Repair failure.... The UVc lamp in my RO filter to kill germs was out, and I decided to replace the bulb, like I have a couple times in the past. I even had one in inventory from a previous purchase... they are only supposed to last for 1 year.
This time after disassembling the housing and soldering up a new bulb, no love...
So I checked the PS (ballast?). 120VAC on it's output while it has 44V screened on it.
In addition to the bad ballast, it looks like there was a neon(?) lamp in series between the two filaments that looked toasty... As the bulbs age there is discoloration, and the small neon lamp in series was completely black.
If 44V supply was putting out hard 120V that could be damaged too... while 44V looks a little low for neon, but it was a little bigger than a typical neon lamp so could be something special...I measured a couple meg Ohm across it so could be a toasted neon lamp or something else (good neon bulbs read open circuit). Curiously my VOM indicates continuity between 2 pin plug leads and ballast output so a little scary. PS ballast has a CE mark but no UL or CSA agency mark
What is it with me, and water, and electricity. At least now my plumbing is grounded to my service panel.
If this UV lamp went rouge it would be mostly isolated by plastic tubing and clean water is not much of a conductor.
Time for a new UV assembly since i can't ID the mysterious bulb in series, and water filter vendor does not sell the ballast separately. I could buy one elsewhere but not cheap and not guaranteed to be a complete fix if small series bulb is also toasted.
Bummer... win some lose some...
Water is clean and smells fine now even w/o the UVc extra stage working at the moment but in years past I have had some anaerobic microbes living in the clean post RO filtered water (no chlorine to kill them there). Not very harmful but smelled bad,,,
JR
[edit[ got the replacement assy in and UVc lamps is now lit. I am slowly figuring out the deal with the starter, the bulb in series with my lamp electrodes, is commonly found inside the common round starters (with a cap across it). I haven't found any for sale loose. [/edit]
Cancel the "cancel culture", do not support mob hatred.