What Tanning Lamps Do I Need?

Unfortunately, without confirming this information new owners sometimes purchase incorrect lamps and are forced to return the product at their own expense. This can be prevented by looking at the label, so please review the section carefully and feel free to contact us should you have questions or if we can be of assistance.

Step Two

As you can see there are numerous lamps to choose from. The amounts of UVA and UVB a particular lamps contains determines the type of tan you will get. You need both UVA and UVB to get tan, the UVB stimulates the melanocytes in you skin to produce melanin. Once the melanin comes to the surface the UVA oxidizes it making you look brown. Keep in mind UVB is a short wave length and attacks the surface of your skin. In other words when you get sunburned it is an over exposure to UVB. 

Having said that, when someone uses the term STRONG or HOT lamp, that lamp contains more UVB and will have a tendency to make you red.

Most beds come standard with 5.0% UVB which is the best of both worlds and typically comes with an 18 – 20 minute exposure time. 

If you are an individual that does not mind a 30 minute tanning session then you can develop a deep dark tan and can achieve it in a much gentler process by using a 2.6% UVB lamp. Your tan will take longer to develop but the end result will be much more appealing.

Some tanners want immediate results whereby wanting UVB as high as 7.5% to 9.5%, these are not recommended and you can be easily burned if you are not careful. Keep in mind, the more UVB the faster you will get results but not as deep a tan. The more UVA the deeper darker the tan but it will take longer to develop.

For those that have special needs or difficulty tanning your face or legs you have the option of the Dual Sun lamp that has an increased amount of UVB in those areas. These lamps are direct replacements for the standard F71 or F73.

AGAIN! Should you feel unsure or have any questions please call 866-373-5700 and we will me more that happy to help you determine the correct lamp for your bed and one that will achieve the results that you desire.

Back to Tanning Lamps & Bulbs

HOW TO ORDER TANNING BULBS:

Also See:

• What Tanning Lamps Do I Need?

• Tanning Lamps FAQ's

You have the option to order either by phone (866-373-5700) or right on the internet. 

To order via the internet simply select the items that you require and proceed to checkout. You will be required to provide your name, address, phone number, email address, credit card number with expiration date and the three digit number listed on the back of the card where you sign. Once the order is submitted you will receive your paid invoice conformation. All orders are shipped within one business day via UPS or Federal Express. If it is a lamp order and less than 120 items it will be shipped via UPS and should arrive within a few days.

You also have the option to call the order in, here again you will be required to provide your name, address, phone number, email address, credit card number with expiration date and the three digit number listed on the back of the card where you sign. Once the order is submitted you will receive your paid invoice conformation. All orders are shipped within one business day via UPS or Federal Express. If it is a lamp order and less than 120 items it will be shipped via UPS and should arrive within a few days.

Our lamps are shipped from our warehouse in Ohio for the most efficient delivery to any part of the country. In the event your order does not arrive in a timely manner please contact us and we will be glad to track the order for you. 

Additionally, in the unlikely event should the shipment be damaged, please accept the order and indicate the damage when signing. Immediately call us and we will ship replacements that same day. If you refuse the damaged shipment it is the UPS policy that we receive the damaged shipment back at our warehouse before the replacements can be shipped.

Please know that our goal to be as efficient as possible whereby minimizing overhead in order to provide our customers with the best pricing available. Should you find the same or comparable product at a lower price please call and we will make every effort to beat that price.

Tanning Lamps

Indoor Tanning Lamp Operator Instructions & Warnings 

WEAR PROTECTIVE EYEWEAR; FAILURE TO MAY RESULT IN SEVERE BURNS OR LONG-TERM INJURY TO THE EYES.

DANGER - Ultraviolet radiation. Follow instructions. Avoid overexposure. As with natural sunlight, overexposure can cause eye and skin injury and allergic reactions. Repeated exposure may cause premature aging of the skin and skin cancer. Medications or cosmetics may increase your sensitivity to the ultraviolet radiation. Consult physician before using sunlamp if you are using medications or have a history of skin problems or believe yourself especially sensitive to sunlight. If you do not tan in the sun, you are unlikely to tan from use of this product.

To help you better understand the product which you have purchased, we offer the following technical information.

Electrode Assemblies: Signature Series lamps use custom electrode assemblies, which have been designed and manufactured specifically for the tanning industry. These electrodes are made for operation at up to 2000 mA. In addition, they are designed and tested to withstand the constant on and off cycling typical of the indoor tanning industry. They are also tested for use in both the preheat and rapid start modes. With Signature Series lamps, the typical end blackening seen during lamp aging is greatly reduced through the use of a special anode/filament combination.

The Signature Series lamps employ large cooling chambers behind the lamp electrodes. Some salon operators have perceived the resulting dark areas near the lamp bases to be outward signs of some lamp defect; this is not the case! The larger cooling chambers behind the lamp electrodes are actually there to enhance lamp operation and tanning. Without them, it is very difficult to properly cool the heavily loaded lamps to optimize the lamp operation.

Lamp operation: During normal operation, VHO lamps produce a tremendous amount of heat. If not properly cooled it is nearly impossible for any VHO lamp to reach its maximum intensity. By producing a lamp with a large cooling zone behind the filaments the Signature Series lamps can reach their optimum temperature and U.V. intensity with minimal air flow. It is recommended that the cooling air in the system be directed to the body of the lamps and not directly onto the cooling chambers. Occasionally lamps of this type will exhibit what is seen as a slow warm up. This is typical when the bulbs have been off for an extended period of time, especially if left in a cool environment. This can also be caused by excess cooling on the lamp ends. These circumstances cause the mercury vapor to migrate to the lamp ends and condense. This is generally corrected by operating the lamps for a period of about 60 minutes to allow the mercury to be re-distributed in the lamps.

Tanning customers may also see what they perceive as visual color variations, especially in new lamps. This is caused during the lamps normal ‘break in’ period while the lamps are stabilizing the mercury vapor. This variation will generally go away after one or two hours of lamp operation. Customers should not relate visible brightness to U.V. intensity. We recommend all tanning salons to have a U.V. meter to be able to monitor lamps for maintenance and proper operation.

Operating Tips: Proper seating of lamps in their sockets is vital! Poor seating can lead to poor electrical contact between lamp and socket–and can significantly shorten the life of any lamp. If the Signature Series lamps are used in a preheat circuit, it is important to replace the existing S-12 starter with every or every other lamp change. An old, worn out $2 starter can dramatically shorten the life of a lamp worth many dollars more! Minor instabilities such as “snaking” or “swirling” can be corrected by turning the lamps on and off several times after installation.

Clean lamps can improve UV output by as much as 10%! Therefore, make sure you wipe your lamps down with a damp cloth on a regular basis (don’t use solvents!). An acrylic that is old and solarized can filter out over 10% of the UVA that is trying to get through, and over 50% of the UVB that is so vital for a tan! Using your UV meter, check lamp output with, and then without, the acrylic sheet in place. If the difference in output exceeds 10%, it’s time to replace the acrylics. It is always a good idea to have a database on each piece of tanning equipment you own. When you install the lamps, and after you have burned them in, read their initial UV output using your UV meter. While opinions vary widely about when to replace lamps, a generally accepted range throughout the industry is when the lamp readings drop to about 60-70% if the initial output. Keep separate records for each piece of tanning equipment, as each lamp type is unique in its output characteristics.
   

Tanning Lamps