Tanning Bulbs & Lamps Tips
Read these 21 Tanning Bulbs & Lamps Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Tanning Beds tips and hundreds of other topics.
Knowing the Different Types of Lamps
There are many different types of lamps for tanning beds, but you should know whether or not these lamps are right for your beds.
Hotter lamps have less UVA and more UVB light, at 5.5% UVB or higher. These are different than the standard bulbs that usually come with beds, which have 4.2% and 5% UVB. These lamps are popular because they can stimulate the skin's melanin faster, however, they also more likely to cause burning and may cause a tanning peak in users sooner.
Bronzing lamps have a higher UVA strength and lower UVB. These lamps are the opposite of hotter lamps in that they will tan users slower but darker, rather than quicker but less dark.
There is often debate over which color lamps are better than others. The truth is, it doesn't matter what color the lamp is, it is the strength or the UV light that makes the difference. Lamps can be made in any color, and though you may like the look of a pink lamp over that of a blue lamp, it will not affect the tanning of the user.
More Tips for Tanning Bulbs
More things to know about tanning bulbs (tanning lamps) from MasterTanning, supplier of Wolff and SunQuest tanning bulbs:
Reconditioning Your Tanning Beds
Each time you change the lamps in your tanning beds, you should recondition your beds at the same time. It may seem like a little extra hassle at the time, but you will be happy you did it. Not only is reconditioning simple and cheap task, but it can boost your beds by 20% to 40%. It is well worth the short amount of time it will take you.
Reconditioning Your Tanning Beds
In order to recondition your tanning bed, you need to clean each lamp before installing it into the bed, clean the bed itself, scrub your bed's acrylics on both sides, and make sure all of the cooling fans are in proper order. Try to do these simple tasks each time you change your beds' lamps so you can boost the bed's life expectancy.
Using Tanning Bed Rebuild Kits
It may be a smart idea for you to purchase a tanning bed rebuild kit if you're interested in maintaining your beds on a regular basis to get the most power out of them. These kits usually cost around $20 and will include all of the products you need to successfully rebuild your tanning bed.
One of the main reasons your tanning beds need to be rebuilt is because the acrylics on your beds build up a broken down layer caused by the UV light over time. You can't see this with the eye, but your beds will not be as powerful as long as this layer of build-up exists. The reflectors and lamps on your beds may also get dusty, mostly caused from the cooling fans. Quick and easy to use, utilizing the products in rebuild kit once a year should keep your tanning beds in the best possible shape.
Various Prices of Tanning Bed Lamps
If you own a salon, it would be wise for you to keep inventory of what kind of lamps you need and how often you are going to need to replace them. Try to place your whole lamp order at one time, allowing you to save on shipping, which can be quite pricey when it comes to tanning bed lamps. While it is a good idea and a smart way to save money to purchase your tanning bulbs in bulk if you are a salon owner, you probably shouldn't purchase your tanning bulbs in bulk if you solely own your own bed for personal use. If your purchase too many tanning bulbs, you are not likely to save money in the long run as your bulbs will get old and have a high chance of breaking in storage.
How Often Tanning Salons Should Change Tanning Bed Lamps
Tanning bed lamps need to be changed before they actually burn out. The reason for this is that, the closer they are to burning out, the less UV light they emit and the less effective they become.
If you're using 1,000 hour lamps, they should be changed after 800 hours in order for you to keep your beds as effective as possible. If you're using 800 hour lamps, you should change them after 700 hours. A good rule of thumb is to change the lamps after they use up 80% of their life expectancy. The bulbs for face lamps don't last as long as the bulbs in tanning beds, and need to be changed more often.
How Often Tanning Salons Should Change Tanning Bed Lamps
It is smart to buy your lamps in bulk as you will save money by buying more, and on shipping. Also, it may make it easier for you to change the bulbs on all of your beds all at once, meaning you should try to give all of your beds equal use if possible. A good way to determine when it is time to change your tanning bed lamps is to refer to your tanning beds' hour counters. There counters will tell you how many hours your bed has been in use and will let you know when you need to change the tanning bed lamps. Also, most tanning beds will come with a schedule detailing when you should replace the tanning bed lamps.
