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Equipment & Lamp Performance
Maintaining lamp performance is critical and challenging. Many
factors have to be considered and most importantly: Always keep
spare lamps available! It is a poor practice to operate a salon
without at least one spare case of each type used on hand.
Lamp Operation
• Periodically check lamp cleanliness. Most units have an air cooling
system for the lamps, which ends up being a giant vacuum cleaner
for room dirt. A dirt buildup on the lamps can have a significant
effect on lamp intensity.
• Check that the cooling system for the lamps is operating
properly. Without proper airflow, a lamp can lose intensity. A lamp
running 20 - 30 degrees too hot (or too cold) can lose as much as
35% of its maximum output intensity.
• Monitor your lamp intensity, and log it, as discussed earlier.
Lamp Replacement Checks
• When changing lamps, always clean the tanning unit thoroughly.
Dirty reflectors and acrylics can significantly reduce the useful UV
performance of the lamps.
• Check the acrylic quality. Poor quality, “cheap” acrylics, or badly
degraded acrylics can block 70% or more of the UVB radiation of
the lamps from reaching your skin. This can make a new lamp
appear to perform like one that has reached end-of-life.
• Check the lamp sockets. Be sure that the lamps are snug in the
lamp sockets. Replace any which show worn springs or loose
contacts. Poor lamp contacts can cause difficulty in lamp starting,
shorten lamp life, premature end blackening, and possible electrical
arcing at the lamp ends.
• Change the lamp starters regularly. Generally most bed
manufacturers recommend changing the starters at every other
lamp replacement. A worn-out starter can quickly destroy an
expensive lamp!
Tanning Lamp Storage
• Lamps will not degrade in their carton; so “freshly dated” lamps
are not necessary. The only way to degrade a lamp is by operating it.
• Lamps are not hurt by storage in high or low temperatures either.
However, lamps allowed to sit in a cold or hot environment may be
difficult to light until they reach room temperature.
• If lamps have been stored in the open, always clean them before
installing. Acceptable cleaners include glass cleaner, alcohol and most
general cleaners. Do not use these cleaning products on the bed
acrylics as they may damage the acrylic.
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