No matter whether you operate a tanning salon or use your own tanning bed at home, the quality of a tan depends hugely on the bulbs used. When they wear out or are used until they burn out, they produce a low quality tan with an uneven look that requires more time under tanning bed lamps to correct. Bulbs that perform poorly can negatively affect the business of tanning salon owners. Many clients change salons simply because of ineffective tanning bed bulbs. This article explains how these bulbs work, how long they should last, and several things to keep in mind when replacing them.
How Tanning Bed Lamps Work
Some bulbs only produce UVA light while others produce both UVA and UVB light. Long, tubular fluorescent bulbs contain gases that create UV light when stimulated by a coating of phosphorus and tiny particles of mercury distributed across the lamp surface. The electrical current produced when turning a tanning bed on stimulates the gases inside the bulbs that interact with the mercury particles to produce the UV light. The intensity of the light produced is dependent upon the thickness of the phosphorus coating across the surface of the lamp. The thicker the phosphorus coating, the more intense the light.
How Long Do The Bulbs Last?
New bulbs usually last around 800 hours. A person using a residential tanning bed for several 20-minute sessions per week can expect bulbs to last for a few years. Salon owners with tanning beds in use up to ten hours per day may need to replace the bulbs every two or three months.
It is important to know that tanning bed bulbs usually perform at their highest potency during the initial 200 hours of use. After that, the bulbs slowly lose power while completing the rest of their lifecycle. This is not usually a significant issue for people using a bed at home, but salon owners may want to replace their bulbs before the end of an 800-hour lifecycle.
Changing Tanning Bed Lamps
Using a UV light meter helps you avoid guessing when it is time to replace tanning bed lamps. A UV light meter also helps you determine how well bulbs are performing. It is usually best to replace bulbs performing at less than 75 percent of the power of a new bulb.
Don't just replace the bulbs that have lost their intensity. It is advisable to replace all bulbs at the same time so you don't have the problem of uneven tanning. This may only be a nuisance for home tanning bed users, but uneven tanning can mean going out of business to a salon owner.
Things To Consider When Purchasing Bulbs
When purchasing tanning bed bulbs, make sure you choose bulbs compatible with your bed. Tanning beds typically come with bulb recommendations from the manufacturer. It may work out if you stray from the manufacturer's recommendations, but it is usually best to stick with the recommended bulbs to achieve the best possible tan. In addition, keep the intensity level of bulbs in mind. High intensity bulbs equal shorter tanning sessions, but UV light doesn't penetrate as deep during short sessions, so tans may fade quicker.
Brand new tanning bed bulbs average $10 to $20. Since they are fairly inexpensive, consider purchasing new bulbs instead of used bulbs and replace them whenever you detect their performance is diminishing.
When it comes to tanning bed bulbs, many tanning bed owners are unsure as to which tanning bed bulbs they should purchase. This information is easily found, using several different methods. Many owners are afraid of purchasing the wrong bulbs, and instead rely on their tanning bed dealer to get them the correct bulbs, and in many cases, they even rely on the dealer to come to their location to install the bulbs! As a tanning bed owner, this is a bad dependency to have.
First, as a tanning bed owner, you should be able to change your own bulbs, and do general maintenance on your tanning bed. This is true whether you are a home tanning bed owner or a tanning salon owner. You will find that knowing how to properly maintain your bed will save you a ton of money in the long run ? and you won't have to depend on a dealer that may or may not still be in business in the future!
Determining what bulbs you need is really very easy, and it can be done in one of several ways. First, you can simply ask your dealer what brand and type of bulbs he or she is using in your bed. Write the information down. Another option is to consult your owner's manual. The third option is to get the information off of the bulbs that are currently in your tanning bed. The information about the brand and type of bulb is printed in very small letters near the end of the bulbs. Again, write the information down. A final option is to simply know exactly what make and model your tanning bed is.
Not all bulbs will work for all tanning beds. Therefore, wholesalers of bulbs can easily determine which bulbs you need, based on the bed that you own. Many of the wholesalers who have websites even offer a ?lamp wizard? on their website to help you determine which bulbs you need for your bed ? again, the information is determined by entering in information about your bed?.mainly the make and model of the bed. Once you determine which bulbs you need, write the information down, and put it in a safe place. This way, the next time you need bulbs, you won't have to go searching for that information.
Once you know which bulbs you need, you will save money by finding a wholesale tanning supplier. These suppliers are really very easy to find. Simply do a search for wholesale tanning supplies with any search engine. Most of the better wholesale suppliers will sell bulbs for all makes and models. Ordering the bulbs in bulk ? by the case ? will save you even more money in most cases. Many wholesalers even sell light kits, which will give you replacement bulbs for your whole bed, as opposed to just one light.
You will simply just need to enter in the make and model of your bed, choose how many bulbs you want to purchase, and then enter in your payment details and shipping information in most cases. Many wholesalers offer free shipping, especially for large orders. You can also find wholesalers that offer free tanning lotion with each purchase!
Purchasing bulbs through a wholesaler is quite safe. This is how your dealer purchases the bulbs ? before marking the price up. In most cases, you will find that your bulbs arrive in a very short time, and in perfect shape. However, it is important to find a wholesaler who has a money back guarantee, or at the very least an exchange policy that protects you against damaged bulbs. Most of the reputable wholesalers will offer guarantees, and will have refund and exchange policies in place. Make sure that you read those policies before making your purchase!
Again, tanning bed bulbs should not become an investment that is as large as the investment you made in the tanning bed in the first place! Dealers simply charge too much for the bulbs, and you can buy them yourself through a wholesaler ? and you can even change the bulbs yourself! Break the dependency you have on your dealer ? and save money in the process. In the long run, you will be very glad that you did!
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Both Christine Okelly & Trevor Mulholland are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Christine Okelly has sinced written about articles on various topics from Disease & illness, Finances and Accident Lawyers. Christine O'Kelly is a writer for ESB Tans, an industry leader in and. Christine Okelly's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.
Trevor Mulholland has sinced written about articles on various topics from Arts, Acne Treatment and Low Carb Diet. Suntan-bed.com provides you with info on how to determine what the best tanning beds are and where you can get suplies such as , l. Trevor Mulholland's top article generates over 368000 views. to your Favourites.