Replacement Tanning Bed Bulbs
No sun? No problem. With tanning lamps and replacement bulbs for tanning beds, you can get the tan you want. Tanning bulbs emit UV-A and UV-B rays. You will feel the difference when your tanning bed is equipped with the highest quality sun tanning lamps in the indoor tanning industry. Find a reputable full service carrier of tanning bed parts and supplies.
The tanning bed company should carry the finest tanning lamps and the most powerful tanning bed bulbs to give you a bronzed, even tanned skin. Check with your owner manual to find the exact bulbs and wattage you need. The customer service at your retail tanning bed company should be able to help you find the bulbs you need.
Tips for Tanning Bulbs
Tanning beds provide an indoor tanning experience through use of UVA and/or UVB tanning bed lamps (or tanning bed bulbs). The UV light in the bulb stimulates melanin production in skin cells, causing the skin to tan and produce vitamin D. If you have home tanning lamps or a tanning bed business, there are things you need to know about the care and maintenance of your bulbs. Here is some helpful information from MasterTanning, suppliers of Wolff and SunQuest tanning bed bulbs:
- You can purchase tanning bulbs for tanning beds with different UVA and UVB blends and bulbs for different levels of exposure.
- There are two types of ends for lamps: BIPIN and RDC. It is important that you know what type of replacement tanning bed bulbs or facial tanning lamps you need for your salon or home tanning bed.
- The life of a tanning lamp is between 1,000 and 2,000 hours.
- Tanning lamps are strongest from the time they are new until about 50 hours of use, then the efficiency decreases by 20%. After about 500 hours, bulbs are at about 50% efficiency. If you keep the bulbs after 500 hours, know that tanning will take longer.
- Tanning bed lamps come in colors for no reason other than preference.
Tanning Lamp Lifespan
Average tanning bed bulbs will last about 1000 hours depending on your exact voltage. In most cases, your owner manual will tell you exactly how long the tanning lamp bulbs work.
You should not wait until the bulbs fail before you replace them. If you replace them regularly, your tan will not suffer. Tanning lamp bulbs start to fail after the first 100 hours. You should replace your bulbs after the first 500 - 600 hours.
Be sure you tan at a place that can tell you when the bulbs were changed last, so you know for sure that you are getting a great tan. They should also know exactly when they will change the bulbs again, based on the volume of people they tan, and the number of hours on their bulbs. Just remember, the newer the bulbs, the better the tan.
Knowing the Different Types of Lamps
Wolff tanning lamps are available in many different sizes and types, with various features. If your shop for Wolff tanning lamps on Mastertanning.com, you will get in depth descriptions for each type of lamp. The site labels the lamps name and then gives a list of features and how these features are beneficial to tanners and salon owners. Some of the special features listed regarding Wolff tanning lamps include high life expectancy; fast, hot lamps; economical phosphor blends, and compatibility.
Tanning Lamps and Vitamin D
Sunlight is the fuel that permits the body to manufacture vitamin D. However, the amount of vitamin D formed in a given period of exposure depends on the color of your skin -- how rich the skin is in melanin.
Melanin absorbs UV radiation therefore it diminishes the production of vitamin D.
The UV light you get from tanning lamps is efficient for getting vitamin D. It can be safer than the UV light you get from tanning in the sun.
Using Tanning Bed Rebuild Kits
You may think you are saving money by not replacing your tanning bed bulbs as often as you should. While you may be saving money on tanning bulbs if you don't replace them on a timely basis, you will most likely be using money in business and reputation. Customers will notice that they are not tanning to their full potential and will know it's because you are not replacing the tanning bulbs. If is extremely important for your reputation as a tanning business to replace your tanning bed bulbs as often as required and make sure customers are getting the tan they're paying for.
