The UVPhotoMAX Signature Series
The UV Photo Max unit is one of our most favorite UV air cleaning systems. We sold them from 2010 to 2025. We now sell a version of the unit called the Solaris UV. Looks nearly identical but has an ionizer in it too now.
How long do bulbs last?
A common question we get is “How long does the bulb last?” The answer is, “It depends.”
Ultraviolet bulbs are typically replaced every 2-3 years. Ultravation would reference changing every year when we first started selling the product. They did tell us though that it is safe to use for 3 years, although the effectiveness of UV production starts to degrade.
We always operated under the 2 year bulb rule. After 2 years it could continue to work, however you are now going to see a drop in performance versus a new bulb.
If you are concerned about the power of the UV bulb you should replace them yearly. For most situations, however, every two to three years is just fine.
Ultravation did explain to us that when they went to the shorter bulb design they were able to get a longer effective life out of the bulbs, claiming 3 years. However the bulb warranty is still only 1 year.
System is chirping, what do I do?
If your UVPhotoMAX system is audibly beeping, this can be two things:
- The bulb has been on enough hours and it is recommended you replace it. If the bulb is still on while it’s chirping you hit the amount of runtime hours to remind you to replace the bulb.
(You can see usually some white/blue-ish light through cracks in your duct work indicating the light is on in there. Don’t stare too long directly at the light though it’s not good for your eyes.) - If the bulb is not on, and it’s chirping it could be alerting you to a failure. It could have been the bulb failed or the transformer failed. It could also just need a reset. See directly below this on how to reset the unit.
To get the unit to stop beeping and driving you crazy, here is what you do:
- While it is on, look underneath the unit where the power cord comes in. You’ll see another smaller hole. Here is what it looks like on the Signature Series (stainless steel version).
- Press and hold button in WHILE the unit is powered up. Hold it for up to 30 seconds. Yes, sometimes it takes way too long to respond to the button press, so stick with it. This caught us up when we first started servicing these units that it took so long to respond to a reset.
Resetting is the first thing to try any time the unit is having a problem. Whether the bulb is out, or the thing is making a lot of noise. We have had it where the bulb is out and resetting it fixed the unit and had no problems since.
If you did a full reset and the UV light is on but still chirping?
Sounds like the unit may need to be replaced. We recommend booking a tune-up so that we can address this while there for an existing reason, and a tune-up makes the most sense… otherwise there will be a trip charge to come out there. You can also take it off of the duct work and bring the entire unit into our showroom during business hours and we can help you out.
If you did a full reset and the UV light is off but still chirping?
This could be that the bulb has failed, and you can confirm this by opening the unit and pulling out the UV light (do not touch the glass with your skin in case the bulb is still good). We sell replacement bulbs in our showroom, or if you want us to take care of this at your home set up a tune-up visit for your furnace or air conditioner and have us look at this while we are there (that way you don’t get an additional trip charge).
You can also remove the four screws and bring the whole unit into the showroom where we can test it and if need be, do a swap out under warranty for you (if still under warranty).
Getting a “Pool” (Chlorine) smell around the house?
If you are getting the pool smell around the house this is due to the Ozone production being probably too high. The good news is the unit is adjustable in how much is produces. Down on the unit you’ll see there are four screws. Only two of them need to be removed to pull the head off. Make sure you disconnect the power first, undo the two screws and wiggle the head of the photomax back and forth while pulling outward. In there you’ll see a metal slider that lets you adjust exposure. You will want to lower the amount (the sticker will show you which way is more/less). Be careful when putting the head back on, take your time making sure the head is lined up so that it plugs into the bulb properly.
Getting a putrid smell from ducts randomly?
This is most likely due to your system not running in the “fan on” mode. When you have the photomax installed you will want your fan running 24/7/365 as it is always treating what is in your duct work. With a variable speed furnace you have the ability to leave the fan in the on position and it can circulate at a low speed which takes very little power. Even better, variable speed motors are designed for 24/7 operation.
If your blower turns off and the light stays on it keeps producing more and more ozone and is over treating the air right by it. When you turn it on it gets blown out around the house and it can definitely have a rank smell to it. Originally we installed these units where the bulb would turn off and on with the blower, however, that significantly shortens the life of the bulb. It’s best to leave plugged in and leave your fan in circulate 24/7.
If your blower is too strong in circulate speed it may need adjustment. Check your furnace manual for circulate speeds, or have a technician adjust or look into it for you. Some furnaces have adjustments on their circuit board, some with wire jumpers, and some can control directly at the thermostat (with a communicating thermostat).
Warranties on UVPhotoMAX?
If you have a white UVPhotoMAX unit, you get a 10 year part warranty. If you have a stainless steel signature series model (discontinued), it is a lifetime part warranty. If you are experiencing a problem with the equipment, and you wish for us to come out and do warranty work on it, please book it with a tune-up so you get a better value for your visit.
If we replace a unit under the lifetime part warranty, you will be supplied with a unit that only has a 10 year warranty. The product changed out will not get the lifetime after transfer. This is at least what we were told from the factory. That being said, these units are very reliable.
Further questions?
If you are in our service area, please reach out to our support team via email (help@goodguyswi.com) or give us a call at 920-734-1436. We have been working with these units for years and have several hundred of these installed in the valley.