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First look for the size of your existing lamps, F59, F71, F72, F73 in addition to the wattage 80W, 100W, 140W, 160W. Now, determine if the lamp has a built-in reflector. It may say RUVA, VHOR, VHR or have the letter “R” after the F as in FR71 etc.

How many lamps are in the bed? Are all of the lamps the same size? If the bed has a facial there are typically shorter (F59) lamps in that area, note how many. Also, some beds have 100W lamps in the bench and 160W lamps in the canopy.

Does your bed have a facial lamp? This can be confirmed by a blue or purple filter glass located over the facial area of the canopy. If so, how many facial lamps are there?

We can assist you with some of this information if you can provide us with the type of bed you have. This means the make, model and year. For example, SunQuest Pro24S 1990. Please don’t say Wolff, this is not a bed it is a tanning technology. Allot of bed manufactures use the Wolff technology so we will require more information.    NOTE:  If your lamp has two pins or bipeds then you have an F59 or F71.  If your lamp has a plastic cap or RDC then you have F72 or F73.  See Our FAQ page for photos.

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.

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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 443-834-9916 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.

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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.

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.
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