Changing your Tanning Bed Bulbs
When bulbs are brand new, they are at peak strength. A bulb stays close to this peak strength for the first 150 - 250 hours. After that, typical tanning bed bulbs strength drops sharply. It stays at this point for 400-500 hours of use, and then starts to lose intensity until it has no tanning power at all.
To replace your bulbs, call the manufacturer or talk with a local tanning bed retailer. Get the correct bulbs and you should be able to easily pop them in and out of place. In most cases you should be able to replace your tanning bed bulbs on your own.
What Size Lamps Are Needed For Tanning Beds
Some people dispute that the benefits you get from a tanning lamp are not as good as you get from the sun, but many will argue that this isn't true. Tanning lamps actually emit UV rays that enforce the production of vitamin D in the skin in much the same way that the sun does. Tanning lamps work extremely similarly to the sun, which is an excellent reason why you should change them when they need to be replaced and make sure they are working to their fullest potential.
Tanning Lamps Regulation
The early popularity of high-UVB indoor tanning beds caused many in the medical community, especially dermatologists, to seek out opportunities in the media and in governmental forums to condemn their use.
In reaction to the medical community's claims, researchers in the tanning industry conducted studies that found that tanning beds that used lamps with higher percentages of Ultraviolet A (U-A) light could provide tans with a decreased risk of sunburn. Once determined, the industry acted voluntarily to change the standard tanning lamps in equipment to include higher percentages of UV-A than UV-B
Various Prices of Tanning Bed Lamps
There are many factors you'll want to check out before you purchase your tanning bed lamps, but you will probably want to search around to get a good price. Just because a lamp costs more, does not mean it will be a higher quality lamp, though in some cases it does. However, there are various factors that go into the price of a tanning bed lamp. On many websites you can find good quality, cheap lamps because the companies use them in their own tanning beds and therefore buy them in bulk at a discount. You should do research and shop around before deciding where to purchase your tanning bed lamps.
Determining If You Need Lamp Starters
Before purchasing lamp starters, you should determine whether or not you need them. In many cases, tanning beds with 24 or more lamps do use lamp starters; however, some of the newest beds do not need them. The seller you purchase your tanning bed from should tell you whether or not you need lamp starters, but you probably will need them if your bed has 24 or more lamps.
It is important to know that if you use lamp starters, you don't need to change them every time you change your lamps. You should pay close attention to whether or not any of the lamps on your tanning beds are slow to start. If your lamps do seem to be starting okay, a good rule of thumb to use is to change your lamp starters every year if your beds are getting a lot of use.
If you own a tanning bed for your home, you shouldn't need to replace your lamp starters as often and can probably go up to five to ten years before changing them. Just be sure to pay close attention to how well the lamps are starting.
What Size Lamps Are Needed For Tanning Beds
You should always check the lamps you are currently using or the label on your tanning bed in order to determine what size replacement lamps you need to purchase. There are three main different sizes of lamps you could need: F71, F72, or F73. If you also need a facial lamp for your bed, you may also need to purchase an F59 lamp.
Most commonly, tanning beds use F71 lamps, which are about 71 inches long. These lamps are all 100 watts with two metal pins on each side, referred to as Bi-Pin; they simply twist into place much like any ceiling fluorescent light would.
Sometimes older tanning beds use F72 or F73 lamps. Instead of twisting these lights into place, they spring into place, have a black plastic cap on the end, and are referred to as RDC.
If you have an older, rare bed, you should always call a professional tanning bed lamp supplier before purchasing your lamps. It is extremely expensive to have your lamps shipped, realize you have the wrong size, and need to send them back.
Lamp Compatibility In Tanning Beds
Many states that have tanning bed salon regulations require that when you replace your beds' lamps, you replace them with the exact same type of lamps or at least recognizable equivalents. Even if your salon isn't regulated, it's still a good idea for you to follow these regulations as they are best for your beds and customers. These rules will help make certain that your customers don't get burned from overexposure to lamps that are too strong because they are not the right type for the bed.
Oftentimes, lamps will come with a letter of compatibility letting you know what lamps the replacement lamps are compatible with.
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