Choosing And Changing A Tanning Bed Bulb

When you're exposed to UV rays from the sun, your skin produces melanin, which darkens its tone. A tanning bed bulb causes the same effect by emanating UV light. The advantage is that it takes less time to produce a tan. You don't need to spend 2 or 3 hours of your day in the sun in order to achieve the chestnut tone you want. Instead, a few minutes spent at your salon or using a home tanning bed can give you the same result. In this article, we'll explore how these bulbs work. I'll also describe how to know when to replace them, how to select the right lamps, and how to install them.

How A Tanning Bed Bulb Works

In order to create the ultraviolet light that causes your skin to produce melanin, the bulbs in your home tanning bed are designed with a coating on their surface that blends phosphorous and mercury. When you turn the equipment on, an electrical current surges through the lamp and ignites the gases within. The mercury within the lamp's surface coating releases energy as UV light. The phosphorous in a tanning bed bulb acts as a filter to control how much UV light escapes the lamp. It can also be used to control the level of UVA and UVB light that is released.

When To Replace Them

Every tanning bed bulb has a limited lifespan. In most cases, they'll last for 1,000 hours. However, you'll probably want to replace them before they reach that point. Lamps are most effective during their first 200 hours of use. Past that point, they still emit UV light, but they do so with less efficiency. After 500 hours of use, it's estimated that they'll be approximately 50% less efficient. While the lamps can still provide a gorgeous tan, you'll need to be exposed to them for longer periods of time.

Also, keep in mind that this equipment uses multiple bulbs. If you replace only one of them, the set will have varying levels of intensity due to the new lamp's higher efficiency. In some cases, this can cause a noticeable stripe on your skin. To prevent that from happening, consider replacing the entire set at once.

Selecting The Right Lamp

First, unless you have a good reason for buying used bulbs, purchase them new. Spending the extra money is worthwhile because new units emit UV light much more efficiently (as described above). Next, be aware of the size and wattage of the lamps you will need. Some older systems use 160-watt lamps while new models often use 100-watt lamps. Finally, you'll need to determine the intensity you prefer. If you'd like your tanning bed bulb to produce more UVB light, you can purchase units that offer up to 8.5%.

How To Install The Lamp

Installing your new tanning bed bulb is a simple process. Unplug your it before starting to make sure there's no possibility of an electrical current surging through it. Most newer systems use lamps that pop out easily. Once the old unit is removed, place it safely aside and insert the new unit into the connectors.

Where To Buy Them

While you can purchase lamps at a local supply store, finding a retailer in your area may be a challenge. A lot of retailers are closing their offline shops in order to fully support their online presence. Not only is it more cost-effective for them than maintaining a physical storefront, but they can offer lower prices on their supplies by selling them online. Consider buying a tanning bed bulb through an online retailer. It's comparatively less expensive and the lamps can be shipped directly to your doorstep.

About the Author: Christine O'Kelly is a writer for ESB Tans, a tanning bed bulb online retailer who provides tanning systems and supplies to salons and residential owners. They offer an assortment of budget-friendly supplies for your home tanning bed.