Solarium. Beginner's guide, part 1 - UV Lamps

Solarium. Beginner's guide, part 1 - UV Lamps


You will read the article within 4 minutes. From this post you will learn:

  • When to replace the lamps?
  • What to consider when buying lamps?
  • How much do solarium lamps cost?
  • How to maintain lamps?

An important element of the equipment of every tanning salon is lamps. Proper choice of lamps directly affects the quality of services provided, and further - customer satisfaction. A high-class solarium, equipped with modern technologies and many comforts is half the success, but when we talk about effective tanning, we can't ignore the significant impact of properly selected lamps.

We prepared the guide in the form of popular questions and answers.

1. Does lamp wear affect tanning effectiveness?

Yes, it does. The operating cycle in very simple terms is as follows:
a) the first 50-100 hours of lamp operation - strong operation, clients should be informed about the presence of new lamps
b) stable period - from 100 hours to the limit of the lamp service life declared by the manufacturer (usually 600-1000 hours for low pressure lamps). Why "to the limit of the service life"? Manufacturers' declarations are based on the operation of lamps in ideal laboratory conditions, so it should be assumed that the actual time of optimal lamp operation may be slightly shorter, e.g. by 50-100 hours than the declared one.

2. When is the best time to replace lamps in a solarium?

Theoretically, when the manufacturer's declared service life expires, in practice - sometimes it happens that lamps work great after this time. It also happens that purchased lamps lose their effectiveness much earlier. The operation practice shows that even the same model, but coming from a different production batch, may serve us shorter or longer.

In other words, you should be guided by the effectiveness of the UV lamps, and not their recommended working time. However, it is worth remembering that when the time comes to replace it, you need to replace the entire set of lamps in the solarium at once. Lamp service life most often declared by manufacturers is within the following ranges:

  • low pressure lamps (zone below shoulder line) 600-1000 hours
  • high pressure lamps (face, shoulder and neckline zone) 600-800 hours

3. Can you tell by the appearance or the behaviour of the lamp that it should be replaced?

Well, yes and no. There are situations in which reasons for an unusual behaviour of lamps may depend on improper operation or configuration of a solarium, as well as other factors. There are some signs that may or don't have to be a signal that it's worth checking the condition of the solarium and the lamps installed in it, e.g.

  • flickering of lamps during startup - flickering doesn't always have to be associated with the need to replace lamps. It may be, for example, related to a damaged starter.
  • black marks on lamps - this is a complex problem, e.g. the black tip may mean an improperly selected UV lamp for the device. Lamps with a long electrode should not be installed in tanning beds with electronic chokes. The black end of the lamp does not inform us that the lamp is worn out.

4. How to choose lamps for the solarium?

It's impossible to answer this question unequivocally, but it's worth knowing why. The choice of the right ones is influenced by so many factors that the selection of the best is very individual, these factors are:

  • selection of lamps for the 0.3 standard
  • selection of lamps for the device model, e.g. code lamps (some new solarium models require non-standard lamp models)
  • preferences of clients of a given salon
  • diversification of the salon's offer, e.g. collagen lamps, coloured lamps, etc.
  • the salon's budget and purchasing policy, e.g. less frequent replacement of better lamps, more frequent replacement of cheaper ones.

In practice, it is the distributor supplying salons with lamps that is responsible for the proper selection of solutions, advice and professional assistance. We know it perfectly well as we have been supplying Polish and European tanning salons for over 20 years.

5. Should we take care of the solarium lamps so that they serve us effectively as long as possible?

The service life of the lamps is also influenced by the ambient air temperature, which depends, for example, on insufficient air supply to the cabin and/or uncleaned air filters. There is an optimal temperature range within which the lamps maintain the best tanning parameters. Above or below a certain temperature, the amount of UV radiation produced decreases. That's why solariums have cooling systems installed, which help to maintain the optimal temperature.

6. How much do solarium UV lamps cost?

The price range is very wide. It may be easier to divide the lamps into two classes - basic and premium. The price of a single basic lamp starts from PLN 35 (lower quality or discounted standard lamp), while premium models cost around PLN 60, and in the case of the best ones, even PLN 100. What do I get for such a price? First of all, a lamp with a stable, long-lasting and effective operation, that is, the one that simply tans well. Premium models also include products with additional functions, such as hybrid lamps.

7. The best brands of solarium UV lamps?

It is difficult to identify one leading manufacturer of the best solarium lamps. The competition is very strong, thanks to which there are models of many proven brands available on the market, incl.

  • Cosmedico
  • SunMax
  • Bermuda Gold
  • Hanau
  • Wolff System

8. Do coloured lamps also tan?

Yes, they do. Hybrid lamps, i.e. coloured lamps emitting light of a specific wavelength, tan and can affect our physical and/or mental condition at the same time depending on the colour, e.g. red lamps - commonly used in cosmetology to improve the condition of the skin. Popular lamp colours in tanning salons and light therapy salons:

  • red lamps
  • blue lamps
  • yellow lamps
  • green lamps

Remember!

1) The strongest UV radiation in the lamps occurs during the first 50 - 100 hours of use, so it is worth informing clients about installing new lamps in the solarium.

2) Ask your sales representative for help in choosing the right lamps. An experienced consultant should propose the best solutions, bearing in mind satisfaction of the owner of the salon with whom they will be able to collaborate for a long time.