How to Care for Your MPUV Lamps

LightSources and LightTech are the experts in designing, engineering and manufacturing high-quality medium pressure ultraviolet lamps (MPUV) so we know an awful lot about how to care for them.  We wish to share a few important tips on how to extend the life of your lamps.  If you have other questions we have not addressed here or simply need more information, check the educational section on our website. 

One of our first tips is to not start your lamps at too low of a power.  The reason for this is when a MPUV lamp is first started it is cold and the little power it has is needed to heat the mercury so it transforms from a liquid to a gas.  The cooling element of the lamp is designed for the lamp to be running at full power.  If the power is initially too low at the start, it can prevent the mercury from vaporizing and keep the lamp from ever getting hot.  This low power arc is called “caught in a glow mode.”  With the lamp in this overly cooled mode, it is unable to properly start and can burn itself out. 

Another common problem is too much cooling for lamps operating in idle mode.  This occurs when a lamp is not being used and has had the power turned way down in an effort to conserve energy.  The cooling can cause the mercury to condense, which in turn drops the lamp’s voltage and creates an environment for the “caught in the glow mode.”  The lesson here is if you need to put your equipment into an idle mode, you must ensure there is enough power to prevent over-cooling the lamp. 

A simple summation of our tips include: avoiding excessive cold starts, starting lamps at high power, and avoiding excessive lamp starts.  In addition be sure to clean your lamps and equipment, especially the ventilating system as well as check and replace reflectors regularly.  Lastly make sure lamp connections are clean and tight.  See our website for more troubleshooting tips.    

LightSources and its affiliated companies – LCD Lighting, Voltarc, LightTech, and Cerlux represent the leading high-tech designers and manufacturers in the lamp industry today. Our standard lamps and components as well as customized products offer high-quality solutions to meet our partner’s unique needs.  Contact us to learn more about our wide selection of lamps.