat?

Mine doesn't have the wiper but this happened to me in a different spot and it's because the o-ring had fallen into the bucket in which I was doing some other cleaning.

 

[Doubledown]

I have not taken it apart, but no I do not believe I lost an o-ring as there wasn't one at this opening (I found this strange and remember thinking "what is stopping this from leaking").

I will check again tomorrow.

I have already sent an e-mail to Aqua UV tech support so I hope they will help as well.

Thanks.

 

[Douglas LEHMAN]

Hello
Try some silicone lube on the wiper shaft. Are we talking about a slow drip or a steady stream...

 

[prugs]

The wiper systems are junk IMO.
Maybe they have gotten better over the years, but I have 2 x 25watt units that I bought with the wiper option. The seals at the end were not corrosion resistant, & rotted out within 6 months. They had a spring type seal, the spring was not corrosion resistant. Some of the snaprings that hold the wiper on the shaft were also non corrosion resistant (rotted away also). I took the guts out & replaced the seal with a plug. I was very disappointed. Oh, it was not covered by the warranty.

Maybe the newer units are different.

 

[Doubledown]

prugs - I suspected as much when I looked at the rubber of the wiper. I'll wait to hear from the manufacturer what they will do, but it sound like the only thing to do is seal that hole like you did.

Doug - it is a drip. It's a constant drip, but a drip just the same.

Thanks
Chris

 

[ostrow]

Hmmm, that may be your answer.

Another answer, you don't need the wiper if you use the Emperor rather than the Aqua bulb. The Aqua bulb emits ozone, in amounts too small to be beneficial to your tank but sufficient enough to produce that gray glaze that covers the sleeve, necessitating the wiper action.

Emperor bulb = no ozone = no glaze = no need for wiper.

If you can figure out how to seal it, you might go that route.

 

[Avogadro]

How does the ozone get through the quartz sleeve? I thought all UV bulbs generated ozone. How do Emperor bulbs generate UV light without the side effect of O3 production?

 

[ostrow]

The wiper cleans the sleeve. Guess the ozone builds up in the chamber there. Not all bulbs emit ozone. Read, about halfway down:
http://www.uvcomparison.com/aquauv_rhetoric.php

The buildup I find to occur on the sleeve first, lamp later. But I clean both monthly. Wish I had had the wiper but now I'm getting the emperor bulb...

 

[Doubledown]

Contacted the mfgr by phone - turns out that the wiper blade beibg rubber only lasts 6-10 months before the UV rays destroy it and the wiper nut needs to be replaced ever 18-24 months (less if the wiper is used often) due to wear of the machined bushings and seals.

Total cost for new ones - $9.10 for the wiper, $16.00 for the wiper nut.

Should be here Friday - I'll let you know if it works (otherwise I am sealing the hole).

 

[Avogadro]

Wow! I read that uv comparison article and it sounds like Emperor is just whining. I agree the whole wiper option is total bunk and every one I've ever seen leaked. Why would Emperor care how Aqua markets their product? It sounds like they need to worry about how they market themselves. I'm not defending Aqua but there is nothing wrong with the units without the wipers.

 

[prugs]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7895028#post7895028 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Doubledown
Contacted the mfgr by phone - turns out that the wiper blade beibg rubber only lasts 6-10 months before the UV rays destroy it and the wiper nut needs to be replaced ever 18-24 months (less if the wiper is used often) due to wear of the machined bushings and seals.

Total cost for new ones - $9.10 for the wiper, $16.00 for the wiper nut.

Should be here Friday - I'll let you know if it works (otherwise I am sealing the hole).

When you dissassemble the unit. Let me know if the wiper nut is all rusted on the water side. They use a spring to create pressure on the seal, it rots out & then you get the leak at the shaft.
I had a UV unit that was full of rust from the spring.

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7897181#post7897181 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by prugs
When you dissassemble the unit. Let me know if the wiper nut is all rusted on the water side. They use a spring to create pressure on the seal, it rots out & then you get the leak at the shaft.
I had a UV unit that was full of rust from the spring.

I replace the seals, wipers (the rings held to the wiper bar) and C locks that hold the rings once a year. I have never seen any rust, the C locks seem made of non magnetic SS (316) and I have never seen a spring on the nut seal, it seems it is just a conical buna or neoprene seal.

By the way the white dusty stuff because of the Ozone inside the sleve happens if the bulb and sleve top seals do not seal properly. If they do the little Oxygen inside gets converted and after that there is no longer Oxygen to convert so no dust. If yours have a lot of dust check the top seals also.
My real issue is calcification. Because the sleve heats up it is a perfect place for carbonate precipitation so if I do not sweep the precipitate will encrust to the point that the light will no longer be effective.
Every three months I take the sleve out and sweek it with vinegar and assembly back.

 

[ostrow]

mine has no wiper, so maybe that makes the ozone dust worse? not sure. seals as tight as it can get.

 

[jdieck]

I do not think so, The dust I am describing forms inside the quartz sleve either on the bulb or the inside walls of the sleve (in between the light bulb and the sleve) which as you say shall be well sealed at the end via the transparent cap. If that is were your dust is then check the seal at the transparent cap. Which by the way it is easy to break if overtighten. (I broke mine and used only hand tightening)

If what you refer to is the dusty like white stuf outside the sleve (on the water side) that is most probably carbonate precipitation.

 

[ostrow]

90% is on the outside. I agree with you it ought to be carbonate precip but there are lots and lots of reports that using the Emperor (instead of the Aqua ozone emitting) bulbs kills that buildup.

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7920675#post7920675 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ostrow
90% is on the outside. I agree with you it ought to be carbonate precip but there are lots and lots of reports that using the Emperor (instead of the Aqua ozone emitting) bulbs kills that buildup.

May be the bulb just runs cooler which will reduce the propensity to precipitate.
If I were to design those things I would install a quartz sleve which is a tube open on both sides with the bulb in the middle. Installing the unit vertically will create air flow by convection cooling the bulb.
An option would be to install an air pump to pass air, a tubing connection on the oposite side connected to the skimmer. Ozone to increase ORP for the same price

Advantages of an open design:
a) Bulb runs cooler = longer life.
b) Quartz tube cheaper than sleeve
c) Less or no precipitation

Disadvantages:
a) Potential dusting of the bulb, easy to clean if you only need to slide it out
b) bulb will not be water proof.

For an enhanced (but expensive) unit I would install a glass liner inside the PVC with mirror finish on the outside for enhanced exposure to radiation as the PVC eventually burns brown and reduces the reflection.