How Do Your Lamps Rate?

[Alan @ TanToday]

Another great article from Island Sun Times. If you do not already get their FREE magazine at your salon I highly recommend you do.

http://www.islandsuntimes.com/subscribe.htm

ASK WOLFF - By Cheri Mullenix, Wolff System Tech Corp.

HOW DO YOUR LAMPS RATE?

You’ve re-lamped equipment to get your salon ready for the busy season. Here are some tips on how to maximize the life of those lamps.

Most sunlamp manufacturers list a rated life for their products, but few say what their method is for determining this life rating. Does it refer to the time you should expect the lamp to burn out? Is it just a number used to justify compatibility claims? Is it the time when the lamp has lost 50 percent of its output?

At Wolff System, a sunlamp’s rated service life is that point where UV output has depreciated by 30 percent from initial levels. A well-constructed sunlamp, properly applied, will be ready for replacement due to this natural output (phosphor) depreciation well before it “fails to light”. This is a forecast of performance under proper conditions. We all know that operating sunlamps at higher temperatures will shorten their service life (phosphor degradation) and physical life (burn-out).

Sunlamps experience their sharpest decline during the first 50-100 hours. Therefore, insist on knowing the rated life from zero hours, since that is how you will employ them in your equipment. Higher quality phosphors, such as those used in Wolff System sunlamps, tend to be more stable and last longer.

To maximize the output and life of your lamps:

• Start with a high quality lamp.

• Clean and replace acrylic shields according to the manufacturer’s specifications.

• Clean the reflective surfaces behind lamps periodically and/or when you re-lamp.

• Replace worn starters before they cause restrikes or fail entirely. Worn starters can destroy a good lamp in a very short time.

• Maintain proper room temperatures with adequate air conditioning and ventilation. Higher temperatures can shorten lamp life and reduce output.

• Incoming voltage must meet the equipment manufacturer’s specifications. Low voltage will reduce tanning effectiveness while high voltage may reduce lamp life.

• Keep in mind that VHO (very-high-output) lamps tend to have a shorter life than HO (high-output) lamps. Vertical applications (booths) are harder on sunlamps than horizontal (beds).

Remember, due to variables such as maintenance procedures, equipment ventilation and voltage irregularities, actual service life can, and often does, differ. Again, the best way to manage this aspect is good equipment maintenance and regular monitoring of output. Get and use an economical hand-held UV meter. Replace depreciated sunlamps – before you get customer complaints.