By: Christine OKelly
When exposing your skin to the UV rays of the sun, your body produces skin-darkening melanin. A tanning bed bulb causes the exact same result as they also produce UV light. It takes considerably less time to produce a deep tan because you don't have to spend two or three hours in the sun. A home tanning bed offers you the convenience of spending only a few minutes to achieve the same result. This article explores how bulbs work, when to replace them, how to choose the right ones, and how to best install them. How A Tanning Bed Bulb Functions To create the UV (ultraviolet) light that stimulates the production of melanin, your home tanning bed bulbs have a surface coating that blends mercury and phosphorous. When turning it on, the electrical current that surges through it ignites the gases within the glass, causing the mercury within the coating to release energy as UV light. The phosphorous that is part of the lamp that acts as a filter to control the amount of UV light that escapes. It also controls the level of UVA and UVB light released. Knowing When To Replace Your Bulbs Every tanning bed bulb has an average limited amount of life. They typically last for 1,000 hours, but you should probably replace them before they reach that number of hours because lamps are most effective during the first 200 hours. After that, they still produce UV rays, but not as efficiently. After 500 hours, they are usually 50% less efficient. This means they can still give you a beautiful tan, but you'll have to increase your time. In addition, since they feature multiple lamps, by replacing only one, your home tanning bed will vary in intensity because of the higher efficiency of a new one. Sometimes, this causes a stripe on your skin where a new light produced a quicker tan than the older ones. Consider replacing all of them at the same time to prevent this problem. Choosing The Right Lamp Unless you have a specific reason not to, always purchase lamps new instead of purchasing used. It is worthwhile to spend the extra money because new items produce more efficient UV light. In addition, make sure you purchase the correct size and wattage for your home tanning bed. New equipment uses 100-watt lamps while older styles usually require 160-watt lamps. Lastly, determine the intensity you will prefer best. If you want one that produces more UVB light, look for styles that offer up to an 8.5% production. Installing The Lamps It is simple to install a new tanning bed bulb. Make sure you unplug the equipment first so you are sure there is no electrical current running through it before installing the lamps. Typically, newer models will change out easy. After removing the old bulb, insert the replacement into the connectors and dispose of the original as recommended by the manufacturer. Buying Bulbs You can usually purchase bulbs at any specialty supply store, but finding one near you can be a challenge. Many retailers have closed their retail stores in favor of going online because it is more cost effective for them, which results in lower prices for customers.
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Christine O'Kelly writes informative articles for ESB Tans, an online tanning bed bulb retailer that carries tanning supplies for both salons and residential owners. They offer a variety of affordable accessories for your home tanning bed.
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